We’re Mad About The Boy: Archie Madekwe
‘Saltburn has already become such a part of the zeitgeist in such a crazy way,’ says its 28-year-old star Archie Madekwe, nestled in a quiet spot in his favourite Crystal Palace café in a leafy part of South-East London. The actor, who grew up just down the road, has all the proper training. First from The Brit School and then LAMDA.
Roles soon came rolling in from cult-favourite Midsommer to West End plays, all before this year’s breakouts of Gran Turismo and Saltburn put him on everyone’s map. Quick to become a fashion favourite; front row at Loewe, sat with Prada at the Fashion Awards, his titular fashion moment thus far has to be the custom Louis Vuitton look created by Pharell that he wore to the Critics Choice Awards.
But this is just the beginning for Madekwe as his ambition extends beyond acting with the hope of trying all the roles on a film set. As for the goal? ‘Oh, to use any fame to platform my fellow rising stars’.
Here are five things to know about Archie Madekwe:
There was always an inevitability that he’d become an actor.
‘I was just constantly latching myself on to any opportunity to be artistic as a kid. I was always doing shows and making my parents watch and be in them.’
Farleigh was a delicious character to play.
‘He is always a step ahead, which proves he’s actually one of the most intelligent characters as he has the ability to see through what’s happening. A lot of the things that happen at Saltburn, happen because of Farleigh. But he's not necessarily in the spotlight because he doesn't want to be. He knows when people are looking at you, you’re more likely to be caught out and he knows what happens when that’s the case. During the screen test, Emerald said can you just try standing so your heels are touching, and you cross your arms and you smoke a cigarette, and it completely unlocked a whole physicality of who he was. She was like, “There he is. That's it.”’
He begged to do a Welsh accent in Gran Turismo.
‘I had to learn to drive for my role in Gran Turismo. Jann Mardenborough, whose life the film is about, was my stunt driver and so was on set with me the entire time. I was able to improvise a lot on set and pull from his real life and I did beg to do his Welsh accent. It was so special to do a project that felt so close to the real person and I spent so much time with him before and knew what he wanted from the project. It was really about making sure that he felt proud of it.’
At 6 foot 5, fashion has become his friend.
‘My personal style is a lot of oversized stuff but it's fun to kind of play around. I like it when I really have fun with fashion. I've got a real appreciation for classic tailoring or the cut of the suit. My stylist, Felicity Kay, is amazing and we have been having so much fun collaborating together. It's nice when the clothes feel like you're wearing them and they're not wearing you. I feel quite definite about that.’
He envisions an existence beyond being in front of the camera.
‘I want to produce and at some point, move into directing. I really reject the idea that you can’t jump around artistic mediums. But I love [acting] so so much and I want to do it forever.’
Words by Naomi Pike
Photographs by Rosaline Shahnavaz
Styling by Crystalle Cox
Grooming by Nadia Altinbas using Lancôme
Nails by Michelle Class at LMC
Fashion assistant – Jessica Miller
Archie Madekwe wears Jil Sander, Jimmy Choo, AMI and Cartier.
Star Is Born: Mia McKenna-Bruce
Being a teenager is a lot.
But being a teenager on a girls trip to Malia–alcohol drenched nights, teetering on the brink of adulthood–the last days of Rome before the uncertainties of what comes next sets in to temper it all… well that’s just pure chaos. Yet somehow, in a career-defining performance from 26-year-old Mia McKenna-Bruce, How To Have Sex, she manages to capture it all.
Her performance as 16-year-old Tara captures the joy of wild nights and the creeping shame of the next morning. is a compelling study of peer pressure and consent, as well as searing exploration of the passion and toxicity of adolescent relationships, from friends to flings. In McKenna-Bruce’s breakout role, a star truly is born.
Here’s seven things to know about Mia McKenna-Bruce:
Discovering that the Titanic film wasn’t real inspired her to get into acting.
‘I'd been dancing since I was two; ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, you name it. I always loved performing, but I didn’t really realise acting was a job. When I was six, I watched Titanic and was distraught for two weeks. My mum had to get my granddad to ring and pretend to be the director to explain to me that it's just a film; there's actors in it who wear costumes. I remember thinking, “wow, that's a job?! I want to do that”. I saw an audition in the Croydon newspaper for Zeussical The Musical. I got a part, and that’s where it all started.’
She auditioned for How To Have Sex Via TikTok.
‘I read the script and absolutely loved it. I had to film a self tape of a couple of scenes–[the director] Molly [Manning Walker] also wanted a TikTok video, because originally, there were a lot of social media references in the script. I was like, Oh my God, I haven't the faintest idea about it. Luckily, I have two TikTok obsessed younger sisters. One of them–Ellis—did it with me. My dog Twiggy's in it too, we did that Best friend [dance].’
Yes, she’s biassed, but How To Have Sex is Mia’s favourite film of all time.
‘Molly [Manning Walker] tells me to stop saying that because I sound like an arsehole, but I love it! She is just an exceptional director. I think it's genius. doesn't tell you how you should feel, you kind of figure it out alongside Tara. You have to make up your own mind, everyone walks away taking something slightly different from it. Molly based this film on real life events. Whenever she mentions her assault, she says the air is sucked out from the room, no one knows how to approach it. You don’t know what to say, but if we can just start to be more open about these things, that's so important.’
