Maya Jama’s much-hyped acting debut in The Gentlemen has arrived, as she appears on screen as Aisha in series two of Guy Ritchie’s gangster drama.
The series has so far been warmly received by critics, including the Daily Mail’s Christopher Stevens, who described it as a ‘total stunner’.
The Love Island presenter, 32, brings both style and substance as a formidable fixer, first introduced as an associate to Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario).
Aisha appears early in episode one as she walks up the driveway of Halstead Manor, the ancestral home inherited by Eddie Horniman (played by Theo James).
Before Aisha speaks for the first time, Susie gives Eddie some background on her old friend, describing her as a “smart girl who takes care of herself and others.”
Aisha moved to the Middle East for work and subsequently gained access to the royal circle. She arrives at the shooting weekend with Prince Amir.
Aisha introduces Eddie and Susie to Prince Amir as a valuable connection, suggesting the wealthy royal family could be a potential business contact.
Maya Jama’s much-hyped acting debut in The Gentlemen has arrived as she appears on screen as Aisha in series two of Guy Ritchie’s gangster drama
The Love Island presenter, 32, brings both style and substance as a formidable fixer, first introduced as an associate to Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario)
Leaning towards country chic, Maya appears in a tweed jacket and flat cap, keeping the look glamorous with a silk bow around her neck.
Fans will recognize the South London accent from her hosting jobs: ‘Hello darling, how are you?’
Susie introduces the Duke, and he says, “How are you?”
Aisha replies, “I’m doing very well. Thank you for hosting us. So this is His Excellency, Prince Amir bin Abdullah al-Hadidi.”
Clearly impressed with the prince, Susie adds, “Why do I get the feeling you’ve overdelivered?”
Aisha tells her, “I mean, he’s a sweetheart. Second in line to the throne. Loves a good time. And he has more money than… Well, put it this way: he’s very rich.
“It doesn’t matter if I overdeliver. You never said your Duke looked like a movie star.”
Aisha appears again 27 minutes into the same episode, at a dinner party at the mansion where she rolls her eyes at the drunken prince.
Aisha appears early in episode one as she walks up the driveway of Halstead Manor, the ancestral home inherited by Eddie Horniman (played by Theo James)
Aisha reappears 27 minutes into the same episode, during a dinner party at the mansion, where she rolls her eyes at the drunken prince.
She sits next to Eddie’s mother Lady Sabrina Horniman (Joely Richardson), who informs her about (Nanny Benjamin Clementine), the King’s Equerry
She looks elegant in a bronze dress, adorned with a diamond necklace and earrings, while her hair is done up.
She sits next to Eddie’s mother Lady Sabrina Horniman (Joely Richardson), who informs her about (Nanny Benjamin Clementine), the King’s Equerry.
Lady Sabrina tells her, “Well, people think he just takes care of the horses. But in reality the King’s Admiral is the sovereign’s adjutant. Nanny is actually the King of England’s right hand man.’
While Aisha jokes: ‘Don’t tell my boss that, he’ll try to poach him. Whatever the English king likes, he wants.”
Her next on-screen appearance is during episode four, where she is once again in the mix among the gangster gang. This time she wants to introduce Eddie to Oscar Thorne, the son of the Bishop of Sussex.
During a private conversation, Eddie thanks Aisha for her help on an issue and says “good job,” to which she replies, “Always happy to help.”
Maya’s co-star Kaya recently revealed that she sent her a message telling her to “watch her back” ahead of her acting debut in The Gentlemen.
To calm Maya’s nerves ahead of her first acting stint, Kaya, 34, slid into her DMs to share some words of wisdom.
“I just said, ‘Hey honey, pay attention! This isn’t going to be what you expect. Be prepared and trust the process,'” she said. Grazia.
“I knew how intimidating it is to step into a new part of your career and come from a working-class background. I just wanted her to know I’m a girly girl.”
Her next on-screen appearance is during episode four, where she is once again in the mix among the gangster gang
This time she wants to introduce Eddie to Oscar Thorne, the son of the Bishop of Sussex
During a private conversation, Eddie thanks Aisha for her help on an issue and says “good job,” to which she replies, “Always happy to help”
Maya’s co-star Kaya recently revealed that she sent her a message telling her to ‘watch her back’ ahead of her acting debut in The Gentlemen
Kaya, raised by her Brazilian mother, immersed in the culture, wanted to look out for her working-class co-star because she feels like they are both from a minority.
Maya is also proud that she grew up with very little money or connections to the industry, having moved to London from Bristol at the age of 16.
“I definitely still feel like I’m a minority as a working-class actor,” Kaya added. “I’m at a work dinner and maybe one or two people sound like me, but certainly not everyone else.”
Kaya turned to acting full-time just two years after being cast in Skins at the age of 14, and left home at the age of 16 with just ‘£36.50 in her bank account’.
Maya said The Gentlemen felt like a “safe entry point” into acting.
Having harbored dreams of acting, she auditioned for the series last year – and got the part less than two weeks later.
The TV star then worked with a drama coach to get ready for the role, telling Variety magazine: “I never want to do something and be damn good at it.”
It was confirmed that the third series has been given the green light, just as the trailer for the second series dropped on Monday, ahead of its September 3 release date.
Star-studded comedy drama The Gentlemen became one of the biggest hits of 2024 on the platform after the show racked up a whopping 44 million views in just four weeks.
