Ricardo P. Lloyd
Lloyd in 2021
Born	(1993-11-20)20 November 1993 (age 31) Ipswich, England
Alma mater	Anglia Ruskin University (MBA) Buckinghamshire New University (BA)
Occupation(s)	Actor, presenter, writer, producer, model
Years active	2013–present
Height	189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Website	ricardoplloyd.com

Ricardo P Lloyd (born 20 November 1993) is a British actor, presenter and writer. He began his career in theatre, appearing in productions, including those byShakespeare's Globe. In 2020,The Voice named him one of the Top 20 to watch out for. In 2022, Lloyd presented and produced his owndocumentary forBBC Radio 4.

Ricardo P Lloyd was born on 20 November 1993 inIpswich, England. His grandparents were a part of theWindrush generation, migrating fromJamaica toEngland.^[1][2][3]Lloyd moved fromIpswich toLondon with his mother when he was very young. He grew up in theLondon Borough of Brent,^[4] attending Kensal Rise Primary School now known as Ark Franklin Primary Academy. In his teenage years, he went to the secondary schoolCapital City Academy, and performed in school productions ofBugsy Malone andWest Side Story.^[4]

He then went down a bad path, hanging around with the wrong crowds trying to fit in, which led him to get into some fights and failing most of hisGCSEs. Lloyd later turned his life around, staying at the school'ssixth-form to retake some GCSEs and do anA-Level in drama.^[5]

However, staff continued to stereotype him. Lloyd eventually left Capital City Academy's sixth-form to pursue aBTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in performing arts acting atHarrow College (2011–2013). The actor then went on toBuckinghamshire New University to study Performing Arts; Film TV & Stage at undergraduate level (2013–2016). After Lloyd received hisBA Honours degree in 2016, he then did anMBA atAnglia Ruskin University (2016–2018) to enhance his skills in business.^[5][6][7]

Lloyd began his acting career in theatre, performing in various theatre shows. He then appeared in severalshort films. He made his professional stage debut in 2015 in a production ofAnimal Farm atOxford House (settlement).^[8][9]

Lloyd subsequently starred in the short filmUniversity Life (2015) where he played the (lead) protagonist Anthony. The film was a runner-up in aBIFA short film competition. In February 2016, Lloyd played Karam in the stage productionFragile things performed at theWycombe Swan Theatre.^[10] In the same year, he filmed a part in a short film titledCussin.

In April 2019, Lloyd acted inShakespeare Walks, where he took on the role ofSnug (A Midsummer Night's Dream). He also performed inShakespeare within the Abbey, produced byShakespeare's Globe. Lloyd worked alongsideOscar-winning actorMark Rylance and his wifeClaire van Kampen. These shows were created to celebrateShakespeare's birthday, brought alive by a company of different actors.^{[1][11][9][4]}

"one of the most moving celebrations of Shakespeare I've experienced" – Michael BillingtonThe Guardian^[12]

In November 2019, Lloyd portrayedRomeo in the critically acclaimed topical (theatre) productionExcluded, produced by Intermission Theatre, a company which helps disenfranchised teenagers stay away from crime.^[1][2][5] The play transplanted and re-imagined some of Shakespeare's iconic characters into aLondon secondary school as they prepared for theirGCSEs, highlighting how the education system fails many young people. Lloyd received much praise for his performance.^{[13][14][15][16]}

On 3 November 2019, Lloyd made an appearance onBBC One'sSunday Morning Live season 10, episode 20, presented bySean Fletcher andRia Hebden. Lloyd performed a scene fromExcluded with fellow cast and was then interviewed byRia Hebden. He was seen wearing an eye patch with the word 'excluded' on it, created for him by British artistEugene Ankomah. When interviewed byVanessa Feltz on herBBC Radio London breakfast radio show (23 October 2019) what it meant, Lloyd said it was a symbol to represent how society "only chooses to see what they want to see concerning young people" or people who come from where he does.^{[17][18][19][20]}

Lloyd also appeared onITV News London, where he candidly spoke out on the effects of schoolexclusions, saying: "When you exclude a child, you are essentially saying they're not good enough for society." He added, "A lot of my peers who have been excluded ended up in prison or dead."^[21]

Lloyd has a number of further credits. He worked onCreation Theatre Company'sThe Time Machine: A Virtual Reality (2020) in theWest End. Lloyd performed at theLyric Theatre as part of the Evolution festival (2020). He also starred in the documentary filmArts hole (2020), which he co-produced with Wendy Richardson and Tara Dominick. Lloyd appeared inKar-go'spromotional video forautonomous delivery UK launch (2020).

