Hollywood's new favourite young star! 'Normal boy' who loves Spiderman Jude Hill, 11, is tipped for super superstardom after nabbing Critics' Choice Awards for Best Young Actor for his stand-out role in Belfast
- Jude Hill’s stellar performance in Belfast has seen the 11-year-old win praise from critics around the world
- Newcomer, who stars as Buddy in the film, took home the gong for Best Young Actor/Actress
- Child star, 11, also won Best Newcomer Award at 5th annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards; it was Hill's first major film role after he beat 300 hopefuls to win the part
- Sir Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical film tells the story of a boy growing up in a working class family during the Troubles in the late 1960s; largely shot in black and white, it's received rave reviews
- Young actor, who grew up in a village 25 miles from Belfast, has been hailed as ‘a natural’ by actor Sir Kenneth, with Dame Judi Dench saying the star was ‘like an actor who had had 25 years’ experience’
- LA talent agencies have been scrambling to sign the talented youngster; his mother Shauneen, now his manager, says she first noticed his acting skills when he read out a poem at school when he was just four
- His younger sister Georgia, nine, has also caught the acting bug and is the star of a new Northern Irish film, Torn - and younger brother Jonah is already attending the same drama class as his newly famous brother
He was nine when he beat 300 hopefuls to play a fictionalised version of a young Sir Kenneth Branagh in the director’s semi-autobiographical film, Belfast.
And now the talented Jude Hill, 11, has been tipped for superstardom after taking home the gong for Best Young Actor/Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards last night.
The blonde-haired boy from the village of Gilford, about 25 miles south-east of Belfast in County Down, appeared gobsmacked on stage as he collected the award, telling audiences: 'I'm gonna be completely honest, I have nothing prepared.'
He thanked his cast-mates, his mother and father, and singled out director Kenneth, adding: 'I love you so much, thank you for choosing me.'
The 11-year-old has won praise from critics across the world, as well as scooping the Best Newcomer Award at 5th Annual HCA Film Awards, for the role of Buddy in the black-and-white film, which documents life growing up in a working class family during the Troubles in the late 1960s.
But despite taking Hollywood by storm, the youngster has been hailed a 'normal boy' by his mother Shauneen, who has previously spoken of his down-to-earth attitude and love for Spiderman.
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Hollywood calling: Jude Hill, 11, won the gong for Best Young Actor/Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards for the role of Buddy in Sir Kenneth Branagh's Belfast; it was Hill's first major film role after he beat 300 hopefuls to win the part
Hill, who grew up in a village 25 miles from Belfast, has been hailed as ‘a natural’ by actor Sir Kenneth Branagh, with Dame Judi Dench saying the star was ‘like an actor who had had 25 years’ experience’
Potential: Hill in a photo posted on his Instagram account showing him during his final year at primary school
Family affair: Hill's parents, Darryl and Shauneen, are currently chaperoning their young son during his trip to California; the actor has a sister, Georgia, who also acts, and a younger brother, Jonah who is signed to the same drama school
Pictured earlier this year with This Morning presenters Alison Hammond (far left) and Holly Willoughby (far right) after an appearance on the ITV daytime show with his mum Shauneen
High praise: The Year 7 student is currently doing the rounds with his co-stars during Hollywood awards season - pictured left to right: Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Kenneth Branagh and Ciaran Hinds
Critics have garlanded the film with praise – in his five-star review, the Daily Mail’s critic Brian Viner called it a small masterpiece - and the awards season looks set to back that up.
Mingling with his co-stars on the red carpet this week - including Sir Kenneth Branagh, the youngster has had the chance to meet his heroes; he told reporters that he was lost for words after chatting to Spider-Man: No Way Home star Andrew Garfield.
His stratospheric rise to fame, after beating 300 hopefuls to play the part, has seen him win wide praise for his own stellar performance - and several awards, although he missed out on a predicted Oscar nomination.
Hill has now been signed by Hollywood acting agencies UTA and Berwick & Kovacik and further roles are surely just a matter of time - but his parents maintain that he's just 'a normal boy', who they're keen to protect from the glaring spotlight of Hollywood.
