Akilah A. Walker

Akilah "AK" Walker (she/her/hers) is an actress, director, writer, and creative producer fascinated by the performative, the magical, and the absurd-especially as it relates to all women and people of the Black diaspora. Akilah recently joined the cast of Bel-Air season 3 (Peacock) where she is heavily recurring as savvy, young politician Yolanda Porter. Akilah was named "Best First Time Director (Female)" by The Independent Shorts Awards in October of 2021 for her writer/directorial debut of the short film 'Ivar Tunnel: Shook Ones' (IT:SO) which made its television debut on the REVOLT network in July 2022. Ivar Tunnel: Shook Ones is a darkly comedic social thriller exploring isolation, homelessness, and black womanhood themes. The film won Best US Short Film from the San Francisco Indie Film Festival and Best Cinematography from the Black Women Film Network. 'IT: SO' was selected to screen in over 15 film festivals worldwide including The Hip Hop Film Festival (NYC) and The Micheaux Film Festival (LA). In June 2023 Ivar Tunnel: Shook Ones screened at Soho House LA, NYC, and London as a part of The Soho House Fellows Film Spotlight. Akilah was selected as a Directing Fellow by NALIP Latino Lens Women of Color Narrative Short Film Incubator for her latest directing effort-the short film Pedacito de Carne. The film received a 25k production grant from Netflix and was privately screened at the Diverse Women in Media Forum in March 2023. The World Premiere screening was at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Pedacito De Carne is a millennial caregiving story that raises awareness for Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) in the Latiné community. The film's social impact sponsor is the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration and screened at the AFTD conference in May of 2023 for an audience of caregivers and those living with FTD. In addition to directing, Akilah co-founded and produced her films through Good Mother Films. This production company specializes in creating innovative and community-conscious projects for film, television, web, theater, and beyond. As an actress, Akilah recently wrapped the Lead role of PECOLA in THE BLUEST EYE at A Noise Within Theatre Co. in Pasadena for which she was nominated for Best Performer in A Playby The Broadway World LA Awards. In addition to her performances on stage, herappearances on film and television include Sorry To Bother You & CAP. Akilah was cast to perform in the highly selective ABC Discovers Talent Showcase 2020. Her other theatre credits include Black Cypress Bayou (World Premiere at Geffen Playhouse Marty & The Hands Could (Waco Theater Center), School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play (Berkeley Repertory Theater), Christmas Carol (ACT), and Midsummer Night's Dream (Classical Theatre of Harlem). Akilah received a nomination by the Area Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Detroit '67 (Aurora Theatre Company). Akilah is a graduate of both Fordham University (BA, Acting) and American Conservatory Theatre (MFA, Acting). AK holds an MFA in acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco as well as a BA in Theater Performance from Fordham University in New York City. Originally an Atlanta native, she now proudly calls Los Angeles home.