Robert Aramayo: The Hull lad who beat Leonardo DiCaprio to a Bafta

Last night’s sparkling Baftas ceremonial was full of typical moments: Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley became nan first ever Irish female to triumph nan Best Actress prize, One Battle After Another swept nan committee pinch six trophies, and Kylie Jenner encountered nan quintessential British pub snack, Scampi Fries, for nan first time. But nan existent cockle-warmer had to beryllium nan infinitesimal I Swear’s Robert Aramayo, a young lad from Hull, hit Leonardo DiCaprio to win Best Actor.

Taking to nan shape to judge nan grant – his 2nd of nan nighttime aft his Rising Star triumph – a gobsmacked Aramayo gestured astatine DiCaprio and said: “I can’t judge I’m looking astatine group for illustration you and I’m successful nan aforesaid class arsenic you. Never mind that I’m stood here.” He was crying, we were crying, his dada was definitely crying – and DiCaprio moreover looked for illustration he was connected nan verge of a small sob.

It’s been a immense period for nan 33-year-old. Not only has his first lead movie domiciled secured him 2 Baftas, but it has besides raised consciousness of a wide misunderstood condition. In I Swear, Aramayo plays real-life Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson. Tourette’s is simply a neurological condition that induces centrifugal and vocal tics, which tin see coughs, twitches, and afloat articulated phrases. The film, some hilarious and heart-pinchingly sad, is simply a life-affirming study of really Davidson, who started experiencing symptoms arsenic a young teen successful nan Eighties, fought to alteration nan world’s cognition of Tourette’s. It shows, beautifully, really group pinch Tourette’s are often defined by nan guidance of others.

Aramayo fizzes pinch charisma successful nan part, and portrays nan information pinch unthinkable empathy and sensitivity (he spent a period surviving adjacent to Davidson successful Galashiels, Scotland, to hole for nan role). The film’s occurrence astatine past night’s awards will beryllium a awesome infinitesimal for nan estimated 300,000 group surviving pinch nan information successful nan UK.

As if promoting nan movie done awards play wasn’t enough, connected apical of each this, Aramayo has spent nan past period performing successful nan astir talked-about play successful London, nan Royal Court’s heart-wrenching Guess How Much I Love You? He brings nan aforesaid energy and urgency to that role, playing 1 half of a mates who person devastating news during their baby’s 20-week scan, forcing them to navigate an intolerable determination astir their pregnancy. I went to spot it successful nan last week, and location was not a barren oculus successful nan house.

Speaking to The Independent last week astir each nan madness, Aramayo said: “I’m perfectly knackered, I won’t dishonesty to you. It’s a spot of a intelligence time. You cognize erstwhile you’re astatine this constituent successful your life wherever group are conscionable like, ‘What astir that? And what astir immoderate of this arsenic well? Can you grip that?’ At what constituent is your sheet a spot excessively full? I conjecture I’m going to find out.”

So, really did Aramayo get here? He grew up successful Hull successful nan 1990s; his begetter made sofas, and his mother worked successful foster attraction and had her ain business trading information clothing. He has admitted he was “naughty” astatine school, routinely getting sent retired for larking astir and impersonating his Irish maths teacher. But Aramayo’s first ever sensation of existent acting was astatine nan property of seven, erstwhile he performed – arsenic truthful galore of america did – successful a superior schoolhouse accumulation of Bugsy Malone. He played nan lead domiciled of nan Italian-Irish boxing scout astatine Cavendish Primary School.

A mates of years later, astatine nan property of nine, he joined nan Hull Truck Youth Theatre, wherever he acted successful plays passim his teens. Andy Feetom, erstwhile theatre and performing arts coach astatine Wyke College, wherever Amarayo was later a student, told The Independent: “He was very awkward and very humble arsenic a lad, and ever kept himself to himself. He was conscionable ever astir nan performance, and ever had an thought and a plan.”

Feetom recalled nan award-winning actor’s A-level applicable exam, a capacity of a segment from Jim Cartwright’s play Two, which earned him apical marks. “His capacity was truthful aggravated and mesmerising. I retrieve watching him and reasoning to myself, ‘He has nailed nan top-band people successful nan first 10 seconds.’”

After college, Aramayo earned a spot astatine nan renowned Juilliard School successful New York City, which he virtually chose, aged 16, aft googling “best play schoolhouse successful nan world”. In a beautiful full-circle infinitesimal successful his winner’s reside past night, Aramayo thanked his chap Best Actor nominee Ethan Hawke, saying he had been hugely affected by a talk that Hawke gave to his people astatine Juilliard. Hawke was visibly moved.

Since Juilliard, Aramayo has had supporting roles successful everything from Nocturnal Animals (as a pack personnel called Turk), and The King’s Man (as Sergeant Major Atkins) to a young Ned Stark successful Game of Thrones and half-Elven leader Elrond successful The Rings of Power. Last year, arsenic good arsenic I Swear, he starred arsenic sadistic British service commandant Orde Wingate successful nan humanities play movie Palestine 36.

In different words, he’s worked consistently, but I Swear is his existent breakthrough moment. And it’s had a genuine effect connected his life, too: since making it, he’s go awesome friends pinch intelligence wellness caregiver Dottie Achenbach, nan female who helped campaigner Davidson connected his way to self-acceptance. “I’m very, very adjacent pinch her,” Aramayo told The Independent. “And we ne'er talk astir nan film!”

With specified a engaged commencement to 2026, it’s difficult to judge that, arsenic it stands, Aramayo has nary forthcoming roles lined up – astatine least, nary that we cognize about. Later this year, it feels apt that Guess How Much I Love You? will get a West End transfer: tickets for nan Royal Court’s sold-out tally were for illustration golden particulate aft each nan five-star raves, and it’s already getting awards buzz. If Aramayo returns to nan cast, that will support him occupied (and surely get bums connected seats). But arsenic for today? I’m judge his telephone is ringing disconnected nan hook.