Interview: Rakie Ayola Stars As Persephone In Kaos

4 months ago

Rakie stars as Persephone in this new Netflix series

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more

Now streaming on Netflix, Rakie Ayola plays a new version of Persephone in Charlie Covell’s reimagining of Greek mythology, Kaos. Starring opposite on-screen husband Hades (David Thewlis) – ‘which was a bit of a bucket list moment to be honest,’ Rakie tells C&TH – we sat down with Rakie to talk all things Kaos.

Interview: Rakie Ayola

Hi Rakie, how’s life going at the moment?

With so much turbulence in the world, I’m very grateful to be able to say my life is calm and all is well.

You can now be seen in Kaos on Netflix – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

I’d say Kaos is writer Charlie Covell’s version of the Greek myths if all the characters had lived in the 1980s.

You play Persephone – how would you describe her?

Persephone as written by Charlie Covell is smart, wise, watchful, romantic and very much in love with her husband Hades, played by the ever-brilliant David Thewlis.

What was it like playing her?

Persephone is one of those characters that jumps out at you from the page. I wanted to play her from the first scene. I adored exploring things from her perspective. She tries to make sense of the other people by asking ‘Why would a person choose to do that?’, ‘What possible reason made that the best choice for them?’. The world needs more Persephones.

How did you get into character/prepare for the role?

As soon as her hair, makeup and clothes were on, Persephone was in the room. Charlie’s version of the Hades/Persephone relationship is different to the myth, so I drew from the script and Charlie’s vision at all times

Any funny stories from rehearsals or filming?

Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus. On set, he liked to play a game in which someone names a movie, the next person names an actor from that movie, the next person names a movie that actor was in and so on… No matter how obscure a movie we started with, we’d always end up with Jeff putting his hand on his chest and coyly saying ‘Oh… Me’. It was hilarious.

What is the cast dynamic? Who was your favourite person to work with?

I genuinely had a blast with all the ‘Gods’. I worked most closely with David, which was a bit of a bucket list moment to be honest. I’ve been a fan of his for so long. Same with the glorious Janet McTeer. Wandering around Madrid with her trying to find a restaurant that could seat the two of us was a bit of a pinch me moment.

(L to R) David Thewlis as Hades, Rakie Ayola as Persephone, in KAOS

It’s all about Greek mythology – what did you know about this before going in?

I knew a reasonable amount about Greek Mythology before I started, though of course Kaos is Charlie Covell’s spin on it all. Coincidentally, over 20 years ago, I produced a short film called Persephone’s Playground, so she’s been with me in some form for a long time.

Do you have a favourite Greek myth?

I’ve always loved the 1981 film Clash of the Titans and have watched it countless times, so I have to say the Perseus and Medusa story. Though I hope, as beautifully played by Debi Mazar in Kaos, people will be forced to think again about Medusa.

You’ve also starred in Anthony, Black Mirror and in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, but what has been your favourite project to date?

Playing Gee Walker and telling Anthony Walker’s story in Anthony was a hugely important moment for me both personally and professionally. I’ll be forever grateful that I was a part of it. Gee calls me her TV twin, which is as big a compliment as any I’ve received.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

I worked with Jonathan Pryce in 1992 on a film called Great Moments In Aviation and he and his wife Kate have been mates ever since.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

I honestly learn something from everyone I work with, but during one of our scenes together in the BBC film Great Moments In Aviation, Jonathan Pryce pointed out that my energy levels had dropped. At the time, I got defensive about it but he was absolutely right. I was literally slowing down as the day wore on. It’s something I’m now mindful of both on set and on stage.

What’s your dream role?

Last year, I played American writer Adrienne Kennedy in the auto biographical piece Mom, How Did You Meet The Beatles?. I’d love to bring that Chichester Festival Theatre production to London, not least because Adrienne, who is 93 this year, would love to have her work performed here again. It’s a fascinating memoir of her dealings with the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Tynan, John Lennon and others.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I’d like to do more of whatever genre Kaos is. Comedy drama? And musical theatre. Definitely. I recently did two workshops for stage musical adaptations of two feature films. It would be a dream come true to eventually be involved in either production.

Do you get to spend much time at home?

I’m a real homebody, so when I’m not working that’s usually where you’ll find me. At the end of a week of night shoots for The Pact season 2, I would get the 3am coach from Cardiff to London so I could be home by 7am in time for breakfast with my family. I love a late-night coach trip, though at the time I was wearing a mask the whole time.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I grew up in the Ely district of Cardiff which, because it’s on the western edge of the city, meant I could come home from a trip to the city centre with my mum, then walk through the woods to play in the River Ely with my mates all in one afternoon. I now live in South East London, and while I love how close we are to all kinds of art and culture, I wish my daughters had been able to escape to the countryside as easily as I could.

What’s your interior design style?

I like colour on the walls. Original art. Plants. I’m not great at creating looks from scratch, so I’ll literally copy something I’ve seen and loved from a magazine.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

It’s not easy when you’re self-employed, but I’m much better at it than I used to be. Last year I ‘closed the shop’ so we could all attend a family wedding in Peru. We made a trip of it and were there for three weeks. It meant pulling out of a project that I had been cast in when the filming dates changed. I wasn’t prepared to cancel our trip and the production couldn’t reschedule my scenes. Once upon a time, I would have dropped everything to be on that set in Budapest.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I have wanted to earn my living from acting since I saw Barbra Streisand in Hello Dolly on TV when I was eight years old. At the time, there were lots of conversations about employment – or the lack of it – and I guess the idea occurred to me even then that acting could be not just a hobby, but how I paid my bills.

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

I know that losing your mum last year at 14 has rocked your world and made you feel like an alien, but be kind to yourself. Those predicted straight As at O-level will be difficult to achieve now. Grief can be all consuming. Ask for help. Oh – and hold onto your dream. The reality is coming.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Don’t drop litter. Pick up other people’s litter. Say please. Say thank you. Do things that benefit total strangers. Blow your nose. Don’t pick your nose in public. Check your capacity for mindless cruelty. Then check your capacity to normalise mindless cruelty. Don’t maim or kill people you disagree with.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I recently did a skydive and I loved it so much I’m already planning to do another one. That was just after I shot feature film Bad Apples with the wonderful Saoirse Ronan. It’s a very dark comedy that will hopefully appear next year. It was so much fun to shoot and I’d work with Saoirse again in a heartbeat.