Hard to believe but the Bafta Awards are almost here again and it is the biggest night in the British film calendar.

John Boyega

John Boyega

While the ceremony recognises Best Actor, Best Actress, as well as Best Film, it also shines a light on some of the emerging acting talent of the last twelve months.

This year five more actors are in the running for the only Bafta that is voted for by the public... meet the nominees.

- John Boyega

John Boyega is one of the most talked about British actors in recent months as he stepped into the Star Wars franchise for the first time with The Force Awakens.

While Boyega is no stranger to the big screen with movie such as Attack the Block and Half of a Yellow Sun under his belt, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the biggest film and role of his career to date.

So far, The Force Awakens has been a critical and commercial hit and is currently the fourth highest grossing movie of all time having taken over $1.5 billion at the global box office. It is a film that has sent Boyega's star rocketing.

Boyega is set to reprise the role of Finn in Star Wars Episode VIII, which is set to film this year and be released in 2017.

The actor is also set to return in a sci-fi drama called The Circle, which is an adaptation of a novel by Dave Eggers. The film sees Boyega team up with writer and director James Ponsoldt for the first time and star alongside Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, and Bill Paxton.

John Boyega
John Boyega

- Taron Egerton

It was back at the start of 2015 that Taron Egerton grabbed everyone's attention with his central performance in Kingsman: The Secret Service. It was the movie that really put Egerton on the map as he teamed up with filmmaker Matthew Vaughn.

the young actor took on the central role of Eggsy alongside Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, and Samuel L. Jackson - not a bad supporting cast to have in your first lead role.

Kingsman: The Secret Service was one of the surprise sleeper hits of the year as it opened to critical and commercial success at the end of January. Kingsman: The Secret Service ended 2015 as one of my favourite films of the year and Egerton was one of the biggest breakthrough stars of the last twelve months.

We also saw Egerton star in Testament of Youth and Legend and 2016 looks set to be another very busy year. He will be back with Eddie the Eagle - in which he plays Eddie Edwards - as Dexter Fletcher returns to the director's chair.

Egerton has also completed work on Billionaire Boys Club and is set to reprise the role of Eggsy in a Kingsman sequel. The actor will also take on the role of Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Origins, which is due for release in 2017. He really is going to be working on many film projects over the next twelve months.

Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton

- Bel Powley

Bel Powley is the third and final British actor that is in the race for the EE Rising Star award this year and the only British woman.

Powley was best known for her television work with series such as Murderland, M.I. High, and Benidorm under her belt but 2015 was the year that she really broke out onto the big screen as she took on the role of Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out.

While A Royal Night Out was met well by the critics and performed solidly at the box office, it was her performance in The Dairy of a Teenage Girl that was the role that really made everyone sit up and take note.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl was one of the highlights on the festival circuit as Powley teamed up with director Marielle Heller for the adaptation of the novel by Phoebe Gloeckner.

This was a coming of age story and saw Powley star alongside Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård; who played her mother and her mother's boyfriend.

Powley has already completed work on Detour and Wildling and is currently filming Carrie Pilby, win which she is set to take on the title role. The comedy sees Susan Johnson in the director's chair.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

- Brie Larson

Brie Larson is a name that we are going to be hearing more and more of this year as she has grabbed everyone's attention with her central performance in the upcoming Room.

We have seen Larson in the likes of Short Term 12, The Gambler, Don Jon, and The Spectacular Now but Room looks set to be the film that will truly put her on the acting map. Room is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Emma Donoghue - who has turned her own novel into a screenplay - and sees Larson work with director Lenny Abrahamson for the first time.

The movie has been whipping up a critical storm in the U.S. and is set to hit the big screen in the UK later this month. Larson has already picked up a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Actress and I expect to see her in the Oscar mix when the nominations are announced.

Room looks set to be the best performance of Larson's career to date and 2016 is set to be a very exciting year for her. She is currently filming Kong: Skull Island with Tom Hiddleston, which will see her step into the blockbuster for the first time.

The actress has also completed work on Free Fire and Basmati Blues; the former will see her work with British director Ben Wheatley alongside Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy.

Brie Larson
Brie Larson

- Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson is the final name in the mix for the EE Rising Star award after she made her major breakthrough with Fifty Shades of Grey last year. The movie was based on the hit book series and saw the actress take on the role of Anastasia Steele.

Johnson has movies such as The Five-Year Engagement, 21 Jump Street and Need For Speed under her belt, but Fifty Shades of Grey was the biggest role of her career to date - not to mention is was one of the most talked about and anticipated films of 2015.

Johnson went on to star alongside Johnny Depp in gangster film Black Mass and will be back this year in How To Be Single and A Bigger Splash. How To Be Single is an ensemble comedy that is based on the novel by Liz Tuccillo and is directed by Christian Ditter. Johnson will star alongside Alison Brie, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, and Damon Wayans Jr.in the film.

She then switches comedy for character drama as she stars with Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts in A Bigger Splash, which promises to show off a very different side to this actress.

Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson

The Bafta winners will be announced on Sunday 14th February.


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