FIRST DAY ON EARTH Series Adds Bukky Bakray, Rakie Ayola, & More to Cast

Several new cast members have joined the cast of First Day on Earth, the HBO and BBC original drama from Michaela Coel. Among the new cast are Rocks star Bukky Bakray, West End alum Rakie Ayola, and stage and screen actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, among others. 

Bakray will star as Sunny, with Ayola as Maame and Holdbrook-Smith as Steve. Other new additions are Ama Serwah Genfi (known as Amaare) as Nana, Adam Lundgren (“The Restaurant,” “The Quiet Beekeeper”) as Asger, Ray BLK (“Champion,” “The Legacy”) as Jacqueline, Dan Skinner (“Notes on Blindness,” “Litinenko”) as Chris, Daniella Arthur-Kennedy as Gladys, Jameel Buari as Ronald (“Forever in A Night”), Sam Delich (“Territory,” “Beast of War”) as Klubeck and Fisayo Akinade (“Goodbye June,” “Heartstopper”) as Adekunle.

Additional casting includes Michael Owusu Addo as Sarkodie, Joselyn Dumas as Jessica, Sister Deborah as Ama, Adjetey Anang (“Things We Do for Love,” “Deadly Voyage”) as Edmund, Akofa Edjeani  (“I Sing of a Well,” “Children of the Mountain”) as Athena, Roselyn Ngissah (“Adams Apple,” “Away Bus”) as Eresi, Akrobeto (“Ensi Aga,” “Sam Loko”) as Honam, Godwin Namboe (“Potomanto,” “Little Problems”) playing a police officer and Lady Jay as herself.

They join previously announced cast, which includes Coel, Thandiwe Newton, Maxine Peake, Danny Sapani, and Ncuti Gatwa.

The series follows Henri (Coel), British-Ghanaian novelist who is on the run – from herself, her life, her partner, and that weird guy at her book talk. When she ends up in Ghana, her ancestral homeland, she finds herself submerged in an altogether different world. Amidst new friends, fresh joy, and many different and nuanced relationships, Henri also finds secrets, lies, difficulty, and denial – leading her to question everything about herself, her heritage, and her family.

Written by and starring Michaela Coel (HBO’s I May Destroy You, Chewing Gum), First Day on Earth is a Various Artists Limited production, co-produced by HBO and the BBC in association with A24. Executive producers are Coel, Sam Miller, Jesse Armstrong, Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni for Various Artists Limited, Jo McClellan for the BBC, and A24. Johann Knobel will produce; Coel and Miller will direct.

Bukky Bakray/Rakie Ayola Photo Credit: Michael Shelford; Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Photo Credit: Paul Stuart