Rolan Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rolan Bell
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Headshot
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Rolan Bell
17 October 1983 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sophia Bell |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Best Villain - UK pantomime association - 2022 Laurence Olivier Award Nominee- Best Actor in supporting role - 2015 |
Rolan Alfonso Bell (born on October 17, 1983) is a talented British actor. He was born in West London and has Jamaican and Nigerian family roots. Rolan Bell is known for his roles in popular TV shows and stage plays.
He became well-known for playing Theo Kelly in the BBC One TV show EastEnders in 2009. He also played Sgt King (Kingy) in the BBC drama Our Girl.
As of July 2025, he is performing as Ike Turner in the musical Tina (musical) at the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End. Before this, he played Robert in The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess Theatre.
Contents
Rolan Bell's Acting Journey
Early Life and Training
Rolan Bell was born in London, England. He is the second oldest of seven children in his family, which has Jamaican origins.
He started his acting training in 2000 at Hammersmith and West London College. He studied performing arts for two years. After that, he continued his training at the Drama Centre London.
First Roles and Stage Success
Rolan Bell's first professional acting job was in the TV show Doctors in 2006. He also performed in many theatre productions.
One of his early stage roles was playing the lead character, Jimmy Cliff, in a play called The Harder They Come. He has also played Scar in The Lion King musical. In December 2010, he took on the main role of Fela Kuti in the Broadway show Fela!.
Musicals and TV Appearances
Rolan Bell has appeared in other famous musicals too. He played Coalhouse Walker Jr in Ragtime, the Musical. He also had the role of Britney in the We Will Rock You world arena tour in 2013.
For his performance in the West End production of Memphis The Musical, he received a nomination for an Olivier Award in 2015. This award was for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Rolan took a break from West End shows to act in the BBC series Our Girl. In this show, he starred alongside Michelle Keegan as a character named “Kingy.”
In 2022, Bell played Robert in the West End play The Play That Goes Wrong. Currently, he is playing Ike Turner in Tina The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre in London.
Fun with Pantomime
Rolan Bell has also performed in pantomimes, which are fun, family-friendly stage shows. He played Silly Billy in Jack and The Beanstalk at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. A theatre critic praised his performance, saying he was "superb at involving the audience."
More recently, in 2022, Bell played the villain “Abananzar” in Aladdin. For this role, he won the “Best Villain” award at The UK Pantomime Awards.
Voice Over Work
Besides acting on stage and screen, Rolan Bell is also a successful Voice Over Artist. This means he uses his voice for commercials and other projects. He has lent his voice to many well-known advertising campaigns. These include popular brands like Pepsi and Pringles.
