Lashana Lynch, who made history as the first black female 007 in No Time to Die, is one of five nominees for this year’s Bafta rising star award.
The British actor has been shortlisted alongside Kodi Smit-McPhee, Millicent Simmonds, Ariana DeBose and Harris Dickinson for the only Bafta voted for by the British public.
Lynch’s standout role as Nomi in Cary Fukunaga’s Bond film drew international media attention. The 34-year-old west Londoner’s casting was part of a push by producers to keep 007 relevant for a contemporary audience. An Observer review said Lynch was “forcefully charismatic in a slightly underwritten role”.
The actor’s upcoming projects include historical epic The Woman King, set in South Africa, and the film adaptation of the musical Matilda. Lynch said: “I’m so elated for my fellow nominees who inspire myself and others, as we continue to fight for change within our industry and the world. I’m proud to do that in moments like these.”
Meanwhile, Australian actor Smit-McPhee, 25, has been called “the secret weapon” in Jane Campion’s trailblazing The Power of the Dog. He has already won a Golden Globe for his role as effeminate teenager Peter Gordon.
His performance also earned him a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild and he was named best supporting actor by the New York Film Critics Circle.
Smit-McPhee said that to be recognised by Bafta was to be “able to kind of redeem the blood, sweat and tears” that went into his work. He called Campion “a force of nature and a true genius” who constantly pushed him to be brave.
The nominations were announced by last year’s winner, Bukky Bakray, on Tuesday. The prize has been running for 17 years and previous winners include James McAvoy, Kristen Stewart, Tom Hardy, Daniel Kaluuya and Tom Holland.
This year’s selecting jury was made up of Bafta chair Krishnendu Majumdar, actors Sadie Frost and Michelle Dockery, casting directors Lucy Bevan and Leo Davis, producer Uzma Hasan and talent agent Ikki El-Amriti.
Simmonds, 18, who found worldwide fame starring in 2018’s A Quiet Place and the 2021 sequel, becomes the award’s first deaf nominee. She said she’d had a lot of deaf young people tell her it was “really awesome to see our language, American Sign Language, on the big screen ... I didn’t have that growing up so I feel really honoured to give them a place where they can dream. It’s very inspirational for me.”
DeBose’s performance in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story has already earned her a Golden Globe and she’s also been longlisted in Bafta’s supporting actress category. The 31-year-old said she was “blown away” by the nomination, adding that she hopes the movie brings in more representation for Hispanic people in Hollywood.
“There’s not one way to be Hispanic. You can be black and Puerto Rican at the same time,” she said.
The list is completed by British actor Dickinson, 25, who stars in Matthew Vaughn’s The King’s Man. He said it meant a lot to be “noticed by such a prestigious institution”.
Voting is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTA and the winner will be announced at the Bafta ceremony on 13 March, which will be hosted by Rebel Wilson at the Royal Albert Hall.
