Rising Stars of Stage and Screen in Britain
Matt Smith, Michael Fassbender, Martin McDonagh Among Names to Watch
Feb 19, 2009
The Bafta 'Orange Rising Star' award offers a good indication of future cinematic acting talent. Although there is much speculation, on message boards and within the pages of serious newspapers, that the award is a moot point, that its recipients are already long destined for fame, and the award does nothing to help their careers, the award does allow for names that simply do not fit in any other category to receive deserved attention. And whilst it is clearly not the award itself that has spurred past winners such as James McAvoy, Eva Green and Shia Lebeouf on to bigger, brighter prospects, the fact it is voted for by the British public surely imparts a warm glow.
The Orange Rising Star Bafta - Noel Clarke
This year's winner was Noel Clarke. Perhaps an obvious choice, given that Noel's appearance as Doctor Who sidekick Mickey had already made his face very well known, but certainly not a win without merit. Clarke paid his dues in TV work like Auf Weidersehn, Pet and Casualty, but his first appearance of real prominence came in the surprise hit film Kidulthood, which he both wrote and starred in. For the sequel Adulthood, directing duties could also be added to the mix, making Noel Clarke a truly multi-talented rising star to watch out for.
Stars of the Future - Michael Fassbender, Tony Kebbell, Kelly Reilly, Rebecca Hall
Clarke was up against a whole host of fellow talented Brits (and Canadian Michael Cera) for this year's award, all of whom are destined for more great things. London based, Irish/German actor Michael Fassbender put in an epoch making performance as hunger striker Bobby Sands in the film Hunger. He also received plaudits alongside another face to watch Kelly Reilly in the spine-chilling Eden Lake. Tony Kebbell was nominated for the rising star award thanks to a string of fantastic performances, kicking off with his brilliant turn as Paddy Considine's little brother in Dead Man's Shoes, and continuing with sterling work in both Control and RocknRolla. Rebecca Hall was nominated thanks to her superb work in films such as Starter for Ten, The Prestige, Frost/Nixon and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In the latter, she achieved the somewhat incredible feat of matching, if not exceeding, the acting talents of her co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz.
Brit Faces to Watch in the Theatre and TV - Leanne Jones, Dominic Cooper, Matt Smith
The British theatre has launched several successful film-makers, including directors Sam Mendes and Danny Boyle, and actors such as Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and Michael Sheen. The best work well in both mediums. This years newest stage talent is Leanne Jones, an actress plucked from obscurity to take the lead role in Jack O'Brien's West End revival of Hairspray. Dominic Cooper's star is also on the rise thanks to rave reviews of his performances in various renditions of The History Boys on stage, and a growing cinematic presence in films such as Mamma Mia!, The Escapist and The Duchess. Meanwhile, television boasts a brand new Doctor Who, Matt Smith, who along with Andrea Riseborough caused a stir in the sharply scripted political drama Party Animals.
Andrea Riseborough, Russell Tovey and Shaun Parkes
Riseborough is carving quite a niche for herself, having appeared alongside Michael Fassbender and The Wire's Dominic West in The Devil's Whore. She also starred in the pilot of Being Human with another rising star Russell Tovey, who, incidentally, appeared on stage with Dominic Cooper and James Corden in The History Boys. Tovey has also appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas special Voyage of the Damned. The new Doctor himself Matt Smith is currently sharing screen time (in Moses Jones) with yet another ex-Doctor Who actor Shaun Parkes. Parkes was in the scariest of all Doctor Who episodes The Satan Pit. He also appeared in Notes on a Scandal and the TV series Harley Street. As an experienced actor, Parkes is far too established for a rising star list, but he does deserve to be far better known than he is, so he still counts as a face to watch.
Writers and Directors to Look Out For - Steve McQueen, James Marsh, Martin McDonagh
Steve McQueen, the British film-maker/artist who won the Turner prize in 1999, has astounded critics with his first feature film Hunger. Starring Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands, the film is based on the last six weeks of Sands' hunger strike at the Maze prison in 1981. McQueen, who wrote and directed Hunger, won the Carl Foreman award for most promising newcomer at the 2009 Baftas, and is definitely a talent to watch. Fellow Bafta award winner James Marsh is another director to keep an eye on. Having completed the astounding documentary Man on Wire, about Phillipe Petit's daring high-wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, he has now moved onto the hotly anticipated TV event Red Riding. This adaptation of David Peace's evocative noir novels promises three feature length films exploring the terrifying legacy of the Yorkshire Ripper. Marsh's segment is called Nineteen Eighty. Another recipient of a Bafta, this time for writing the outrageous In Bruges, Martin McDonagh is a writer/director worth keeping an eye on. Having already earned a reputation as the enfant terrible of British theatre, McDonagh's transition to film looks set to follow the same trajectory. So that should stir things up a bit..
Slumdog's Dev Patel
Finally, although it seems somewhat obvious now, given the success of Slumdog Millionaire, young Dev Patel is a definite face to watch. His smooth transition from small screen (in Skins) to big is an actors dream, yet Dev remains gloriously humble about it. He deserves even more success to come.
For more on Slumdog Millionaire and the other Bafta winners please see Slumdog Millionaire Wins Big at the Baftas.
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