Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, Colin Farrell and Jeremy Allen White are among a number of actors set to be featured in the British Academy Film Awards’ new digital series, BAFTA Playback.
It’s a six-part series that sees some of Hollywood’s best-known actors and actresses invited to come and talk about their most defining on-screen moments and influences, where select clips and commentary will be interspersed with the chitchat. Sponsored by Samsung, the series is being filmed in a relaxing, lounge-style set, decorated with memorabilia from each guest’s portfolio of films.
During the show, each guest will watch handpicked clips from some of their top films and TV shows on a Samsung TV and be invited to discuss what made those moments so special.
The first episode premiered on BAFTA’s YouTube channel yesterday, featuring Interstellar star McConaughey, and will soon be followed up by additional installments involving actors that have been nominated for this year’s BAFTA awards. The lineup includes Farrell, who starred in The Ballad of a Small Player, and Jeremy Allen White, the lead actor in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
Later episodes will feature Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo and Die My Love‘s Jennifer Lawrence, before wrapping up with Sinners star Michael B. Jordan. The second episode featuring Farrell will be launched on Thursday, and after that there will be additional episodes released each Tuesday and Thursday until the show concludes on Nov. 20.
BAFTA says it already has more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers, and has racked up more than 350 million views across its social media channels.
Samsung Electronics U.K. marketing director Zeena Hill said the company was eager to sponsor the new series because storytelling sits at the heart of the on-screen experience. “BAFTA Playback beautifully captures that connection between innovation, creativity and technology,” she said. “We’re proud that with Samsung’s superiority in picture quality, our screens have become the stage where some of the world’s most celebrated actors bring their stories to life.”
BAFTA’s executive director of awards and content Emma Baehr said one of the goals of the series is to showcase the craft that goes into making legendary films and television. “We are delighted to be able to bring together an exceptional lineup of actors to launch the first BAFTA Playback sponsored by Samsung," she said. “What a treat to be able to watch them talk through their creative influences and some of their favorite moments throughout their career.”
