In the most stunning moment of Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards, Robert Aramayo pulled off the kind of upset that could instantly change his career and next year’s Oscars race. The British actor took home the Best Actor award over a field that included odds-on favorite Timothée Chalamet, along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael B. Jordan, winning for the transformative performance as real-life Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson in filmmaker Kirk Jones’ I Swear.
Visibly shaken, Aramayo took the stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall and looked out at the A-list nominees. Gesturing toward DiCaprio, Aramayo admitted, “I can’t believe I am looking at people like you and am in the same category as people like you!”
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The win capped a remarkable evening for Aramayo, who also picked up the Rising Star Award earlier in the ceremony over the likes of One Battle After Another’s Chase Infiniti and Sinners’ Miles Caton. Here’s what to know about the young actor.
From Juilliard to the BAFTA stage
Long before he was besting Hollywood heavyweights, Aramayo was a drama student at the Juilliard School in New York, where Ethan Hawke once visited and delivered advice that clearly left a mark.
While accepting his BAFTA, Aramayo took a moment to acknowledge that formative experience: “When I was in school, Ethan Hawke came in to speak to us at Juilliard and he gave an amazing talk on longevity as an actor, about protecting your instrument and avoiding self-destructive behaviors. And it had a really great impact on everyone in that room. So to be in this category with you tonight is incredible. Thank you, Ethan.”
Backstage, he elaborated on why he felt compelled to share the story. “It really did have an effect on everyone in that room in my year. I wanted to meet him but I thought I might not have the chance so I thought I would mention it now,” Aramayo explained.
He added he would more than welcome the possibility of collaborating with Hawke in the future. “That would be great. He’s amazing.”
Where you’ve seen him before
Aramayo broke out on the global stage with a small but memorable turn in HBO’s Game of Thrones, appearing in four pivotal episodes as young Ned Stark. He currently plays Elrond in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Rings of Power Robert Aramayo Morfydd Clark
As I Swear has become a favorite of U.K. critics, Aramayo has made recent award show appearances. Prior to the BAFTAs, he won Breakthrough Performer of the Year at the London Critics Circle Film Awards, as well as Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards.
What is I Swear about?
Directed by Kirk Jones, I Swear tells the story of Davidson, a young man with severe Tourette syndrome, a neurological condition that can manifest in involuntary tics and vocal outbursts, including cursing. Set in a period when the disorder was poorly understood, the film follows Davidson as he faces rejection from his family and society before ultimately emerging as a national advocate for those living with Tourette’s. His work was eventually honored by the queen.
The real Davidson attended the first half of the BAFTA ceremony but after experiencing a number of involuntary outbursts, he exited midway through the event. Host Alan Cumming later apologized to anyone who may have been offended and thanked the audience for their understanding — a moment that underscored the real-life challenges Davidson has faced.
What does this mean for next year’s Oscars?
While the BAFTAs often serve as a bellwether for Oscar success, I Swear was not be eligible for 2026 Academy Awards consideration. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September and received a U.K. release in October 2025. Sony Classics will release I Swear in the U.S. on April 24 and the film and Aramayo are will be among the early films in the 2027 Oscar conversation.
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