BAFTA has unveiled this year's selection of its EE Rising Star Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by upcoming actors, and is the only award voted for solely by the public. Past winners have included John Boyega, Jack O'Connell, Will Poulter, Eva Green, Juno Temple, Kirsten Stewart, Tom Hardy and James McAvoy. This year's nominees are Lucas Hedges, Tom Holland, Ruth Negga, Anya Taylor-Joy and Laia Costa. Find out more below:
Laia Costa: Spanish actress Laia Costa starred in the critically-acclaimed film Victoria, which was almost entirely improvised by the actors. The 134-minute film was amazingly shot in one single take and was only their third attempt at doing so. Costa's lead performance landed her on The New York Times' 2015 "Breakthrough Performances of the Fall Season" list. She also won the LOLA for Best Actress. In addition, Costa was nominated for a European Film Award for Best European Actress and the film was nominated for Best European Film.
Lucas Hedges: Lucas Hedges is one of Hollywood's most promising up and coming young actors who continues to grow his diverse body of work with some of the most respected names in entertainment. Hedges will make his stage debut in January of 2017 as the lead in MCC Theater's off-Broadway production of Yen directed by Trip Cullman.
Hedges recently wrapped production on Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, Lady Bird. Staring alongside Saoirse Ronan and Tracy Letts, the story follows the adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. He also recently wrapped production on Martin McDonagh's film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri where he stars opposite Frances McDormand and Peter Dinklage. The film will be released by
FOX Searchlight Pictures in 2017.
Hedges can currently be seen on the big screen alongside Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Gretchen Mol in Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea, which was named NBR's Best Film of the Year. NBR named Hedges their Male
BREAKTHROUGH Performer of the Year for his work in the film as "Patrick," a teenage boy whose uncle (Casey Affleck) is forced to take care of him after his father (Kyle Chandler) suddenly passes away. In addition, he has received nominations for Gotham's Best Supporting Actor, Critic's Choice Best Supporting Actor, Critics' Choice Best Young Actor as well as Independent Spirit Award's Best Supporting Male.
For Wes Anderson, Hedges appeared in Moonrise Kingdom, alongside Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand; and then again in 2014's Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel. In 2013, he worked with Jason Reitman, alongside Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet, in Labor Day, and starred opposite Christoph Waltz in Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem. On television, Hedges starred in the
NBC event series, The Slap, opposite Zachary Quinto, Peter Sarsgaard and Uma Thurman.
Tom Holland: Tom Holland has become one of Hollywood's fastest rising stars as he takes on the iconic role of Spider-man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom received rave reviews in his first appearance as Spider-man in the Russo Brother's Captain America: Civil War, alongside Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans. He recently finished filming Spiderman: Homecoming for Sony Pictures opposite Michael Keaton. This is due for theatrical release in July 2017.
Tom made his screen debut opposite Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts in Juan Antonio Bayona's The Impossible for which he was awarded Best Newcomer at the
EMPIRE Awards,
BREAKTHROUGH Actor of the year by the National Board of Review and the Young British Performer of the Year award at the London Film Critics Circle Awards. He was also among the newcomers chosen for the inaugural British Academy of Film and Television Arts
BREAKTHROUGH Brits in 2013.
Since starring in The Impossible, Tom has gone on to work with a plethora of talent. This includes Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea opposite Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy, Kevin MacDonald's How I Live Now with Saoirse Ronan, Steven Knight's Locke with Tom Hardy, and the critically acclaimed BBC drama
WOLF HALL alongside Mark Rylance.
With respect to theatre experience, Tom played 'Billy' in Billy Elliot at the Victorian Palace Theatre.
He will next be seen starring opposite Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson in James Gray's Lost City of Z and is about to start shooting The Current War opposite Benedict Cumberbatch for the Weinstein Company.
Ruth Negga: Ruth Negga is an exceptionally talented and versatile actress with a body of work that spans award-winning theatre productions, big screen historical dramas, independent films and innovative television series.
She can currently be seen in Jeff Nichols' critically acclaimed film, Loving, opposite Joel Edgerton. The film follows Mildred and Richard Loving, the couple behind the pivotal 1967 civil rights case, Loving vs. Virginia. To date, she has been nominated for a Gotham Award and an Independent Spirit Award on behalf of the role. Ruth also stars as Tulip O'Hare in AMC's critically acclaimed series Preacher opposite Dominic Cooper.
Her extensive and award-winning theatre production credits include Lolita as her stage debut for Corn Exchange Theatre Company at the Abbey Theatre, Duck for Out of Joint and The Royal Court Theatre (for which she was nominated for an Olivier best newcomer), Phaedre at the National Theatre, for which she won the Ian Charleson Award, and Titus Andronicus at The Project Theatre, for which she received the Irish Times Award for Best Actress.
Anya Taylor-Joy: Anya Taylor-Joy is known for her
BREAKTHROUGH and debut film role of 'Thomasin' in A24 and Universal international's The Witch for which she has been nominated for the
BREAKTHROUGH Actor award at this year's Gotham Independent Film Awards. Since then, she has gone on to film five leading roles and become one of the most in-demand actresses of her generation.
Anya will next take a leading role in M.Night Shylaman's thriller Split alongside James McAvoy. Released worldwide on the 20th of January, the feature from the Oscar-winning director, produced with Jason Blum, tells the story of a man with 23 personalities within him who is compelled to abduct three teenage girls.
Anya has also completed three further leading roles. Released on
Netflix on the 16th of December, she stars opposite Devon Terrell in Barry, from Black Bear Pictures and director Vikram Gandhi, that received critical acclaim at its recent world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the psychological thriller Thoroughbred, she will star opposite Olivia Cooke and the late Anton Yelchin in the story of the tempestuous friendship of two suburban teenage girls. She has most recently completed filming the psychological thriller Marrowbone alongside a cast including Mia Goth, Charlie Heaton and George Mackay.
In September, Anya took on the titular character in Morgan, a Ridley Scott produced Sci-Fi thriller, directed by Luke Scott with Kate Mara, Paul Giamatti, Toby Jones and Boyd Holbrook.
Source: ee-baftas/rising-star-nominees
