LONDON (AP) ā One actor wonāt be nervous as the camera comes in for a close-up at the
is hosting and says itās more relaxing to be the master of ceremonies than a nominee.
āI reserve the right to get back to you on the night of Feb. 18, when Iām quivering at a corner having some sort of panic attack,ā he says say. āIt feels like a very privileged position to be in, but without the nervousness of wondering if youāve won one or not. You donāt have to prepare a little hastily scribbled speech in the back of an envelope. What larks.ā
And while when they host an awards ceremony, Tennant says thereās less pressure on actors.
āThis not being my day job is something of an advantage,ā he admits. āThereās not that much expectation because this is not what I do. So if I do it terribly, then whatās the harm?ā
He wonāt have to walk the fine line between insulting or amusing an A-list audience, while entertaining viewers at home.
āMy stand-up career will not stand or fall on how this goes. Which, again, slightly takes the pressure off me. Iām just gonna have a really good time.ā
Sophie Ellis-Bextor and will also be on hand to help entertain the nominees with musical performances at the Royal Festival Hall.
Ellis-Bextor is singing āMurder on the Dancefloor,ā the hit song invigorated 22 years after its release by its appearance in which is nominated for best British film.
āAward ceremonies are funny, arenāt they?ā Tennant muses. āThereās so much nervous energy in the air. Itās terribly exciting to be around that. And then they go on and on and on and on forever.ā
āCan we get everyone through to the other end of it, still feeling like weāre celebrating and not desperate for their dinner?ā he wonders.
leads the race for the BAFTA trophies, with 13 nominations, including best film.
Gothic fantasia received 11 nominations, while historical epic and Holocaust drama have nine each.
Only two people know in advance that they will have to make a speech on the night: Samantha Morton, receiving the BAFTA Fellowship, and June Givanni ā the founder of The June Givanni PanAfrican Archive, who is being honored for outstanding British contribution to cinema.
Being in the room where winning happens can be an odd experience, Tennant says.
āYouāre surrounded by lots of ludicrously famous people who you wouldnāt otherwise get to be in a room with. So thereās something a little bit prickly and exciting about that. At the same time, it can be very overwhelming and a little bit intimidating,ā he says.
Asked whether heāll be using the opportunity, as an actor, to audition for Tennant jokes heās not ruling out a few lines from āTaxi Driver,ā adding that āanything can happen.ā
Back to the nervous acting nominees who will be sitting among their competitors, with a camera watching their reaction.
Fantasia Barrino, Sandra HĆ¼ller, Carey Mulligan, Vivian Oparah, Margot Robbie and Emma Stone make up the best actress category and are all attending.
As is each leading actor nominee: Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti, Barry Keoghan, Teo Yoo and Cillian Murphy.
āThatās the sport of it and thatās the bit that is for the audience. And thatās the bit that as a nominee, you have to just suck up,ā says Tennant. āYouāre still a lot closer to winning it than the person that didnāt get nominated. So itās an odd experience. Itās heady and giddy making and at the same time can be desperately soul-crushing.ā
āBut thatās why we tune in,ā he laughs.
Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
