Izuka Hoyle is a Scottish actress who built her career from West End musicals to award-winning screen performances. Born January 18, 1996, in Edinburgh, she won a BAFTA Scotland award for Boiling Point and gained recognition for her role in Channel 4’s Big Boys.
Early Life and Training in Edinburgh
Izuka Hoyle grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the daughter of a Scottish father and Nigerian mother. Her multicultural background shaped her perspective in a city where she was often one of few people of color in her community.
She attended Cramond Primary School, then moved to the Royal High School in 2008. At 16, she made a decision that would define her career. She left Edinburgh for London to study musical theater at Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in Chiswick.
ArtsEd provided her with rigorous training in acting, singing, and dance. The program equipped her to move between stage and screen with technical precision. In 2017, she won the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year award, recognizing her excellence in musical theater interpretation.
This foundation gave her skills that would later prove essential for demanding roles. Her vocal control, physical expressiveness, and emotional range all trace back to this classical training period.
Breaking Through in Six the Musical
Hoyle’s professional breakthrough came immediately after graduation in 2017. She originated the role of Catherine Parr in Six: The Musical at London’s Arts Theatre. The production ran from December 18, 2017, to January 22, 2018.
Six reimagines Henry VIII’s six wives as pop stars, each performing their story through contemporary music styles. Hoyle’s portrayal of Catherine Parr showcased her vocal strength and stage presence. The role required her to balance historical depth with modern performance energy.
The musical became a cultural phenomenon. It expanded to the West End, Broadway, and international productions. Hoyle appears on the original studio cast recording, which has streamed over one billion times collectively with other Six recordings as of 2024.
This early success established her industry credibility. Critics noted her ability to command attention while serving the ensemble dynamic. The role opened doors to film and television opportunities that followed quickly.
Transition to Screen Acting
Film Debut and Early Television Roles
In 2018, shortly after her theater success, The Evening Standard named Hoyle a “Rising Star.” That same year, she made her screen debut as Mary Seton in Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan. Though a supporting role, it gave her experience on a major international production.
She then joined the second season of BBC Three’s Clique as series regular Dani. This marked her first substantial television role. She followed this with appearances in BBC’s Jerk and Channel 4’s Deadwater Fell alongside David Tennant.
Between 2020 and 2021, she joined the CW series The Outpost for its third and fourth seasons, playing Wren. She also appeared in Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time as Dana. These roles built her screen experience across different genres and production scales.
Her film work continued with Villain in 2020, directed by Philip Barantini. This collaboration would prove significant for her next major role.
The Boiling Point Breakthrough
Hoyle’s career reached a new level with Boiling Point in 2021. Director Philip Barantini shot the entire film as a single, unbroken take following a restaurant kitchen during one chaotic night. The technical demands were immense.
She played Camille, an intense French chef working under head chef Andy Jones, portrayed by Stephen Graham. The single-take format meant no room for errors. Every actor had to maintain performance consistency for the full run time.
The film premiered to critical acclaim. Hoyle’s performance earned her the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actress in Film in 2022. This recognition marked her as a serious dramatic talent, not just a musical theater performer who crossed over.
In 2023, she reprised the role of Camille for BBC One’s television adaptation of Boiling Point. The series expanded the story beyond the single night, allowing deeper character development. Her work earned her a BAFTA Scotland nomination for Best Actress in Television.
Big Boys and Comedy Success
While building her dramatic credentials, Hoyle showed her range in comedy. She joined Channel 4’s Big Boys as series regular Corinne, a role she played across all three seasons from 2022 to 2025.
Created by Jack Rooke, Big Boys follows two university students navigating grief, identity, and friendship. Hoyle’s character Corinne is studious yet evolving, providing grounded support to the main characters while developing her own arc.
The show resonated with audiences for its honest portrayal of young adult experiences. Critics praised the ensemble cast’s chemistry and the writing’s balance of humor and emotional depth.
Hoyle received BAFTA Scotland nominations for Best Actress in Television in both 2023 and 2025 for this role. The recognition demonstrated her ability to excel in both comedy and drama, a relatively rare combination.
The series concluded its run in 2025 after three successful seasons. Her performance showed she could anchor comedy without losing the emotional precision that defined her dramatic work.
Awards and Industry Recognition
Hoyle’s award wins and nominations reflect consistent excellence across different media. Her 2022 BAFTA Scotland win for Boiling Point remains her most significant honor to date.
The consecutive BAFTA Scotland nominations for Big Boys (2023 and 2025) demonstrate sustained quality in television work. These nominations placed her among Scotland’s most recognized screen performers.
In 2025, Screen International named her one of their “Stars of Tomorrow.” This annual list identifies rising talent in the UK film and television industry. The recognition came as her career entered a new phase with leading roles.
Her trajectory from musical theater awards (the Sondheim Prize in 2017) through to film and television honors shows growth across all performance areas. She has proven herself beyond any single genre or medium.
Recent Projects and What’s Next
Hoyle appeared in several 2024 releases that expanded her range. She played Gloria in The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan in a drama about addiction and recovery set in Orkney. She also appeared in Netflix’s The After.
Her television work in 2024 included roles in Ludwig (BBC) as Sergeant Davina Finch and The Responder Season 2 (BBC One). She also appeared in Suspect: The Shooting of Charles de Menezes for Disney+.
Her most significant upcoming project is Prisoner, a Sky series where she plays lead character Amber Todd. The series, directed by Otto Bathurst and written by Matt Charman, pairs her with Tahar Rahim. Production details remain limited, but the leading role marks a new career level.
She also appeared in Dinner with the Parents for CBS Studios and Amazon Freevee as series regular Jenny Spiegel, expanding her work into American productions.
At 28 years old in 2026, Hoyle has built a body of work that spans musical theater, independent film, prestige television, and streaming productions. Her ability to move between intense single-take dramas and ensemble comedies while maintaining authentic performances sets her apart.
Her career demonstrates what sustained training, thoughtful role selection, and consistent excellence can achieve. She represents a new generation of British performers who cross freely between stage and screen without losing credibility in either space.
As her leading roles increase and her range continues to expand, she stands as one of Scotland’s most promising dramatic talents working today.
