Young Harrow-educated actor Ricardo P Lloyd has landed a role in an upcoming BBC comedy short, “An Afroscot in Brixton,” starring and produced by Edinburgh-born supermodel and comic Eunice Olumide.
Lloyd will play the part of Rapstarr, a mildly antagonistic Brixton local opposite Olumide’s character. Commissioned by BBC Comedy, the short is part of a series of three comedy sketches that will be released on social media during March 2023. Olumide’s previous hilarious stand-up show “AfroPolitiCool” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2022 had been a huge success.
Speaking about his time at Harrow College, Ricardo told Harrow Online: “Doing a Btec level 3 diploma in performing arts at Harrow college was all part of my foundation, my training, my development. I went on to attain a degree in performing arts (acting) film, TV and stage at Buckinghamshire New University and have gone on to become a professional working actor.
“I want anyone that is looking at my journey to feel inspired and empowered as all things are possible. It is all about fulfilling your purpose and it does not matter where you started from, all you need is hardwork and determination and you can achieve!”
This new role is an opportunity for Lloyd to showcase his comedic chops following his performance in the 2022 historical docudrama “Flying For Britain,” which followed Windrush generation figure Johnny Smythe in his journey as a Royal Air Force navigator during World War II. The rising star expressed his excitement about this opportunity, saying that “Comedy is a really powerful tool in the way it can get us to question our assumptions about people, and Eunice definitely approaches some challenging topics with thought-provoking humor.”
Aside from his acting career, Lloyd is also an activist in bringing attention to issues of diversity and racism in the UK. In 2022, he presented and produced the radio documentary “My Name is Ricardo P Lloyd” for BBC Radio 4, discussing the barriers faced by black actors in the UK. Lloyd’s previous work in the entertainment industry on stereotyping and bias was a serious investigation, so he is delighted to have the chance to let his hair down and have some fun in this comedy short.
