BAFTA Announces Rising Star Finalists

If you had to choose the better year for Cillian Murphy, would you pick 2005 or 2006? In the earlier year, millions of viewers saw him in Batman Begins and Red Eye. In the later year, a few people saw him in Breakfast on Pluto (which was also seen by some in 2005) and the Cannes winner The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Okay, so I'm going by American audiences -- both were seen by a lot of people overseas. Still, 2005 was the year he seemed to shoot into stardom with higher profile roles. And he had already been widely seen a few years earlier in 28 Days Later.

Speaking of 28 Days Later, that film also featured Naomie Harris, who now co-stars with Murphy in the list of nominees for BAFTA's Orange Rising Star Award. The award debuted at last year's BAFTA Awards in order to recognize an actor or actress with great promise for the future in terms of acting talent and connection with audiences. The first winner was James McAvoy, who beat out breakthrough actors Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams (who was also in Red Eye), Michelle Williams and Gael García Bernal.

I'm not sure why I associate rising star with breakthrough performance, but I do, and that is why I just can't believe that Murphy is just now being recognized in this way. He was certainly more in the limelight prior to 2006 than his fellow nominees, who include Harris, Emily Blunt, Eva Green and Ben Whishaw. Of these finalists, which were pared down from a list of several hundred contenders, and which are interestingly enough all British European (last year had some Americans in the mix), I would have to pick Blunt as the greatest bet for continued rise in star status. I'm kinda going by which nominee has the best projects lined up for the next couple years, though. And while Murphy also has some great things on deck, he just isn't as attractive as Blunt to succeed as a big name. Plus, he should have been nominated last year.

But before this year McAvoy didn't seem to me a likely choice for next big thing. In fact, of last year's nominees, he would be the last I'd pick for the award. Who do you think is deserving this time? Blunt? Murphy? Or maybe the beautiful Bond girl Eva Green? Or will it be who I least expect to win: Harris? Well, fancy that: you can actually vote for your favorite. Just visit the Orange website, watch a video of each performer and make your choice (sorry, the competition for BAFTA Awards tickets part of the promotion is open only to UK residents).

The winner will be announced at the BAFTA Awards February 11.