Dakota Blue Richards was born on April 1, 1994 in South Kensington, London. She is an English actress.

She was chosen to play Lyra Belacqua in the upcoming film His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. Ten thousand girls turned up for open auditions in Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter and Kendal for the role of Lyra Belacqua in the adaptation of 'His Dark Materials: Northen Lights'.

In June 2006, 12-year-old Dakota, a Londoner schoolgirl, was awarded the part after the casting directors took a shine to her in the Cambridge auditions. A fan of the books herself, Dakota has also seen the stage version at the National Theatre.

Before The Golden Compass was even released, Richards had already been cast as the lead in another movie: The Secret of Moonacre, a second book-to-film adaption, in which she would play Maria. Principal photography took place between early October and late November 2007. The film will be released in 2008.

Filmography

• The Secret of Moonacre (2008)
• The Golden Compass (2007)