"Iyla is one to watch. She will go far."
West Yorkshire teenage actress Iyla Sundarsingh McKaig has been cast in Netflix’s upcoming drama Unaccustomed Earth.
The 18-year-old from Cleckheaton will play Hema in the adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed short story collection.
She stars alongside Indraneil Sengupta as Jai and Adi Roy as Kaushik. Freida Pinto will lead the cast as Parul Chaudhury.
The series, written by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Ritesh Batra, explores love, desire and belonging in a close-knit Indian American community.
Unaccustomed Earth centres on a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long-lost love.
When it comes to light, a scandalous affair is born and new battle lines are drawn in the elite, insular Indian American community of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Executive producer John Wells is also involved in the project.
Iyla is represented by Shipley-based Articulate Agency, one of the UK’s top agencies for young talent.
The company works with leading UK and US casting directors to secure high-profile opportunities, including major Hollywood productions.
Stacey Burrows, founder of Articulate Agency, said: “Iyla’s first Articulate role was a few episodes of Emmerdale when she first started with us.
“She started acting at the age of just four, and is a long-standing student in the Articulate Drama School. I’ve worked with some incredible young talent.
“Iyla is one to watch. She will go far. We’re so proud of her as she moves to New York for such an exciting Netflix project.”
Iyla has been building her career from a young age.
At 15, she played Usma as a series regular in CBBC’s Jamie Johnson. She recently starred in Netflix’s Toxic Town and completed her final exams in June to focus on acting full-time.
She said:
“Yorkshire actors are more than just the place they come from.”
“There’s real talent if you look at actors like Dominic West, Jodie Whittaker, Sean Bean in films and shows like Phantom Menace, The Crown, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who.
“We have so much more to offer to global productions, and it’s so nice to see that really being recognised now.”
Founded in 2013 by Stacey Burrows, Articulate Agency also runs acting schools across Yorkshire and has helped launch several careers.
Unaccustomed Earth will also star Sarayu Blue as “Ruma” and will feature eight episodes.
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