OLIVIA COLMAN is to be honoured with the British Film Institute’s most prestigious accolade.
The 45-year-old star of The Favourite is to be awarded a BFI Fellowship at the BFI Chairman’s dinner in March.
The Fellowship is in “recognition of her distinctive and prodigious acting talents and the huge impact she has on audiences all over the world”, the BFI said.
Colman said: “I’m absolutely bowled over. The BFI is a wonderful organisation and that I will soon be in a Fellowship with so many of my heroes is an honour that is hard to compute. Thank you a thousand times, I really am thrilled. THANK YOU!”
BFI chair, Josh Berger, said: “I am thrilled the BFI is giving its highest honour, the BFI Fellowship, to Olivia Colman, at such an exciting point in her career.
“Olivia is a brilliant comic actor and one of the industry’s finest dramatic performers. Her ability to be relatable in such a diverse range of roles generates incredible warmth and admiration from audiences.
“The Favourite is firmly up there as one of the best films of recent years and showcases Olivia’s extraordinary and nuanced performance, which is fittingly being acknowledged by critics and audiences all over the world.”
Olivia Colman’s journey from Peep Show’s Sophie to Oscar nomination for The Favourite
Colman’s role as Queen Anne in The Favourite has earned her a slew of accolades, including a Golden Globe win and an Oscar and Bafta nomination.
At the Baftas this Sunday she will be up against Glenn Close for The Wife, Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born, Melissa McCarthy for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Viola Davis for Widows in the leading actress category.
One of Colman’s earliest roles was in the British comedy Peep Show and her role in ITV’s Broadchurch alongside David Tennant won her plaudits galore.
She also has a string of film credits to her name including roles in Hot Fuzz and Tyrannosaur and also starred in The Iron Lady opposite Meryl Streep.
Her next big role will be in Netflix’s The Crown, when she takes over the role of Queen Elizabeth II from Claire Foy in the third series of the hit drama.
Previous recipients of the Fellowship include Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, director Martin Scorsese, Steve McQueen and Hugh Grant.
The BFI Chairman’s dinner will be held on March 6 at London’s Rosewood hotel.
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