'Normal boy' A young Jude holding aloft a trophy for his drama skills, and right in Ninja outfits with his younger brother
Mum Shauneen has now given up her job to be a full-time manager to her son - and rising star daughter, Georgia. Pictured from left: Darryl, Georgia, Jude, Shauneen and Jonah
During award season, the blonde-haired youngster has been sharing photos of his rise to fame on his Instagram account, and has his own TikTok account too
Now 11, the young actor has been hailed as ‘a natural’ by Sir Kenneth, while co-star Dame Judi Dench said he was ‘completely like an actor who had had 25 years’ worth of experience’.
For the Hill family, the bright lights of Hollywood are a far cry from the sleepy County Down village where they live.
Dad Darryl is an Operations Manager at Concentrix, while mum Shauneen has given up work to focus on the acting aspirations of both Jude and daughter Georgia.
Adorable photos on his official Instagram page - significantly glitzier in recent weeks - show the family in their everyday life, enjoying family holidays in Mallorca and gathered around a Christmas tree at their home.
The schoolboy trained at the Shelley Lowry School for speech and drama in his spare time while attending St John's Primary School. He secured the Hollywood role after sending in a tape of his work and having a series of virtual interviews and auditions.
Jude Hill’s stellar performance in Belfast has seen him already win awards for his portrayal of Buddy, although he missed out on a predicted Oscar nomination
His mother, Shauneen, now his full-time manager, said she spotted her son’s talent when he was only four, after he recited the poem Roger Was A Razor Fish at school.
She told Belfast Live in October: 'It all started off with Jude whenever he was four. I used to bring him to all these Speech and Drama festivals and he cleaned up in every festival every year.
'I could see when he was in nursery, and even when he was in primary school, that when he'd be asked to read a poem in public or something - I could see how talented he was.'
After being encouraged to go for roles by local talent manager Lowry, the actor began sending out tapes, saying: 'The first audition I ever did was a self-tape. I go to speech and drama lessons and I do poems and extracts from books and my teacher sent through this self-tape and I filmed it and I got called back like five or six times.'
Jude Hill and his mother Shauneen Hill arrive the 24th British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 5, 2021 in London. It seems that his newfound fame is not going to his head. His mother said: ‘He’s very humble and he’s such a good boy about it'
Jude Hill (centre)with actors Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds, his co stars in the film 'Belfast'. Mum Shauneen says he's taken to fame like a duck to water, saying: 'He’s very humble and he’s such a good boy about it.'
On set: Director Kenneth Branagh (left) and Jude Hill (right) during the filming of Belfast; much of the film was shot in Berkshire
The self-tape was a scene from a film chosen by his mother. He used a scene from Belfast for future auditions before the final hurdle: A call with Sir Kenneth.
‘When the email came through I ran around my house screaming for about five minutes,’ Jude said of winning the role.
‘I didn’t even get half way through and I read it all and I found out who would be in it and I was amazed... It was just crazy.’
His younger sister, Georgia, is the star of a new short film written, Torn, by Lowry, in which Jude also stars, proving that the acting genes run in the family. She also recently finished filming Mimi’s World, a Channel 5 children’s drama, and appeared in the CBBC show Silverpoint.
Talent Manager Lowry told the Belfast Telegraph that all eyes are currently on Northern Ireland for young talent thanks to Belfast, saying: 'The eyes of the world are on Northern Ireland because of this brilliant film that Kenneth Branagh has made.
'When I was in LA with Jude, everyone I spoke to knew about the talent here. They’re waiting to see who’s going to be the next Dornan, Branagh or Neeson.'
Friends: The schoolboy's principal organised a trip to the cinema so that Hill's pals could see him in action
It seems Jude's not going to let his newfound fame is not going to his head. His mother said: ‘He’s very humble and he’s such a good boy about it.
'Even when he went back to school after [filming], his teachers were asking him lots of questions and he didn’t really talk about it, saying: 'He’s just a normal boy and that’s how we and him want to stay.’
