British actor, writer, and director, Samantha Morton known for her roles in She Said, The Whale, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Walking Dead is set to receive the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honor. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts bestows the BAFTA Fellowship, also known as the Academy Fellowship, as a lifetime achievement award to honor “exceptional contributions to the moving image arts.” She will be honored at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony in London on February 18, to be hosted by David Tennant of Doctor Who and Inside Man fame.
In response to this recognition, Morton expressed profound humility and appreciation to BAFTA for the honor. “As a proud BAFTA member, I am honored, profoundly humbled, and grateful to BAFTA for giving me this award,” she said.
BAFTA’s Recognition of Morton’s Contributions to Cinema
Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA’s film committee, commended Morton as “a mesmerizing storyteller with incredible range.” Higgs further lauded Morton for her extraordinary influence on the British film industry and her dedication to highlighting complex characters and advocating for underrepresented stories. Higgs concluded, “Samantha is hugely respected by her peers in Britain and Hollywood alike for her versatility, talent, and passion for the craft of acting.”
Born in Nottingham in 1977, Morton’s career took off when she joined the then Central Junior Television Workshop at 12. Morton’s early television and film roles earned international acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and best actress for Jim Sheridan’s In America (2003).
Morton’s Stellar Career and Accolades
Morton received accolades including a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and a BAFTA Television Award nomination for her performance as child murderer Myra Hindley in Longford (2006). In 2009, she made her directorial debut with the TV film The Unloved, a semi-autobiographical film about the British children’s care system.
Morton’s consistent performance has seen her work on multiple TV shows and movies including Rillington Place (2016), Harlots (2017-19), The Serpent Queen (2022), The Burning Girls (2023), Morvern Callar (2002) and Control (2007). BAFTA concluded, “She is beloved by British independent filmmakers and Hollywood titans alike.”
Previous BAFTA Fellowship Honorees
Last year, the BAFTA Fellowship was awarded to Sandy Powell, the three-time Oscar-winning costume designer. Previous BAFTA Fellowship honorees include renowned filmmakers and actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, and Anthony Hopkins, among others.
2024 BAFTA Nominations
In the 2024 BAFTA film nominees, Christopher Nolan’s biographical epic Oppenheimer tops the list with 13 nods, followed closely by Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things with 11. The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One and the BBC’s streaming service iPlayer in the U.K., and streamed on BritBox International in regions including the U.S., Canada, and South Africa.
Wrapping Up
Samantha Morton’s upcoming BAFTA Fellowship is a testament to her outstanding contributions to the film industry experiences both in front of and behind the camera. Interested in exploring her diverse roles and filmography? Visit HitPlay for a comprehensive collection of her work.