Her breakout role wasn’t the only life changing moment of last year…
‘Having a baby and this film happening at the same time has been so nice, because it makes me appreciate each one so much. When I'm promoting the film, I'm missing him, so I'm appreciating my gorgeous baby. And when I'm with him. I get to reflect on all this glamorous career stuff at the same time. It's like two completely different worlds. I started doing press six weeks after he was born. It was the best thing I could have done because when I had him, the scariest thing for me was not knowing how to be normal. I didn’t know how to be Mia now I had this whole person to look after. Getting back to work and doing something that I love so much, it showed me I can do both.’
Mia once gave up acting altogether, moved to Australia and got a job in a call centre.
‘Auditioning as a child actor is like playing games and doing improv. Then all of a sudden, you start auditioning as an adult and you’re expected to talk about the character arc and the script. I've never been to drama school, I've hardly been to actual school, I didn't know anything about crafting a character. I thought, well, I've had my fun, maybe this isn't for me. So I went to Australia and worked in a tech support call centre. When I returned to London, I went back to basics. I started doing an acting workshop on the weekends and learned how to really approach character. It gave me the confidence and the language to go back to auditions. It made me fall in love with it all over again.’
When it comes to fashion, comfort–and corsets–are key.
‘I wore an Emilia Wickstead corseted top to the BAFTA Rising Star press conference, I love that kind of structure. I'm still kind of figuring out my body a little bit post baby. It's the first time that I've been truly treating my body with respect. I don’t feel pressured to be as slim as I possibly can be. I'm getting to wear these gorgeous clothes, I don't need to be on some strict regime so that I can wear a dress to an event. No, I'll wear what I'm comfortable in.’
Mia is nominated for a BAFTA, but she won’t be smiling at this year’s awards.
‘I've discovered I get a pounding headache at these awards because I'm smiling so much. I've got quite big cheeks and I think they're heavy on my face or something, I don't know. I get such a tension headache. I need to kind of try and tone down the smiling a little bit, particularly with the rising star nomination. That one is so exciting. Being at the press conference with Phoebe [Dynevor] and Sophie [Wilde], it really feels like we're all in it together.’
Words by Shannon Mahanty
Photographs by Rosaline Shahnavaz
Styling by Crystalle Cox
Hair by Davide Barbieri at A-Frame Agency
Make-up by Florrie White at C/O Management using Lancôme
Nails by Michelle Class at LMC
Fashion assistant – Jessica Miller
Mia McKenna-Bruce wears MM6 Maison Margiela and Cartier.
'How To Have Sex' is available on Mubi now.
Voting for the EE Rising Star Award is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTAS until 12pm GMT on Friday 16th February 2024. The winner will be announced at the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday 18th February 2024.
The EE Rising Star Award is the only category at the EE BAFTA Film Awards to be voted for by the public, reinforcing EE’s commitment to become the UK’s most personal, customer-focused brand by providing the nation with an opportunity to have their voice heard.
Screen Shapeshifter: Alison Oliver
Alison Oliver is unrecognisable in Saltburn. Playing Venetia, the 'cold-blooded' sister to Jacob Elordi’s Felix, her peroxide hair, smudged kohl eyeliner, concealer-as-lipstick look (Venetia has unsurprisingly inspired many a TikTok tutorial), Queen’s English accent and tragically attention-seeking personality traits have made audiences double-take.
It’s hard to believe it’s the same 26-year-old Irish actor who has previously captivated us with her depiction of insecure protagonist Frances in Conversations with Friends or the heartbroken big sister Katie in Best Interests. But there is one thread that’s remained consistent despite these paradoxical roles: Oliver’s ability to ensure audiences are unable to divert their eyes from her on screen, which is displayed in all its glory with Venetia’s searing bathtub monologue opposite Barry Keoghan in the film everybody’s talking about.
Here are five things to know about Alison Oliver…
She trained at the Lir Academy in Dublin.
‘I’m so happy I trained at home because I got a really great knowledge of Irish theatre, plays and literature. It’s so incredible to see so many Irish actors being recognised this awards season and I feel so proud to be Irish! It's such a part of our culture. Even when you go back to the beginning with fairies and witches, that's what we come from. Storytelling is in our bones.’
She found out she got the part of Venetia on her 25th birthday.
'I auditioned with Carey Mulligan’s final monologue from [Emerald Fennell’s debut] Promising Young Woman. I didn't hear back for a while then Emerald called me back and I did a couple more scenes with her. A few days later, I went to America for my cousin's wedding. I had loads of missed calls from a number I didn't have, then a text saying “please be Venetia!” For two minutes, I was like, “What is this?” and then I realised it must be Emerald! I was getting ready with my sister and I was just buzzing. It was my birthday too so it was the perfect day.'
She had to return to the Saltburn set after wrapping to reshoot that bath scene.
