Singer/actor Plan B was wary about joining the panel for the prestigious Rising Star prize at the upcoming BAFTA Awards – as he feared the actors would think him unworthy to judge their performances. Plan B, real name Benjamin Drew, helped narrow down the talent list for the honour, and the contenders were announced on Monday, with Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield among those battling it out for prize at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) ceremony next month. But Drew, whose directorial debut Ill Manors is set to hit screens next year, admits he was worried about how his role as a judge would be received.
“I guess they (BAFTA bosses) felt I was worthy of being on the panel. I was worried a little bit at the start how some of the actors in contention would feel about me judging them. When I thought about it, that film I just directed was on a small budget and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The experience I gained from it, I think I have the right to call myself a director, and part of this industry,” he said. Tom Hardy, Aaron Johnson and Gemma Arterton will also compete for the coveted trophy, which will be decided by a public vote.
