Benedict Cumberbatch ‘deeply humbled’ by Bafta nod for The Power Of The Dog

Benedict Cumberbatch has said he is “deeply humbled and grateful” for his Bafta nomination for The Power Of The Dog.

The star, 45, is nominated in the leading actor category for his performance as a troubled rancher in the Western psychological thriller set in 1920s Montana.

He said in a statement to the PA news agency: “The journey to play Phil Burbank took me a long way from anything familiar to me and this recognition of that work feels like completing the circle and coming home.

“I’m also thrilled and proud as punch for our amazing leader Jane and the film’s nominations and also for the recognition of my brilliant friends Jesse and Kodi.”

The film’s director Jane Campion has been nominated in the directing category, with Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee both nominated in the supporting actor category.

The film has received the second highest overall number of nominations with eight, behind sci-fi epic Dune, which has 11.

Smit-McPhee added: “Thank you so much Bafta for supporting our film through these nominations.

“I’m humbled and beyond grateful that my performance has resonated with them to this capacity, and I’m so excited to see that Jesse’s (Plemons) incredible work has been recognized in the same category as well.”

Producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman from See-Saw Films, one of the production companies behind film, said: “We are incredibly grateful for today’s Bafta nominations, and thrilled that The Power Of The Dog is connecting with audiences as well as our community of filmmakers around the world.

“Working with (director) Jane Campion is inspirational. Her storytelling feels so vital and in The Power Of The Dog she has created a bold new take on classic cinema.

“We are also grateful for the nuanced and engrossing performances by Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons which elevate every scene, as do all our incredible crew, including extraordinary cinematographer Ari Wegner.”

Sir Kenneth Branagh hailed the six Bafta nominations for his film Belfast, a coming-of-age tale set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Its nominations include best film, outstanding British film and original screenplay, with actress Caitriona Balfe nominated in the supporting actress category.

He said: “Bafta’s recognition for Belfast is an amazing tribute to a remarkable part of the world.

“This news on top of the incredible box office support from UK cinema audiences is truly fantastic. We are humbly and delightfully gobsmacked!”

Joanna Scanlan said she was “jumping for joy” after securing her first Bafta nomination, in the leading actress category for her performance in After Love.

The film, directed and written by Aleem Khan in his feature-length debut, sees her playing a widow who discovers her late husband’s secret family. It has four nominations.

She told the PA news agency: “I am absolutely jumping for joy. It is beyond what I could have ever have imagined.

“There is something about it. I have got on the one hand this feeling you are in the past, because you are looking at the film, making the film and all that has gone into it. And on the other hand it is a pivotal moment where you think, ‘But what does this mean for the future?’

“When you are 60 years old it feels like that horizon has moved. The horizon has gone a little bit further into the distance and I am hoping that I am going to get a new lease of life.”

Scanlan said she had video-called Khan who was celebrating with a glass of champagne, and added: “It is wonderful for everybody who has been part of this film because they are quite straightforwardly the best crew I have ever worked with.”

Mass star Ann Dowd said she was “stunned” to receive a Bafta nomination in the supporting actress category.

She said: “With all my heart, thank you to Bafta for this acknowledgment. I received this wonderful news early this morning as I sent my boy off to school. I’m now sitting on the couch, stunned, with a large smile on my face.

“I share this nomination with writer-director Fran Kranz, and fellow castmates Reed Birney, Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton.

“Mass is a movie with a very small budget. We filmed it in a little town in Idaho in two weeks, mostly in one room. We worked as one and making this film was one of the most profound experiences of our lives.

“Mass is about hope, about healing and the possibility of forgiveness. The wish is that more people will see the film, that more people will come to the table and trust their ability to drop the armour and find peace despite their profound differences.

“A deep thank you to our UK distributor Sky and our US distributor Bleecker Street for believing in this film and having the courage to get it out in the world.

“Thank you for this beautiful honour.”

Film-maker Edgar Wright praised the cast and crew of Last Night In Soho, his psychological horror starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith.

In a tweet, he said of its two nominations for Outstanding British Film and Best Sound: “Neither would be possible without the incredible efforts of an outstanding cast and crew, who we owe everything too. Thanks to all who voted for us.

“And a special shout out to the Sound Team on #LastNightInSoho led by my longtime colleagues: Colin Nicolson, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Dan Morgan. The long hours paid off. I’m so proud of you.”

The British Film Institute (BFI) marked the success of films it backed during development, including After Love from writer and director Aleem Khan.

Mia Bays, director of the BFI Film Fund, said: “We send our congratulations to all today’s 2022 Bafta nominees, but we are feeling especially proud of the brilliant BFI-backed titles that have been recognised today.

“The recognition of films that offer fresh perspectives and rarely-seen representations show the industry is not just embracing but celebrating difference.

“We’re thrilled for the filmmaking teams – the nominations are thoroughly deserved.

“It has been an incredibly tough period in which to get a film made and so it feels like a monumental achievement for them to get to this stage, and credit too to the BFI Film Fund team who have supported them throughout the unusually difficult journey.”