BAFTA: Will Smith wins Best Actor

Will Smith, playing the titular Richard Williams in Reinaldo Marcus Green's King Richard, wins Best Actor at the 75th British Academy Film Awards. King Richard, after garnering significant praise at the 48th Telluride Film Festival premiere, was theatrically released on Friday, 19 Nov. 2021 by Warner Bros. and on the HBO Max.

King Richard, a biographical sports drama, revolves around tennis coach Richard Williams as he prepares his daughters, Venus and Serena Williams, for greatness.

The real-life Venus and Serena Williams, adding a degree of authenticity to the production, served as executive producers on Green's King Richard. King Richard, produced by Tim White , Trevor White , and Will Smith, stars Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, and Jon Bernthal.

Adeel Akhtar, Mahershala Ali, Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Stephen Graham, respectively appearing in Ali & Ava, Swan Song, The Power of the Dog, Don't Look Up, and Boiling Point, were all nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Akhtar, playing the titular Ali in Ali & Ava, has developed an exceptional reputation for film, television, and theatre. The actor, as a thespian, played both Guildenstern and Francisco in a staged production of Hamlet at the Young Vic Theatre in 2011-12. Akhtar, for his work on the 2016 television film Murdered by My Father, picked up the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role. His other television work includes Unforgotten, Les Misérables, and Back to Life.

Ali, playing Cameron Turner in Swan Song, will soon be seen playing titular vampire hunter Blade in the MCU's live-action film. The actor, no stranger to award ceremonies, picked up the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for both Moonlight and Green Book. Moonlight and Green Book, respectively released in 2017 and 2019, garnered mixed results from various critics.

Benedict Cumberbatch, best known globally as the MCU's Doctor Stephen Strange, did an exceptional job bringing Phil Burbank to the big screen. The Power of the Dog, written and directed by Jane Campion, sees the BAFTA award winning actor step into Phil Burbank's shoes.

The charismatically charming Phil Burbank, nothing like his brother George, instils fear and awe in those around him. Curiously, when George brings home a new wife and her son, Phil reveals his true colours. His inhumanity is readily apparent. Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.

Leonardo DiCaprio, playing Dr. Randall Mindy in Don't Look Up, isn't exactly one of the actor's best performances. It's terrible. There is extraordinarily little that can be said for the film. Christopher Reeve, in his autobiography, wrote "The least said about Superman IV the better." The same could be said for Don't Look Up because it has zero redeeming qualities.

There is an ineffable quality to Stephen Graham's acting which defies words. Graham plays Andy Jones in Philip Barantini's Boiling Point. The Lancashire born actor, best known for portraying Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the This Is England television film series, brough DCI Taff Jones to life for the ITV miniseries White House Farm.

White House Farm, also known as The Murders at White House Farm, is based on a true story. DS Stan Jones, played by Mark Addy, was the only policeman to see through Jeremy Bamber's mind games. Getting DCI Taff Jones to see the truth was almost impossible for the detective sergeant. Graham, one of the UK's most respected acting talents, can be seen in the period drama Peaky Blinders.