Raye Lands First Major Acting Role in Upcoming Crime Drama

Fresh off her acclaimed second album, This Music May Contain Hope, Raye is setting her sights on the big screen. The British singer, born Rachel Keen, has been cast in Lineage, a crime feature set in London and directed by Yann Demange, Variety reports.

Lineage marks Raye’s first scripted dramatic role, though she previously played herself in an episode of Netflix’s Black Rabbit. Along with Raye, the film will star the legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert, as well as Dali Benssalah and Adam Bessa.

According to a synopsis, Lineage will be set in present-day London and center around Tariq, a young father aiming to build a new life for himself and his son, Amine, after he’s released from prison. However, Tariq finds himself drawn back into the criminal underworld after receiving a cry for help from his brother. Capping it all off: Tariq’s own mother is a London crime boss. (It’s unclear who Raye will play in the film.)

Filming for Lineage begins in London in early August.  Demange, who made his feature debut with 2014’s ’71 (2014), went on to direct 2018’s White Boy Rick and episodes of HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

While Raye’s enjoyed a breakout few years as a musician, she seems to be keen on acting after enjoying her first performance in Black Rabbit. “Reading my very first ever ‘on screen’ lines whilst staring into Jason Bateman’s eyes is a life experience I will never forget,” Raye told Billboard last year.

After years of writing hit songs for other artists, Raye released her independent debut My 21st Century Blues in 2023, and was nominated for both Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year at the Grammys. Ahead of My 21st Century Blues, Raye told Rolling Stone she felt newly free of industry expectations: “I don’t have to answer to anyone or meet anyone’s requirements or do any somersaults for anyone anymore. I’m in control of my career and I’m really in the thick of that. It’s quite liberating.”