BAFTA Awards: 'It's A Class War', Says Rising Star Nominee Adam Deacon

'BAFTA Awards, They're A Class War'

"We're from different worlds, me and everyone else on the list. Nobody ever says it, but it's the truth."

Actor Adam Deacon is one of BAFTA's nominees for the award of Rising Star, to be presented at the glittering ceremony on Sunday, but he's brutally honest about what he sees as an inescapable "class war".

"It's been a battle, this whole BAFTA thing, if I'm honest. The BAFTA people have been great, supporting me, but there are certain media outlets - whom I'm not going to name - who only want to interview the likes of Tom (Hiddleston) and Eddie (Redmayne), not me. That's how blunt it was, I just thought 'wow' when I heard that. We're all supposed to be on the same worldwide stage.

"But I'm used to this whole battle, I've been fighting for so long, to make the films I want to make. It's not a problem, but there is a bit of a class issue going on, it's a class war, I've got to be honest, where my name gets put right at the bottom.

"I'm lucky, I'm a fighter, and I've got a really loyal family who will support everything I do, so it just means I have to spread the word myself."

Deacon's quick to stress the positive in equal measure:

"I've always had a lot of love from fans," says the star of such indie hits as Kidulthood and his own film Anuvahood, "but never really much from the industry, so I'm shocked by this nomination, actually. There's a lot of talk, and you hope for these things, but you never actually think it's going to happen. I'm so excited, and for me, it's acceptance."

Deacon, who made his first film appearance (technically, his lines actually ended up on the cutting-room floor), in 1994, gives credit to director Noel Clarke for casting him in Kidulthood, but admits to recent disappointment with his former mentor too:

"That part definitely brought me to a much wider audience, and Noel always backed me, he was a firm believer of what I'd done. But someone else couldn't have played it either, not a public schoolboy actor, you needed the real McCoy.

"But it upsets me, because his support hasn't really been there for me with BAFTA, and I was a very strong campaigner when Noel was nominated, I was out there making videos for him. It does hurt a little, but what can you do?

"I'm still lucky and blessed, and the BAFTA nomination does help a lot, though."

Deacon has another busy year coming up with films out including a horror story, and a film with Bob Hoskins, but also writing, this time comedy:

"I love other actors and directors, but nothing replaces the buzz of creating your own film, editing it with a can of drink at your side, and then turning up on the red carpet for it... so I’ve got a few ideas.

"Whatever it is, I'm going to put everything into it."

Starting on Sunday night and the BAFTA ceremony - let the battle continue...

You can watch the stars arriving on the red carpet for the BAFTA Awards on Sunday afternoon from 5pm, here at HuffPostUK. Click here for a full list of all the nominees for British Film and Television's biggest awards.

Close

What's Hot