The 27th annual awards show was co-hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer and took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.
Nominations for the event were announced back in December.
The Critics Choice Awards were originally scheduled to occur January 9 but were postponed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.
The blonde-haired boy from the village of Gilford, about 25 miles south-east of Belfast in County Down, ap peared gobsmacked on stage as he collected the award, telling audiences: 'I'm gonna be completely honest, I have nothing prepared.'
The 11-year-old was brushing shoulders with A-listers during the award show last night, including Will Smith (left) and Jamie Dornan (right)
The Critics Choice Association said in a statement on January 13 they would be moving forward with an in-person event and working with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department 'to ensure that the proper COVID-19 protocols to keep all attendees safe and comfortable will be in place' by March 13.
'Following the science and tracking the course of the Omicron variant, we believe that March 13th will be the right day to properly honor the finest achievements in film and television during the past year,' CCA CEO Joey Berlin said in the statement.
'We could have proceeded with our original January 9th date with limited attendance or switched to a virtual awards show like we did last year, but we decided to wait until we could safely gather in person and truly celebrate with the creative community, industry leaders and our CCA members all together in one beautiful setting for all the world to see.'
The new date conflicted with another major awards show, the BAFTAS, which also took place March 13.
According to Variety sources, the CCAs and BAFTAs were in communication over the issue and had a mutual understanding amongst one another.
The 27th Critics Choice Awards WINNERS
Film Awards
BEST PICTURE
Belfast
CODA
Don't Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog - WINNER
tick, tick…Boom!
West Side Story
Top dog: Power Of The Dog earned top honor Best Picture as Jane Campion (pictured) also won best director
BEST ACTOR
Nicolas Cage – Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
Peter Dinklage – Cyrano
Andrew Garfield – tick, tick…Boom!
Will Smith – King Richard - WINNER
Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth
BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye - WINNER
Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
Lady Gaga – House of Gucci
Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza
Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart – Spencer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jamie Dornan – Belfast
Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
Troy Kotsur – CODA - WINNER
Jared Leto – House of Gucci
J.K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Caitríona Balfe – Belfast
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story - WINNER
Ann Dowd – Mass
Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard
Rita Moreno – West Side Story
On the rise: Ariana DeBose showcased her Best Supporting Actress trophy
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Jude Hill – Belfast - WINNER
Cooper Hoffman – Licorice Pizza
Emilia Jones – CODA
Woody Norman – C’mon C’mon
Saniyya Sidney – King Richard
Rachel Zegler – West Side Story
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Belfast - WINNER
Don’t Look Up
The Harder They Fall
Licorice Pizza
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Dynamic duo: Jamie Dornan (left) and Jude Hill accepted Best Ensemble for Belfast
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog - WINNER
Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley
Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
Denis Villeneuve – Dune
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
Zach Baylin – King Richard
Kenneth Branagh – Belfast - WINNER
Adam McKay, David Sirota – Don’t Look Up
Aaron Sorkin – Being the Ricardos
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog - WINNER
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter
Siân Heder – CODA
Tony Kushner – West Side Story
Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth – Dune
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bruno Delbonnel – The Tragedy of Macbeth
Greig Fraser – Dune
Janusz Kaminski – West Side Story
Dan Laustsen – Nightmare Alley
Ari Wegner – The Power of the Dog - WINNER
Haris Zambarloukos – Belfast
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Jim Clay, Claire Nia Richards – Belfast
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Nightmare Alley
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – The French Dispatch
Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo – West Side Story
Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos – Dune - WINNER
BEST EDITING
Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn – West Side Story - WINNER
Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast
Andy Jurgensen – Licorice Pizza
Peter Sciberras – The Power of the Dog
Joe Walker – Dune
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jenny Beavan – Cruella - WINNER
Luis Sequeira – Nightmare Alley
Paul Tazewell – West Side Story
Jacqueline West, Robert Morgan – Dune
Janty Yates – House of Gucci
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye - WINNER
House of Gucci
Nightmare Alley
Brushing up: The Eyes Of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain earned Best Hair and Makeup
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune - WINNER
The Matrix Resurrections
Nightmare Alley
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
BEST COMEDY
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Don’t Look Up
Free Guy
The French Dispatch
Licorice Pizza - WINNER
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs the Machines - WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Hero
Drive My Car - WINNER
Flee
The Hand of God
The Worst Person in the World
BEST SONG
Be Alive – King Richard
Dos Oruguitas – Encanto
Guns Go Bang – The Harder They Fall
