Bukky Bakray
{{Short description|British actress}}
{{Infobox person
| image = bukky bakray 2021 1.jpg
| caption = Bakray at the British Independent Film Awards 2021
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|2002}}
| birth_place = Hackney, London, England
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Actress
| yearsactive = 2019–present
| known_for = Rocks (2019), You Don't Know Me (2022)
| awards = BAFTA Rising Star Award (2021)
}}
Bukky Bakray (born 2002) is a British actress and writer. She is known for her debut role in the film Rocks (2019). At 18, she became the youngest BAFTA Rising Star Award recipient as well as one of the youngest Best Actress in a Leading Role nominees. She appeared on the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2021/europe/entertainment?profile=bukky-bakray|title=Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2021: Entertainment|website=Forbes}}
Early life and education
Bakray was born around 2002Lizzie Edmonds, Love letters, Evening Standard, London, 19 January 2022, page 9. She was 19 on that date. in Hackney, east London to Christian Nigerian parents. She grew up on an estate in Lower Clapton, near where Rocks was filmed.{{Cite journal |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/my-london-bukky-bakray-b926058.html |title=My London: Bukky Bakray|journal=Evening Standard|first=Emily|last=Phillips|date=26 March 2021|access-date=28 March 2021}}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/meet-the-16-year-old-actor-making-waves-at-this-years-lff|title=Meet Bukky Bakray, Rocks' teenage star|journal=Time Out London|first=Charley|last=Ross|date=24 September 2019|access-date=13 March 2021}} She has three brothers and a sister who lives in South Africa. She attended Clapton Girls' Academy and Cardinal Pole Catholic School.{{Cite journal| url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/08/rocks-sarah-gavron-interview-film-bukky-bakray-kosar-ali|title=Rocks stars: meet the teenage cast of the hot new British film|journal=The Guardian|first=Holly|last=Williams|date=8 March 2020|access-date=13 March 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54165659|title=Unknown east London schoolgirl actresses on 'life-changing' film Rocks|website=BBC|first=Emma|last=Jones|date=17 September 2020|access-date=13 March 2021}}{{Cite web| url=https://mobile.twitter.com/claptonga/status/1177574044004167680|title= A huge well done to CGA superstars Bukky and Anastasia for your performances in the new film Rocks. Here is an interview with Bukky in Time Out Magazine! Congratulations girls!|author=ClaptonGirlsAcademy|work= Twitter|date=27 September 2019|accessdate=4 June 2021}}{{Cite journal| url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/bukky-bakray-wins-rising-star-bafta-7894108|title=Hackney schoolgirl and actress Bukky Bakray wins Bafta|journal=Hackney Gazette|first=Holly|last=Chant|date=13 April 2021|accessdate=22 July 2021}}
Bakray joined the RADA Youth Company and enrolled in the Originate Actor Training programme at Theatre Peckham.{{Cite journal |url=https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2021/03/25/hackneys-bukky-bakray-best-actress-rising-star-2021-baftas/|title=Hackney's Bukky Bakray nominated for Leading Actress and Rising Star at 2021 BAFTAs|journal=Hackney Citizen|date=25 March 2021|access-date=28 March 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/news-and-press/bafta-breakthrough-awards-rada-actors/|title=BAFTA Breakthrough awards for RADA actors|website=RADA|date=17 November 2020|accessdate=11 April 2021}}
Career
Bakray was discovered at school when she was 15 by director Sarah Gavron, who cast Bakray in the titular role of her film Rocks.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/bukky-bakray-nominated-for-bafta-7805944|title=Hackney 'rising star' nominated for BAFTA|journal=Hackney Gazette|first=Holly|last=Chant|date=4 March 2021|access-date=13 March 2021}}{{Cite journal|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/bukky-bakray-rocks-baftas-rising-star-interview-896246|title=Bukky Bakray on 'Rocks' and the Baftas: 'Anyone can act. The industry makes it exclusive out of fear'|journal=INews|first=Alice|last=Jones|date=3 March 2021|access-date=13 March 2021}} Bakray became the youngest EE Rising Star Award winner and one of the youngest nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
In 2021, Bakray made her television debut as Bless in the BBC One series You Don't Know Me.{{Cite journal|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/bukky-bakray-rocks-you-dont-know-me-tom-edge-1234933563/|title=BAFTA-Nominated 'Rocks' Actor Bukky Bakray to Star in BBC and Netflix Drama 'You Don't Know Me' (EXCLUSIVE)|journal=Variety|first=Manori|last=Ravindran|date=18 March 2021|access-date=18 March 2021}} She also wrote an essay for the collection Black Joy. This was followed in 2023 by roles as Kim in the Apple TV+ series Liaison and Dione in the Netflix horror film The Strays with Ashley Madekwe. Also in 2023, Bakray starred in Sleepova at the Bush Theatre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/sleepova-bush_58475.html/|title=Sleepova with Bukky Bakray at Bush Theatre – review|website=WhatsOnStage|first=Sarah|last=Crompton|date=6 March 2023|accessdate=23 September 2023}}
Bakray has an upcoming role in the film Self-Charm directed by Ella Greenwood.{{Cite journal|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/bukky-bakray-ella-greenwood-mental-health-film-self-charm-1234842840/|title=Bukky Bakray to Headline Ella Greenwood's Mental Health Film 'Self-Charm' (EXCLUSIVE)|journal=Variety|first=Naman|last=Ramachandran|date=1 December 2020|access-date=13 March 2021}}
Acting credits
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2019
| Rocks | Olushola "Rocks" Omotoso | Debut role |
| 2021
| The Gospel According to Gail | Mia | Short film |
| 2023
| Dione | |
| 2027
| Binta | Filming |
| {{TBA}}
| Self-Charm | Maddie | Upcoming |
=Television=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2021
| Blessing/Bless | |
| 2023
| Liaison | Kim | |
=Stage=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2022
| Living Newspaper Edition 4 | Ensemble | Royal Court Theatre, London{{Cite web|url=https://royalcourttheatre.com/cast/bukky-bakray-2/|title=Bukky Bakray|website=Royal Court Theatre|accessdate=23 September 2023}} |
| 2023
| Sleepova | Funmi | Bush Theatre, London |
Bibliography
- Essay in Black Joy, edited by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and Timi Sotire (2021){{Cite journal|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/brinkhurst-cuff-curates-black-joy-collection-penguin-1231053|title=Brinkhurst-Cuff curates Black Joy collection for Penguin|journal=The Bookseller|first=Mark|last=Chandler|date=21 December 2020|accessdate=13 July 2021}}
Accolades
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|10196565}}
{{BAFTA Rising Star Award}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bakray, Bukky}}
Category:Actresses from London
Category:BAFTA Rising Star Award winners
Category:Black British actresses
Category:British child actresses
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:People from Lower Clapton