In 2021, Lloyd wrote, acted, produced and filmed his own short film titledCall It A Problem, to inspire youth and the community during theCOVID-19 pandemic, teaming up with charities The People's FC and Teviot Rangers JFC.^[22][23]

Lloyd starred in the short filmCon-Spiracies (2021), produced by theNational Film and Television School, where he played lead character Jaden. He also performed a monologue to a select audience for the virtual eventMy Story, My Monologue hosted byBlackRock with thousands of employees watching.^[1]

In January 2022, it was announced that Lloyd would narrate theAudiobook of thecrime novelSilenced by Jennie Ensor.^[24]

On Saturday, 9 April 2022, Lloyd playedJohn Blanke at theNational Maritime Museum part of theCaribbean Takeover celebrating black history. The event was an opportunity for visitors to discover the fusion of cultures from Africa, the Caribbean and Britain. It was the first time in the museum's history that an event was held of that magnitude celebrating black history. Lloyd was joined by other notable public figures includingITVThe Chase'sShaun Wallace, as well asLeroy Logan.^[25][26][27]

In 2022, Lloyd played the lead characterJohnny Smythe in theDocudramaFlying for Britain. The film follows Johnny's journey to recruitment into the wartimeRAF and his experiences of combat flying as the navigator of a Stirling Bomber. The project was produced in partnership withRoyal Airforce Museum andNational Lottery Heritage Fund.^{[28][29][30][31][32][33]}

Lloyd was cast as lead character, Rapstar, in a Comedy short written by modelEunice Olumide commissioned by theBBC.^[34][35][36]

In April 2023, Lloyd portrayedGeorge Augustus Polgreen, performing for the second time at theNational Maritime Museum, for the second year of the Caribbean Takeover.^[37]

Lloyd created and presented his ownradio documentary entitledMy Name Is Ricardo P LloydforBBC Radio 4, which received rave reviews. The program was listed as one of thetop choice to check out byThe Guardian,The times,Daily Star and countless others. According toThe Daily TelegraphLloyd is full of insight'^[38][39][40] It was broadcast nationally on 18 July 2022 at 11.00am and made available onBBC Sounds. The documentary featuresAml Ameen andDeath in Paradise star Tobi Bakare as well as leading people in the entertainment industry.^{[41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54]}

Lloyd has been cited as ‘One of Britain's most promising acting talents’byMy London.^[47] In 2020, Lloyd was recognized as a rising actor whenThe Voice listed him as one of theTop 20 ones to watch out for in business, sport, culture and politics. Additionally, Lloyd was nominated for a Blac award, an award celebration of the achievements of those of the African-Caribbean Community in the UK.^[55][6][56]

Lloyd has been supported and mentored by different industry leaders, includingHollywoodA-listers such asWhoopi Goldberg,David Oyelowo,Naomie Harris, andMark Rylance, who have encouraged him to continue to stretch himself as an artist and break through barriers in his industry.^{[57][1][58][59]}

In November 2021,The Guardian published an article that focused on Lloyd and actorDavid Harewood, comparing the actors' lives and careers. This was part ofBlack British culture matters, curated byLenny Henry and Marcus Ryder forThe Guardian's Saturday Culture Issue No 7.^[60][4]

On 28 August 2022, Lloyd won theAnglia Ruskin University Vice counsellor alumni Contribution to Culture award.^{[61][62][63][64][65]}

Lloyd was recognised and celebrated byYour Brent Magazine a magazine byBrent Council forBlack History Month 2022 as one of theBlack British stars frombrent making an impact.^[66][67]

