Ariyon Bakare

Ariyon Bakare is an English actor, writer and director who was born in London in 1971 and grew up in several parts of the city, where watching old films with his father sparked his interest in acting. He moved to New York to study dance before returning to London to train in drama, and his first stage success came with the play Ion. His breakthrough arrived in 1998 when he took the part of Mehuru in A Respectable Trade, a BAFTA-nominated miniseries, becoming the first Black man to star in a BBC period drama. He later played Dr Ben Kwarme in Doctors from 2001 and appeared in Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, Good Omens and Mr Loverman. In 2025, he received the BAFTA TV Award in the best supporting actor category for Mr Loverman. His theater work includes productions with the RSC, the Young Vic and the Royal Court.