Jacob Elordi, star of Saltburn and Priscilla, Phoebe Dyenvor from Fair Play and Bridgerton, and Ayo Edebiri of The Bear and Bottoms, are among the nominees for this year’s Bafta rising star award for up-and-coming talent.
The actors have been shortlisted alongside Mia McKenna-Bruce from How to Have Sex and Sophie Wilde from Talk to Me. All five have captured the imagination of both the public and film industry over the past year, Bafta said.
Elordi – one of the biggest stars of Gen Z, who rose to prominence with his role in HBO’s Euphoria – can be seen in two awards season contenders currently streaming and in cinemas. He stars as Felix in Emerald Fennell’s hit psychological comedy-thriller Saltburn, and as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla.
His forthcoming projects include The Narrow Road to the Deep North, an Australian limited series set during the second world war based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker prize-winning novel, as well as Oh Canada in which he stars alongside Uma Thurman and Richard Gere.
Dyenvor is most recognisable for her role as Daphne in Shonda Rhimes’ global phenomenon Bridgerton. Most recently, she starred in Chloe Domont’s finance thriller Fair Play, about a couple whose relationship starts to unravel after an unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund firm. She is also set to star opposite Diane Lane and Zoey Deutch in the forthcoming thriller Anniversary.
Comedian, writer, producer and actor Edebiri won a Golden Globe this week for her role as Sydney in the breakout TV show The Bear, and is also nominated for an Emmy. She most recently starred in Bottoms, a satirical comedy which follows the story of two high-school senior girls who set up a fight club as a vehicle to hook up with cheerleaders.
McKenna-Bruce received acclaim for her lead performance in Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex, about three British teenage girls on a trip to Malia. She also starred as Mary Musgrove, the younger sister of Dakota Johnson’s Anne Elliot, in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Wilde most recently appeared as the lead in Talk to Me, which critics called one of the scariest horror movies of recent years. The project quickly became one of A24’s highest grossing films of 2023. Wilde will next appear in Baby Girl, alongside Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson.
The nominees were announced during a press conference at the Savoy Hotel in London by actor and producer Stephen Graham and film critic and radio host Ali Plumb. They were selected by a panel of industry jurors including actors Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Himesh Patel.
Jane Millichip, CEO at Bafta, said: “These remarkable individuals represent what Bafta and the EE Rising Star award stand for as the future of the film industry, embodying innovation, dedication and a commitment to storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide.”
The EE Rising Star is the only award voted for by the British public. Voting is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTA until midday 16 February, with the winner announced at the awards ceremony on 18 February. Previous winners include James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega and Tom Holland.
