'Life of Pi' star Suraj Sharma is the only male nominee this year, also competing against the likes of 'Anna Karenina' star Alicia Vikander and 'Oblivion' actress Andrea Riseborough.
- Jan 8, 2013
AceShowbiz - BAFTA's EE Rising Star Award 2013 has announced its five nominees on Monday, January 7 at the organization's headquarters in London, England. After last year's nomination list was dominated by all-male stars, this year, four of the five nominees are females.
Those who make it to the list are "The Dark Knight Rises" star Juno Temple, "Silent House" actress Elizabeth Olsen, "Oblivion" beauty Andrea Riseborough, and "Anna Karenina" star Alicia Vikander. "Life of Pi" lead actor Suraj Sharma is the only male nominee.
Jury chairman, Pippa Harris, says that the judges have "a very tough job" in deciding this year's nominees that include prominent young stars who are tipped as the future stars of cinema. The winner will be revealed during a ceremony on February 10.
Commenting on her nomination, Temple gushes, "I'm so honored to be up there with this extraordinary young talent - people I'm inspired by and people whose films I go and see." Saying that she never imagined to snatch the prestigious nod, the 23-year-old actress adds, "It's about people looking at your body of work and congratulating what you've done."
"That's cool, because I've definitely made some choices that people are either going to love or hate. But I like that, it keeps people on their toes," Temple enthuses, as quoted by BBC News. As for Riseborough, she says that "BAFTA nurtures new talent throughout the international film community so I am so very grateful to be given this fantastic opportunity."
Olsen, meanwhile, can't hide her excitement of being nominated. "Being considered for this award is a huge honor," she says. "So many actors whom I admire have been recognized in this category and I'm very thankful to BAFTA and the jury for selecting me."
Indian star Sharma gets the nomination despite the fact that he's only starred in one film and has no acting experience before. Though so, judge Mark Kermode tells BBC that the Rising Star award is not strictly for newcomers. "You can be someone who has a track record," he explains.
"It's trying to pick people on the cusp of stardom and I do think that all of the nominees are in that position - whether it's Suraj Sharma who's literally arrived at that moment, or Andrea Riseborough who's got a very solid career already."
Among previous winners were James McAvoy, Kristen Stewart and Tom Hardy. Last year's winner was Adam Deacon who beat such contenders as Chris Hemsworth, Chris O'Dowd, Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.
To vote for the winner, fans can log on to ee.co.uk/bafta. The voting will open until February 8.
