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Bafta picks out the rising stars
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent8 Jan 2009
NOEL Clarke, the chronicler of west London street life, and up-and-coming actress Rebecca Hall have been named faces to watch in film.
They are joined by three other hot young names in movies as contenders for the Orange Rising Star Award at this year's British Academy Film Awards. The honour is the only one of the Baftas -Britain's Oscars - to be voted for by the public.
The other nominees are Michael Fassbender, 31, the Irish actor who starved himself almost to danger point to play Bobby Sands in Steve McQueen's much lauded film debut Hunger. The list is completed by Michael Cera, 20, the Canadian actor who played Paulie Bleeker getting his friend pregnant in Juno, and Toby Kebbell, 26, who has just finished filming Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time, a Mike Newell fantasy starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Kingsley.
Nominees must have featured in a film entered for this year's Baftas.
Ian Smith, from Orange, said: "This is the fourth year of the rising star award which now has an impressive list of alumni in James McAvoy, Eva Green and Shia LaBeouf. We're sure that this year's winner will enjoy the same levels of success." Clarke, 33, comes from Ladbroke Grove where he set the films Kidulthood and Adulthood, which he wrote and starred in. He is also known as Mickey Smith in Doctor Who.
Hall, 26, is the daughter of director Sir Peter Hall and made her screen debut aged 10 in TV series The Camomile Lawn. Her films include Starter For Ten with McAvoy, Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in which she played one of the title roles, and Frost/Nixon, in which she appeared as David Frost's girlfriend. She will also appear in the Bridge Project season at the Old Vic this year.
Fassbender, who was born in Germany, was seen in the TV series Band Of Brothers and is now set to play Heathcliff in a film version of Wuthering Heights.
Kebbell's breakthrough came when Shane Meadows cast him in Dead Man's Shoes and he has since appeared in Alexander and Match Point.
Film fans can vote via the website orange.co.uk/bafta or via text. The winner will be announced at the Baftas on 8 February.
Reader views (2)
i have seen Rebecca Hall in a lot of theatre productions and she is incredibly talented - independent of her father - nepotism is not a key ingredient for real talent - so Ali, get off your high horse and stop being so cynical! i hope Rebecca wins - she's fresh, talented, incredibly charming, and deserves this award - i see great things ahead for her or i'll eat my hat !
- Padraigh Turlough, Crystal Palace, 08/01/2009 17:37
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The only person that merits being on this list of "one to watch" is Michael Fassbender...the rest of the actors are of ok capability and talent if you ask me...and some (I'm not naming any names) probably profited from having a leg up from having a famous relative...that also helps tremendously I'm sure...
- Ali Sichilongo, London, 08/01/2009 13:49
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