James Bond and West Side Story stars among nominees for prestigious BAFTA award

Entertainment

James Bond actress Lashana Lynch and West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose are among the latest crop of young performers nominated for BAFTA’s rising star award.

Before appearing as the new 007 in No Time To Die last year, Lynch, 34, had starred in Marvel’s Captain Marvel opposite Brie Larson, and Sky police drama Bulletproof.

DeBose took on the iconic role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s gritty adaptation of West Side Story last year – bagging herself Golden Globe and SAG nominations.

Before that, the 31-year-old American star appeared in hit musical Hamilton, as well as Netflix’s The Prom, alongside James Corden and Meryl Streep.

Who else is nominated?

Harris Dickinson is also on the list – he recently appeared in The King’s Man, a prequel to the Kingsman films.

The English actor, 25, also starred in Disney’s latest Maleficent film.

Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds also bags a nomination after appearing in the horror film A Quiet Place and its 2021 sequel as Regan Abbot – a role she has already won a Hollywood Critic’s Association award for.

The actress, from Utah, is only 18 years old.

Rounding out the nominees is Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, whose most recent film, The Power Of The Dog, is tipped to do well at the Oscars and BAFTAs next month.

He has also been in the animated film Paranorman, as well as appearing in the most recent round of big screen X-Men adventures as Nightcrawler.

What does the award recognise?

The BAFTA rising star gone is designed to honour up-and-coming talent.

Bukky Bakray won last year’s trophy after starring in Rocks, following in the footsteps of the likes of Spider-Man star Tom Holland, Twilight actress Kristen Stewart and Star Wars’ John Boyega.

The full list of BAFTA nominations are revealed on Thursday, with the ceremony taking place on 13 March.