Samantha Morton accepted the British film academy’s highest honour – the Bafta fellowship – and dedicated it to children in care.
The English actress and director, 46, collected the prestigious award from producer David Heyman, who she worked with on Fantastic Beasts.
Samantha was emotional as she accepted the fellowship on Sunday at the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall, and hailed the win as ‘nothing short of a miracle’.
The star, who grew up in foster care, used her acceptance speech to pay tribute to Ken Loach’s 1969 film Kes – which she said left her ‘forever changed’.
‘Seeing poverty and people like me on the screen, I recognised myself – representation matters,’ Samantha said.
Ahead of her acceptance, a clip played which was filled with tributes from her Minority Report co-star Tom Cruise, as well as collaborators Susan Lynch, Molly Windsor and Daniel Mays.
Producer David described her as a ‘rare breed and true artist’.
‘This is nothing short of a miracle,’ Samantha said during her acceptance speech.
‘When I first saw Ken Loach’s Kes on a huge telly that was wheeled into my classroom I was forever changed.’
Samantha said she would tell her younger self: ‘You matter, don’t give up, the stories we tell, they have the power to change people’s lives.
‘Film changed my life, it transformed me and it led me here today.’
She added: ‘I dedicate this award to every child in care, or who has been in care, who is suffering or didn’t survive.’
Samantha received the award in recognition of her contribution to British cinema over the course of her career.
Anna Higgs, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, previously said: ‘Samantha Morton is a mesmerising storyteller with incredible range. She has made an extraordinary impact on the British film industry – consistently shining a light on complex characters and championing underrepresented stories.
‘On-and-off screen, she always works to break down societal barriers and change the make-up of the screen industries for the better – often against great odds.
‘Samantha is hugely respected by her peers in Britain and Hollywood alike for her versatility, talent and passion for the craft of acting, and we are delighted to be honouring her exceptional body of work at the EE BAFTA Film Awards next week.’
Samantha follows in the footsteps of previous honourees to have received BAFTA’s highest award including Sir Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Dame Judi Dench, Martin Scorsese and Dame Helen Mirren.
Following the ceremony, Samantha said ‘money is wasted’ in the children’s care system.
Samantha said after her win: ‘It costs the taxpayer a huge amount of money to keep a child in care, to take care of them.
‘And that money is wasted and spent ridiculously.
‘I used to say when I was a kid of many children’s homes, I used to say, ‘It’d be great, why don’t I just go to some fancy boarding school? At least then I get an education’. But that wasn’t on the cards.’
She added: ‘To those kids in care, don’t allow the system to drag you down because it can and it will.’
Oppenheimer won Best Film as well as sweeping the board in the major categories at the BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on Sunday.
The epic biographical thriller led the wins with seven gongs, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr and Best Director for Christopher Nolan. It had the most nominations with 13.
The biggest night in British film returned with actor David Tennant as host and an array of guest presenters on hand to deliver awards throughout the night.
Murphy, 47, – who plays the titular role in Nolan’s atomic bomb saga – picked up the prize at the prestigious British awards ceremony.
He triumphed against Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Colman Domingo for Rustin, Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, Barry Keoghan for Saltburn and Teo Yoo for Past Lives.
Accepting the trophy he said: ‘Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much BAFTA.’
He paid tribute to ‘the most dynamic, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood: Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thank you for seeing something in me that I probably didn’t see in myself.’
Oppenheimer swept up in the big name categories, but it was closely followed by the surreal black comedy Poor Things.
It marked five awards for the film, as Emma Stone collected the Best Actress gong for her turn as Bella Baxter.
Accepting her award, she said: ‘Since we’re in London, I want to start by thanking dialect coach. She praised him for not laughing at her when he taught her how to say ‘water’.
‘I really wanted to thank my mum, because she’s the best person I know. Without her none of this would exist, including my life, so thank you for that Mum.’
American actress Stone said she was ‘in awe’ of all of the team behind the comedy, where she plays the part of a woman who is reanimated and implanted with the brain of a baby.
She paid tribute to the writers for coming up with the line ‘I must go punch that baby’ in a memorable dinner scene, and also hailed director Yorgos Lanthimos for ‘our friendship and the gift of Bella’.
Also thanking her mother, Stone said: ‘She kind of made me believe this crazy idea that I can do something like this.’
Meanwhile, Da’Vine Joy Randolph crowned victorious in the Best Supporting Actress category for her part in The Holdovers as she continues her march to Oscars glory.
Randolph took to the stage and told Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was presenting the award, ‘you are so handsome’ – prompting laughter from the audience.
On a more serious note, she said: ‘Thank you for trusting me with this beautiful character.
Becoming emotional, she said being able to ‘wear this beautiful gown, standing on the stage in London, is not a responsibility I take lightly’.
The night kicked off with French legal drama Anatomy Of A Fall winning the Original Screenplay award after premiering in Cannes back in May.
Collecting the award, co-writer and director Justine Triet, said: ‘The last time I I was in London, a woman said to me: ‘After I saw your movie I called my ex and told him to see it to understand why I dumped him.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
