Everything you need to know about Ariyon Bakare – the star of new BBC gay drama Mr Loverman
Ariyon Bakare also played Lord Boreal in the BBC adaptation of His Dark Materials (BBC)
The creator and lead actor of BBC’s new drama Mr Loverman have defended the show’s casting, following controversy about the practice of casting straight actors in gay roles.
Mr Loverman is set in London and explores sexuality and race in Britain’s Caribbean community.
It’s based on the Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name by Bernadine Evaristo and follows 74-year-old Barrington “Barry” Jedidiah Walker (Lennie James) who has been having an affair with his best friend Morris De La Roux (Ariyon Bakare) despite being married to his wife Carmel Walker (Sharon D Clarke).
Evaristo recently told Radio Times that she believes “roles should go to the best actor for the part”.
“From my position as the writer of the book, I want it to go to the person who can play the part, and it’s not important whether they’re homosexual or not,” she said.
In the same interview, Lennie James said he was hesitant about being right for the part of Barry due to not being gay himself but believes he tried his best to do the role justice.
He has also rejected the notion that there should be “blanket bans” on straight actors playing LGBTQ+ roles.
However, Ariyon Bakare has not yet addressed the issue, and has – in fact – never addressed his sexuality. What we do know about Bakare is fascinating, however.
He has an impressive acting CV, with appearances in a score of iconic UK TV shows – so if you watch Mr Loverman and end up thinking “what else have I seen this actor in?” you’ll be spoiled for choice by the answer.
Here are some more key facts about Ariyon Bakare.
Where is Ariyon Bakare from?
Bakare was born and raised in east London to a Nigerian father. He left his family home at the age of 15 due to conflict with his father, and completed his education while homeless for a year. He’s since spoken out about his experiences in interviews, including with anti-homelessness publication The Big Issue.
Bakare told The Big Issue: “That was my place of complete invisibility. That was the place where I did see people just walk past me. Even my own father did it. He walked past me one day. I watched him just walk past. And it sends you into an emotional state that has never really left me.”
He moved to New York at the age of 17 in order to pursue dance as a career but later decided to focus on acting and moved back to London at 20 to study acting at Drama Centre London.
Is Ariyon Bakare gay and does he have a partner?
It is unclear where Bakare is in a relationship and, if he is, with whom. Bakare has always been very private about his personal relationships and dating history, and has not disclosed whether he is straight, gay, or LGBTQ+ at all.
Back in 2015, Bakare was in a relationship with someone that ended right around the time that he also lost his stepmum – whom he was very close to – and his sister, which he said fuelled some of “intensity” of his performance as Stephen Black in the BBC adaptation of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
There is no evidence to point to who it was that Bakare was dating at the time nor has he been public about any relationships since.
What else has Ariyon Bakare starred in?
Bakare is no stranger to a BBC drama, having starred in Doctors as Ben Kwarme and in hit fantasy series His Dark Materials as Lord Boreal.
He has also made appearances in popular British shows like The Bill, Casualty, Holby City, Doctor Who, Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, and Family Affairs.
Bakare has also had roles in the 2008 Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight, Jupiter Ascending alongside Mila Kunis, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and the Amazon Prime series Good Omens, and Carnival Row.
What else is Bakare famous for?
While Bakare is best known for his acting chops, he also is keen to use his fame for philanthropic purposes.
The lauded actor founded an anti-racism charity called iCARE in 2020 in order to turn the tides on racial inequality after he was sent the video of George Floyd being held down by police officers in the U.S – which sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racism, which Bakare himself attended in London.
In an interview with Soho House, Bakare said: “I just thought: I’m tired, physically tired of this. And I can’t believe in 2020 that we’re still not creating a new version of this inherited racism that we have.”
“I called people I know and was like, are you racist? Some people said: ‘It’s nothing to do with me’ or ‘It’s for those who live in America.’ One person said: ‘I don’t see your colour.’ That blew me away. I said: ‘Of you don’t see my colour then you don’t see the struggles I’ve been going through’.”
Bakare said he launched iCARE – which stands for Conversations About Racial Equality – to “create a space where people can have a conversation about racial equality”.
