The British Academy Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles is a discontinued British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) until 1984.
The category has had several name changes throughout its history, as detailed on the recipient's list below: 1952–1959: Most Promising Newcomer to Film 1960–1979: Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles 1980–1982: Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles 1983–1984: Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film
A similar award honoring new acting talent, the Rising Star Award, was introduced in 2006. Even though its nominees are selected by the BAFTA juries, the eventual Rising Star winner is decided by public votes via text, internet, or phone.
In the following lists, the titles and names in bold with a gold background are the winners and recipients respectively; those not in bold are the nominees. The years given are those in which the films under consideration were released, not the year of the ceremony, which always takes place the following year.
Winners and nominees
1950s Year Actor Film Character Most Promising Newcomer to Film Claire Bloom Limelight Terry Dorothy Alison Mandy Miss Stockston Mandy Miller Mandy Garland Dorothy Tutin The Importance of Being Earnest Cecily Cardew Norman Wisdom Trouble in Store Norman Colette Marchand Moulin Rouge Marie Charlet David Kossoff The Young Lovers Geza Szobek Maggie McNamara The Moon is Blue Patty O'Neill Eva Marie Saint On the Waterfront Edie Doyle Paul Scofield That Lady King Philip II of Spain Jo Van Fleet East of Eden Kate Eli Wallach Baby Doll Silva Vaccara Stephen Boyd The Man Who Never Was Patrick O'Reilly Don Murray Bus Stop Beauregard "Bo" Decker Susan Strasberg Picnic Millie Owens Elizabeth Wilson Patterns of Power Marge Fleming Eric Barker Brothers in Law Alec Blair Mylène Demongeot The Witches of Salem Abigail Williams Elvi Hale True as a Turtle Ann James MacArthur The Young Stranger Harold "Hal" Ditmar Keith Michell True as a Turtle Harry Bell Paul Massie Orders to Kill Gene Summers Red Buttons Sayonara Joe Kelly Teresa Iżewska Kanał Stokrotka Mary Peach Room at the Top June Samson Ronald Radd The Camp on Blood Island Commander Yamamitsu Maggie Smith Nowhere to Go Bridget Howard Gwen Verdon What Lola Wants Lola Hayley Mills Tiger Bay Gillie Evans Gerry Duggan The Siege of Pinchgut Pat Fulton Liz Fraser I'm All Right Jack Cynthia Kite Joseph N. Welch Anatomy of a Murder Judge Weaver
1960s Year Actor Film Character Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Albert Finney Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Arthur Seaton Lelia Goldoni Shadows Lelia Jean-Pierre Léaud The 400 Blows Antoine Doinel George Peppard Home from the Hill Raphael "Rafe" Copley Joan Plowright The Entertainer Jean Rice Anthony Ray Shadows Tony Billie Whitelaw Hell Is a City Chloe Hawkins Rita Tushingham A Taste of Honey Josephine "Jo" Tony Hancock The Rebel Anthony Hancock Murray Melvin A Taste of Honey Geoffrey Ingham Tom Courtenay The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Colin Smith Mariette Hartley Guns in the Afternoon Elsa Knudsen Ian Hendry Live Now, Pay Later Albert Sarah Miles Term of Trial Shirley Taylor Terence Stamp Billy Budd Billy Budd James Fox The Servant Tony Wendy Craig The Servant Susan Keir Dullea David and Lisa David Clemens Janet Margolin Lisa Brandt Julie Andrews Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Elizabeth Ashley The Carpetbaggers Monica Winthrop The Beatles A Hard Day's Night The Beatles Lynn Redgrave Girl with Green Eyes Baba Brennan Judi Dench Four in the Morning Wife Michael Crawford The Knack...and How to Get It Colin Barbara Ferris Catch Us If You Can Dinah Tom Nardini Cat Ballou Jackson Two-Bears Vivien Merchant Alfie Lily Alan Arkin