Nykiya Adams

Career She made her screen debut as Bailey in Andrea Arnold's 2024 film Bird alongside Barry Keoghan. Previously, she had only acted in a school production of Matilda. Arnold reworked her script to accommodate Adams once she was cast as Bailey. She was cast following a meeting with the film's casting director Lucy Pardee at an open casting at her school. She received praise from critics for her performance, described as "one of the year's best", with a "screen presence" and "an authentic realism", as well as "stunning".

For her performance in Bird, she was nominated in the Young British or Irish Performer at the London Film Critics Circle Awards. She was nominated for the 2024 British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance. She was nominated for Best Women's Breakthrough Performance at the Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards.

She also featured in the Fontaines D.C. music video for the song Bug in 2024.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 2024 Bird Bailey