Who: Doña Croll, Jamaican-born British actress

Where: Premiere in Kingston, Jamaica of Bob Marley: One Love biopic

The back story… Croll was the special guest of lead Lashana Lynch, who mentioned Croll as being one of her inspirations when she got her BAFTA Rising Star Award.

Croll was delighted at the mention of both herself and Carmen Munro in the same breath… It’s quite an honour to realise that my work serves as encouragement to many younger actresses. In the same way that I took inspiration from Mona Hammond. When Lashana gave her acceptance speech, I was in Jamaica and I knew nothing about it until my manager called me to say that I’d had a shout-out at the BAFTAs. I have met Lashana a few times but I’ve yet to work with her; I’m looking forward to that.

Doña Croll (left), Jamaican-born British actress, who was a special guest of Bob Marley: One Love lead actress Lashana Lynch, shared the red-carpet spotlight at the recent premiere at Carib Theatre with Jamaica Observer Managing Director Dominic Beaubrun and his wife Angelique. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Doña Croll starred alongside Adjoa Andoh and Nicholle Cherrie in Richard II (2020)

Doña Croll (right) as Kate Keller in All My Sons

On her red carpet experience in Kingston… I’m not well-known here but I always feel at home among my tribe.

On Bob Marley… I met Bob in the early 70s when I was working whilst at drama school for
BBC Radio on a show called Reggae Reggae. There were three presenters and we posed our questions along with questions from our listeners to Bob. I was floored by his magnetism and his confidence. I had never heard anyone speak like Bob and I had never met a Rastafarian before, so when I asked a stupid question, something like “How long have you been pursuing a musical career?” Bob replied patiently in a language that I couldn’t understand! I don’t think he enjoyed being interviewed..

My favourite Bob Marley song is…
Natural Mystic. When I’m in London and that introduction plays I can imagine a Rastaman walking down a hill, stick in hand, and as he reaches the road the drum kicks in and man a trod!

I hope from this biopic people will really understand Bob’s work ethic, his loving nature, his vulnerability and volatility. We all understand his politics; this biopic gives us the man!

On her own foray into acting… My acting ability showed itself in a school production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream when I was about 15 and I played Bottom. My teachers said that I had something and that I should be an actor. I was studying French, English, German and Italian and I didn’t really understand what an actor was. The only black people we ever saw on our TV sets were Americans. Occasionally we’d see a Caribbean Calypsonian but I was headed for a career in Europe. My teachers persuaded me eventually to train as an actor. My parents were not pleased…

Doña Croll as Matron Casp in the 2022 play The Doctor

Doña Croll in The House and Everything (2013

Actress Lashana Lynch during her acceptance speech at the BAFTA Awards 2022 paid homage to Dona Croll and Mona Hammond

Doña Croll as Emerald Fox and Rudolph Walker as Patrick Trueman in EastEnders (2017)

I studied for three years at Birmingham Theatre School, having auditioned for a student grant. The training covered classical texts, history of theatre, dance, acting, fencing, speech and voice production, etc. I was brought up in Birmingham; many people from the western parishes settled in the Midlands. I moved to London as soon as possible as the whole industry was concentrated there.

My first gig was at the Bush Theatre in London. I played a young Birmingham girl, no huge leap from myself. That production led to many other plays and I met and worked with older Caribbean actors like Norman Beaton, Mona Hammond, and George Harris.

The main thing about an acting career is to keep working!

My theatre highlights are… Britain’s first Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Shakespeare is very important in the UK. If you can do Shakespeare, you can do anything.

The more…

West End appearances in Serious Money, by Caryl Churchill

Elmina’s Kitchen by Kwame Kwei Armah.. (Rita Marley came to see us one evening.)

The Doctor, which also transferred to Broadway.

I worked with Kingsley Ben-Adir in a play called The Riots about 10 or so years ago.

Doña Croll in EastEnders (1985

Doña Croll as Matron Casp in the 2022 play The Doctor

I’ve done a lot of film and television… the film highlights for me are Hallelujah Anyhow written by our own Jean “Binta” Breeze, and Mr Malcom’s List Manderlay.

TV highlights include… The Long Song, Brothers and Sisters, Doctor Who. I also recorded the audiobook of Kei Miller’s Augustown. That was a great experience.

I hope my work still motivates the next generation… but I mentor young actors informally and give advice when requested. It’s pointless giving advice if the receiver is not ready to receive..

On the next generation of thespians… There are many African and Caribbean actors of note: Joseph Marcel, David Harewood, Sarah Niles, Adjoa Andoh, Paapa Essiedu, Michèl Austin, Tamara Lawrance, to name a few. I am astonished by their talent and commitment to the craft, but I’m very interested in our writers and directors. Our stories need to be told and since the whole Black Lives Matter movement I’ve noticed an increase in our people not only on camera but behind the lens.

On what’s next… What is wonderful now is that I only need to do work that is both interesting and challenging.

Final curtain… I’m not sure I want to be [remembered] for any particular role but I know my parties will be remembered!