Emily Watson will receive this year’s Richard Harris Award at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), recognising her outstanding contribution to British cinema. Previous recipients include Samantha Morton, Riz Ahmed, Kristin Scott Thomas, Daniel Day-Lewis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julie Walters, Stephen Graham and Sophie Okonedo.
Watson began her career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company before earning an Oscar nomination for her debut screen role in Lars von Trier’s ‘Breaking the Waves’ (1996). She received a second nomination for ‘Hilary and Jackie’ (1998) and has since appeared in acclaimed films including ‘The Boxer’, ‘Punch-Drunk Love’, ‘Red Dragon’, ‘Corpse Bride’, ‘Synecdoche’, ‘New York’, ‘War Horse’, ‘The Theory of Everything’ and ‘Small Things Like These’. Recent work includes Netflix’s Steve and Chloé Zhao’s awards-tipped ‘Hamnet’.
In a statement, Damian, Jared and Jamie Harris praised Watson’s “fearless and devastating” debut and said she “enhances the quality of everything in which she appears.”
Watson said she was “delighted and deeply honoured” by the recognition and thanked the Harris family and BIFA.
The 28th BIFA ceremony will be held on November 30 at London’s Roundhouse.
