Congratulations, ladies! Ariana DeBose and Lashana Lynch are two actresses who received nominations for the 2022 BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.
Lashana Lynch appeared in the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, as MI6 agent Nomi.
She previously appeared in Fast Girls and Captain Marvel, but this was her breakthrough role, and she nailed it as the new 007 agent.
Her next role will be in The Woman King alongside Viola Davis and in the musical version of Matilda.
At the No Time To Die premiere, Lynch spoke about not wanting to perpetuate the stereotype about strong Black women.
Instead, her goal was to challenge the narrative and do what makes her feel good about being in the film industry.
As for Ariana DeBose, she starred in Stephen Spielberg’s Westside Story remake.
As an Afro-Latina and a Black woman, she brought her unique experiences to flesh out the character and made it her own.
Her character was different from previous iterations in other adaptations, but it’s one of the best.
In fact, DeBose was so good in the role that she’s also received nominations for the Golden Globes—which she won—and the SAG (Screen Actors Guild).
Before Westside Story, DeBose appeared in Netflix’s The Prom and the hit musical Hamilton.
DeBose and Lynch are competing with Millicent Simmonds—she’s the 18-year-old deaf actress who starred in both A Quiet Place films—Harris Dickinson, who was impressive in The King’s Man, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who appeared in The Power of the Dog.
The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will occur in London on March 13. The EE Rising Star Award is the only one that’s open to the public, so you can show these talented Black women your love by voting for either of them.