Just Look Up – Don’t Look Up
No Time to Die – No Time to Die - WINNER
BEST SCORE
Nicholas Britell – Don’t Look Up
Jonny Greenwood – The Power of the Dog
Jonny Greenwood – Spencer
Nathan Johnson – Nightmare Alley
Hans Zimmer – Dune - WINNER
Icon: Hans Zimmer earned Best Score for Dune, he is pictured in March 2018
TV Awards
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Evil (Paramount+)
For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Pose (FX)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Succession (HBO) - WINNER
This Is Us (NBC)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (Paramount+)
Brian Cox – Succession (HBO)
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix) - WINNER
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Uzo Aduba – In Treatment (HBO)
Chiara Aurelia – Cruel Summer (Freeform)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Katja Herbers – Evil (Paramount+)
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime) - WINNER
MJ Rodriguez – Pose (FX)
What an honor: Melanie Lynskey won Best Actress in a Drama Series for Yellowjackets
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicholas Braun – Succession (HBO)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO) - WINNER
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)
Mandy Patinkin – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Veteran: Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on HBO's Succession
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Andrea Martin – Evil (Paramount+)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Christine Lahti – Evil (Paramount+)
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession (HBO)
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO) - WINNER
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Great (Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Insecure (HBO)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - WINNER
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Iain Armitage – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Nicholas Hoult – The Great (Hulu)
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - WINNER
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Sandra Oh – The Chair (Netflix)
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max) - WINNER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education (Netflix)
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - WINNER
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)
Ray Romano – Made for Love (HBO Max)
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)
Kristin Chenoweth – Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Molly Shannon – The Other Two (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Josie Totah – Saved By the Bell (Peacock)
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - WINNER
Goal: Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham Brett Goldstein and won Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Dopesick (Hulu)
Dr. Death (Peacock)
It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Maid (Netflix)
Mare of Easttown (HBO) - WINNER
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
WandaVision (Disney+)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Come From Away (Apple TV+)
List of a Lifetime (Lifetime)
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Amazon Prime Video)
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Oslo (HBO) - WINNER
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (The Roku Channel)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Olly Alexander – It’s a Sin (HBO Max)
Paul Bettany – WandaVision (Disney+)
William Jackson Harper – Love Life (HBO Max)
Joshua Jackson – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Michael Keaton – Dopesick (Hulu) - WINNER
Hamish Linklater – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Danielle Brooks – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
Cynthia Erivo – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
Thuso Mbedu – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
Elizabeth Olsen – WandaVision (Disney+)
Margaret Qualley – Maid (Netflix)
Kate Winslet – Mare of Easttown (HBO) - WINNER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus (HBO) - WINNER
Zach Gilford – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
William Jackson Harper – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
Evan Peters – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Christian Slater – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Courtney B. Vance – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
What a role: Murray Bartlett won Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for White Lotus
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus (HBO) - WINNER
Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick (Hulu)
Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision (Disney+)
Melissa McCarthy – Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Julianne Nicholson – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Jean Smart – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SERIES
Acapulco (Apple TV+)
Call My Agent! (Netflix)
Lupin (Netflix)
Money Heist (Netflix)
Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)
Squid Game (Netflix) - WINNER
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bluey (Disney+)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
The Great North (Fox)
Q-Force (Netflix)
What If…? (Disney+) - WINNER
BEST TALK SHOW
The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
Desus & Mero (Showtime)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - WINNER
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix) - WINNER
Good Timing with Jo Firestone (Peacock)
James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 (Vimeo)
Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy (Peacock)
Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American (Netflix)
Trixie Mattel: One Night Only (YouTube)
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Let's hope that he stays that way
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