LONDON (AP) 鈥� One actor won鈥檛 be nervous as the camera comes in for a close-up at the
is hosting and says it鈥檚 more relaxing to be the master of ceremonies than a nominee.
鈥淚 reserve the right to get back to you on the night of Feb. 18, when I鈥檓 quivering at a corner having some sort of panic attack,鈥� he says say. 鈥淚t feels like a very privileged position to be in, but without the nervousness of wondering if you鈥檝e won one or not. You don鈥檛 have to prepare a little hastily scribbled speech in the back of an envelope. What larks.鈥�
And while when they host an awards ceremony, Tennant says there鈥檚 less pressure on actors.
鈥淭his not being my day job is something of an advantage,鈥� he admits. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not that much expectation because this is not what I do. So if I do it terribly, then what鈥檚 the harm?鈥�
He won鈥檛 have to walk the fine line between insulting or amusing an A-list audience, while entertaining viewers at home.
鈥淢y stand-up career will not stand or fall on how this goes. Which, again, slightly takes the pressure off me. I鈥檓 just gonna have a really good time.鈥�
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 鈥淢urder on the Dancefloor,鈥� the hit song invigorated 22 years after its release by its appearance in which is nominated for best British film.
鈥淎ward ceremonies are funny, aren鈥檛 they?鈥� Tennant muses. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much nervous energy in the air. It鈥檚 terribly exciting to be around that. And then they go on and on and on and on forever.鈥�
鈥淐an we get everyone through to the other end of it, still feeling like we鈥檙e celebrating and not desperate for their dinner?鈥� 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 鈥� 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.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e surrounded by lots of ludicrously famous people who you wouldn鈥檛 otherwise get to be in a room with. So there鈥檚 something a little bit prickly and exciting about that. At the same time, it can be very overwhelming and a little bit intimidating,鈥� he says.
Asked whether he鈥檒l be using the opportunity, as an actor, to audition for Tennant jokes he鈥檚 not ruling out a few lines from 鈥淭axi Driver,鈥� adding that 鈥渁nything can happen.鈥�
Back to the nervous acting nominees who will be sitting among their competitors, with a camera watching their reaction.
Fantasia Barrino, Sandra H眉ller, 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.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the sport of it and that鈥檚 the bit that is for the audience. And that鈥檚 the bit that as a nominee, you have to just suck up,鈥� says Tennant. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e still a lot closer to winning it than the person that didn鈥檛 get nominated. So it鈥檚 an odd experience. It鈥檚 heady and giddy making and at the same time can be desperately soul-crushing.鈥�
鈥淏ut that鈥檚 why we tune in,鈥� he laughs.
Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
