Almila Bağrıaçık was born in Ankara in 1990 and graduated from high school in Berlin. During a streetcasting, she was discovered for her first film role in "Die Fremde" (“When We Leave", 2010) for which she attended an acting course lasting several months in advance. She then appeared in small roles in the short film "Get a Love Grease" and in the TV series "Der Kriminalist".

She had further guest roles in series like "Notruf Hafenkante", "SOKO Leipzig", "Großstadtrevier" and in the "Tatort" episode "Wer das Schweigen bricht" (2013). On the big screen, Bağrıaçık was seen in smaller roles in the low-budget comedy "Glanz & Gloria" (2012) and in Züli Aladag’s migration comedy "300 Worte deutsch" (2014). She played her first leading role in Ekrem Ergün’s youth drama "Hördur - Zwischen den Welten" (theatrical release in 2015), as a German-Turkish girl from Mannheim who has to do community service on a horse farm because of her aggressive behaviour.

In addition to her work as an actress, Bağrıaçık studied directing at the DEKRA Academy in Berlin, where she realized several short films and her graduation film "Pseudologia" in 2014. However, she did not pursue a directing career afterwards, but devoted herself entirely to acting again.

From the end of 2015 until 2017, she belonged to the ensemble of the Turkish series "Hayat Şarkisi" ("Life Song"). For her portrayal of Semiya Şimşek in the NSU drama "Die Opfer - Vergesst mich nicht" (2016, TV) she was nominated for the New Faces Award and won the German Actor Award for Best Young Actress. She had another leading role as the sister of an Arab clan leader in the award-winning series "4 Blocks" (2017-2018). She also appeared in guest roles in various series, such as "Der Kriminalist", "Die Kanzlei" and "Nachtschicht".

Since 2018, Bağrıaçık has been playing alongside Axel Milberg the Kiel "Tatort" commissioner Mila Sahin. On the big screen she appeared in the leading role of Sherry Hormann's "Nur eine Frau" ("A Regular Woman", 2019), in which she played the German Turk Hatun 'Aynur' Sürücü (1982-2005), who fell victim to a so-called honour killing by her brothers.

She had another important leading role in "Im Feuer - Zwei Schwestern" ("Sisters Apart", DE/GR 2020), as a German soldier with Kurdish-Iraqi roots who goes to Iraq in search of her sister. In the Finnish comedy "Nimby" (2020), she played a lesbian who finally comes out with her partner - and discovers they're not the only ones with secrets.  

In Aron Lehmann's comedy "Jagdsaison" ("Hunting Season", DE/DK 2022), Bağrıaçık, Rosalie Thomass and Marie Burchard played an unlikely trio of women who go "man-hunting" during a wellness weekend. In the comedy "Trauzeugen" (2023), Bağrıaçık and Edin Hasanović played an unlikely duo of marriage witnesses who must come together to save the bride and groom's wedding. 

In addition to her various film and television roles, Almila Bağrıaçık continues to star with Axel Milberg in the Kiel episodes of "Tatort" as the crime-solving duo.