In October 2023Anglia Ruskin University honored Lloyd by featuring him in an Exhibition‘Celebrating a Legacy of Black Excellence’at the ARU Cambridge campus alongside boxerDavid Haye recognizing them both for their achievements and cultural impact.^[68][69]

In 2023, Lloyd exceeded the noteworthy threshold of 100,000 subscribers on his officialYouTube channel. As recognition of his achievement, Lloyd was awarded with aYouTube Creator Award.^[70][71]

In 2024, Ricardo P Lloyd was nominated for a Nela Academy Award for his notable acting and meaningful social and cultural contributions, ultimately winning the award.^[72]

As well as being an actor, Ricardo P Lloyd is an activist. He continues to use his influence to publicly raise awareness for key social issues such asclass discrimination,social exclusion,racism, anddiversity in the UK.^{[73][4][59][74][20][75][76]}

Lloyd spoke boldly about the challenges manyblack British actors face in the industry. In 2021, he wrote an article forThe Independent extensively discussing some of his own experiences of discrimination being a black British actor.^[77] He has also written articles for various publications includingRadio Times,The Big Issue,The Voice, Student Pocket Guide.^{[78][79][80][81]}

Lloyd has a brand deal with Hidden Sea Wine, anaustralian wine company. He has an equity stake in the company, he continues to act as an official ambassador, supporting their on going values of environmental responsibility they pledge to remove and recycle 10 plastic bottles from the ocean.^[82]

Lloyd is a practisingChristian,^[83] he has spoken openly about how importance his faith is to him on platforms likePremier Christian Radio, saying it keeps him grounded.^[84]In 2021, he toldChurch Times:"Faith has enabled me to survive in this business: faith in God through Christ Jesus. I trust in him that he has a purpose regarding my life and career, and he knows what is best for me. I also need to have faith in myself, my abilities, my value. I have business skill-sets to help me create my own work. I no longer want to just survive, but thrive. I'm also trying to help other people who come from where I come from."^[83]

Lloyd revealed his favourite actor of all time isSidney Poitier. He wrote a tribute to Poitier after hearing of his passing in January 2022, which was published byThe Voice.^[7] He also is a fan ofMichael Jackson since childhood and has said that Michael Jackson's life, career,artistry (work) has greatly inspired him.^[83][2]

Lloyd has also attributed his personal and artistic development to his attendance atAnna Scher’s drama classes, acknowledging her influential role in shaping him as an individual and an overall artist.^[85]

In 2020, Lloyd personal life played out in the Print media early that year he was listed onThe Voice's "top 20 ones to watch out for" and was working on several projects before theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[6] Lloyd then found himself going through a dark period becoming homeless and going through different traumatic experiences. Lloyd spoke out about the lack of support many black men face.^[86][87]

The stories kept on circulating about the actor: "Police appeal after actor is attacked by unknown woman in Lambeth."^[88]

One journalist added: "Because of his facial scars Ricardo will also have to step away from the camera and put his acting career on pause."

• Lloyd P Ricardo (13 July 2021). ‘As a black British actor I have been Stereotyped one too many times’^[77] The Independent
• Lloyd P Ricardo (18 January 2022). ‘How Sidney Poitier inspired me to be excellent and among the stars’^[7] The Voice
• Lloyd P Ricardo (2022) WHY I AM SO OVER THE WILL SMITH OSCAR INCIDENT!^[76] The Student Pocket Guide
• Lloyd P Ricardo (15 July 2022) ‘I want to see the industry celebrate Black talent instead of pushing actors out’^[52] Big Issue
• Lloyd P Ricardo (18 July 2022 ) ‘Diversity on and off screen should be the true end goal and not just tokenism’^[78] Radio Times
• Lloyd P Ricardo (2023) ‘Overcoming Setbacks in the Entertainment Industry.’^[90] Student Pocket Guide
• Lloyd P Ricardo (2023) ‘THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION,^[91] Student Pocket Guide
• Lloyd P Ricardo (2023) ‘On Taking Care of One's Self!’^[92] Student Pocket Guide

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