The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming Lt. Yuri Rozanov Frank Finlay Othello Iago Jeremy Kemp The Blue Max Lt. Willi von Klugermann Faye Dunaway Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Parker Hurry Sundown Lou McDowell Peter Kastner You're A Big Boy Now Bernard Chanticleer Milo O'Shea Ulysses Leopold Bloom Michael J. Pollard Bonnie and Clyde C.W Moss Dustin Hoffman The Graduate Benjamin Braddock Pia Degermark Elvira Madigan Hedvig Jensen "Elvira Madigan" Katharine Ross The Graduate Elaine Robinson Jack Wild Oliver! The Artful Dodger Jon Voight Midnight Cowboy Joe Buck Kim Darby True Grit Mattie Ross Jennie Linden Women in Love Ursula Brangwen Ali MacGraw Goodbye, Columbus Brenda Patimkin
1970s Year Actor Film Character David Bradley Kes Billy Casper Liza Minnelli Pookie Mary Ann "Pookie" Adams Michael Sarrazin They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Robert Syverton Sally Thomsett The Railway Children Phyllis Waterbury Dominic Guard The Go-Between Leo Colston Gary Grimes Summer of '42 Hermie Carrie Snodgress Diary of a Mad Housewife Tina Balser Janet Suzman Nicholas and Alexandra Alexandra Joel Grey Cabaret Emcee Bud Cort Harold and Maude Harold Parker Chason Al Pacino The Godfather Michael Corleone Simon Ward Young Winston Winston Churchill Peter Egan The Hireling Captain Hugh Cantrip Jim Dale Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall Terence "Spike" Milligan David Essex That'll Be the Day Jim MacLain Kris Kristofferson Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Billy the Kid Georgina Hale Mahler Alma Werfel Cleavon Little Blazing Saddles Sheriff Bart Sissy Spacek Badlands Holly Sargis Valerie Perrine Lenny Honey Bruce Robert De Niro The Godfather Part II Vito Corleone Alfred Lutter Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Tommy Lily Tomlin Nashville Linnea Reese Jodie Foster Bugsy Malone Tallulah Taxi Driver Iris Steensma No nominees were recognized Isabelle Huppert The Lacemaker Pomme Olimpia Carlisi The Middle of the World Adriana Jeannette Clift The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom Saverio Marconi Padre Padrone Gavino Christopher Reeve Superman Clark Kent / Superman Brad Davis Midnight Express Billy Hayes Mary Beth Hurt Interiors Joey Melanie Mayron Girlfriends Susan Weinblatt Dennis Christopher Breaking Away Dave Stoller Gary Busey The Buddy Holly Story Buddy Holly Sigourney Weaver Alien Ellen Ripley Ray Winstone That Summer! Steve Brody
1980s Year Actor Film Character Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Judy Davis My Brilliant Career Sybylla Melvyn Sônia Braga Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Flor John Gordon Sinclair Gregory's Girl Gregory Underwood Debra Winger Urban Cowboy Sissy Davis Joe Pesci Raging Bull Joey LaMotta Klaus Maria Brandauer Mephisto Hendrik Hoefgen Timothy Hutton Ordinary People Conrad Jarrett Cathy Moriarty Raging Bull Vicki Thailer Ben Kingsley Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi Drew Barrymore E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Gertie Henry Thomas Elliott Kathleen Turner Body Heat Matty Walker Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film Phyllis Logan Another Time, Another Place Janie Kevin Kline Sophie's Choice Nathan Landau Greta Scacchi Heat and Dust Olivia Rivers Julie Walters Educating Rita Susan "Rita" White Haing S. Ngor The Killing Fields Pran Rupert Everett Another Country Guy Bennett John Lynch Cal Cal Tim Roth The Hit Myron
Notes
A: Rules from the 1960s to the 1970s allowed for a performer to receive a single citation which could honor their work in more than one film. Faye Dunaway and Jodie Foster were both nominated for their roles in two different films in the same category.
References
External links Official site at BAFTA.org