DANIEL DAY-LEWIS won his universally expected best-actor trophy for Lincoln at last night’s BAFTA awards.
Day-Lewis — a famously intense actor who reportedly stayed in character as the 16th U.S. President throughout the Lincoln shoot — said that in anticipation of having to make an acceptance speech, “I’ve actually stayed in character as myself for the last 55 years.”
Meanwhile Argo scooped three gongs, including best-picture. Ben Affleck was named best director, and the film also took the editing trophy.
Affleck, who was much criticised as an actor before turning to directing, dedicated his directing prize to “anyone out there who’s trying to get their second act.”
But the discussion on Twitter was dominated by the misfortune of young Eddie Redmayne, who had been due to present an award but — co-presenter Sally Field informed the audience — was busy getting sick backstage.
Accepting a gong for Les Miserable, Anne Hathaway told her co-star to “Feel better… I mean, I’d be holding your hair back, but, you know…”
Hathaway said she was “overjoyed” at being named best supporting actress for her brief but powerhouse performance in .Les Miserables. She said she was so taken aback that “I almost walked past George Clooney without hugging him.”
Emmanuelle Riva, the 85-year-old French film legend, was named best actress for Michael Haneke’s poignant old-age portrait Amour. It also was named best foreign-language film.
The BAFTAs have a well-earned reputation for dismal weather, and last night was no exception. This was the red carpet:
Among the other awards, Quentin Tarantino picked up the original screenplay award for Django Unchained, and Christoph Waltz was named best supporting actor for playing a loquacious bounty hunter in Tarantino’s slave-revenge thriller.
Waltz said his victory was entirely due to Tarantino — “you silver-penned devil, you.”
Tarantino also revealed that he plans another film that sets out to right an historical wrong, after anti-Nazi saga Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.
“I think there is something about this that begs a trilogy,” he said. “I don’t know what the third one’s going to be yet.”
The evening’s other big talking point was Helen Mirren, who appeared with pink hair. Apparently it was in honour of breast cancer awareness, but… LOOK AT HER PINK HAIR:
Pic: PA
- Additional reporting Michael Freeman