‘In a really weird way, the second time felt better because I had gotten over the initial, “Oh, my God!” anxiety that I usually feel coming to a scene so it was actually a gift. Barry is such an extraordinary actor, the closer you get to him the less you know. We always used to say he got “shark eyes” when the camera turned on because he’d become so ambiguous. He'd be both heartbreaking and deeply sinister at the same time. Acting with him, he pulls you in so you just get there. That scene was really important to me as I wanted to serve what Emerald had written, as well as the character because it was her last moment.’
She and her Saltburn co-stars descended on karaoke during filming.
'I saw improvising like I’d never seen in my life by Rosamund [Pike] and Carey [Mulligan]. I am obsessed with both of them, they’re huge inspirations for me. There were so many moments on set where I was like, What am I doing here? One evening, after filming, Archie [Madewake], Jacob and I went to this like little pub and there was a karaoke night. I sang ‘Back to Black’ but I feel like I took it really seriously and then killed the vibe. Another time, Archie, Rosamund and I went to have a roast.'
For her next big project, Oliver stars opposite Jude Law in true crime series The Order.
'My mum nearly lost my life when I told her I was working with him. We watch The Holiday every Christmas! She was delighted. I look up to and love Jessie Buckley so much, her career really inspires me because I love theatre and I would love to have a career where I could do both every year. She has an amazing career and she's a beautiful person.'
Words by Olivia Blair
Photographs by Rosaline Shahnavaz
Styling by Crystalle Cox
Hair by Patrick Wilson at The Wall Group
Make-up by Sara Hill at The Wall Group using Lancôme
Nails by Michelle Class at LMC
Fashion assistant Jessica Miller
Alison Oliver wears Prada and Cartier.
We can’t stop watching… Ritu Arya
Before entering Greta Gerwig’s pink universe last year as journalist Barbie, Arya secured an BSc degree in astrophysics at the University of Southampton, before going on to study at the Oxford School of Drama. It’s a period of time in which the actor says she ‘learned to really hone her skills’ and move away from strict notions of ‘right or wrong when it comes to acting’. Since then, the 35-year-old Surrey native has worked across numerous bodies of work, stacking up credits that include Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy as Lila Pitts, British Sci-Fi series Humans and Obama’s film pick of the year Nida Manzoor’s Polite Scoiety, an action-packed indie flick with Bollywood influences.
Here are five things to know about Ritu Arya …
Weekends were a lifeline for the actor growing up.
‘It was hard fitting in at school, mainly because being one of few brown people in all of my schools, made it difficult to really "feel seen" and forge friendships. Throughout my childhood however, my parents were great at making sure we stayed quite connected to my cousins so spending time with them on the weekends was my saving grace. We would make up dance routines and perform for the adults. It would always be a Spice Girls song and because I was obsessed with Sporty Spice, so all the routines would begin with me cartwheeling into the living room.’
She attended Oxford’s Drama School.
‘I loved Oxford. It boosted my confidence, surrounded me with artists and nurtured my love and appreciation for the art form. It was just a bunch of us [actors] living on Cowley Road, walking to town, getting the bus into Woodstock - very summer camp vibes - but we had to wear black twenty-four-seven. It was a real learning curve for me, as it allowed me to really fill my own ‘toolbox', with accents, methods and got rid of any notions of ‘right or wrong’. It was a safe space to mess up, then get back up and try again.
Some of her best career advice came from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
‘Every job has been like such a learning experience. I did quite a lot of children's theatre when I first started, at the Unicorn Theatre, and it really set me up to look at jobs via their pros and cons. I worked with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson - which feels like such a sweet flex - on this movie called Red Notice and he gave me such good advice. Super simple, but essentially it boiled down to ‘remember to be open about your mistakes, so that you can not only help others grow from it but so that you can grow from them.’
The set of Polite Society was filled with love and humour.
‘It was such a special one to film, because the [Polite Society] team has been family to me. I'd worked with Nida Manzoor and I fell in love with Priya [Kansara], she’s so funny. When those things fall in place on a set, you're just sort of set up for magic. I had a really fun time on the set every day, it was just thrilling to be there, it was a unique story so everyone there wanted to be there. I felt a similar way about the BIFA's [British Independent Film Awards]. Nida won Best Breakthrough Director and thanks to myself and Priya, it felt momentous.’
She’s become an avid baker in the last few years.
‘The last few years have been filled with so many changes, so in my day to day you’ll find me wearing a charity shop find, or sweats, most recently some I picked up from American Vintage. I tend to leave my work wardrobe decisions in the capable hands of a few different stylists but I’ve been loving working with Marc Andrew Smith who styled me for the Polite Society’s New York premiere. In order to balance out work, I’ve started learning the piano, reading and baking lots of sourdough bread that I generally share with neighbours, even if changing filming schedules equal ever changing neighbourhoods.’
Words by Ata-Owaji Victor
Photographs by Rosaline Shahnavaz
Styling by Crystalle Cox
Hair by Dayaruci at The Wall Group
Make-up by Florrie White at C/O Management using Lancôme
Nails by Michelle Class at LMC
Fashion assistant – Jessica Miller
Ritu Arya wears Carven, Miu Miu, Wolford and Tiffany & Co.
Beauty Notes: Using Lancome Make-Up
