32 mins
Marcus Ryder
CEO of Film and TV Charity & Chair of RADA
A long time and recognised leading figure in efforts to increase media diversity in 2023 Marcus Ryder became CEO of the Film and TV Charity. Marcus took over the Charity’s reins just as the full extent of the “perfect storm” of the US actors’ and writers’ strikes, and UK television commissioning slow down, was being felt by industry workers. The Charity raised a quarter of a million pounds in less than two weeks to redistribute in hardship grants.
Following the Hamas attacks on October 7th, and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, Marcus pivoted the charity, to address the ongoing mental health issues of those directly and indirectly affected in the industry.
As the Chair of RADA, Marcus oversaw the academy achieve the highest rating by any UK drama school as ranked by Hollywood Reporter in 2023. RADA was also awarded the prestigious “Gold rating” by the UK’s Office for Students (OFS). Marcus was also awarded the highly coveted Percy Qoboza prize by the US National Association of Black Journalists for services to foreign journalism.