Lola Campbell
Lola Campbell (born 2010/2011) is a British child actress. She made her screen debut in the 2023 British comedy-drama film Scrapper, filmed when she was twelve years-old. For the role she was nominated for breakthrough performance awards at the British Independent Film Awards and by the London Film Critics Circle.
Early life
[edit]Campbell lives with her family in Sheering, near Bishop's Stortford. She is a pupil at The Leventhorpe School in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire. She had not appeared in a school play before her film debut, but began to record and produce videos in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Career
[edit]Campbell auditioned for the 2023 British comedy-drama film Scrapper after one of her mother's friends directed her towards a Facebook casting call for “a bit of a mess about”.[2] Campbell was cast in the film after impressing writer/director Charlotte Regan by acting out a well-known scene from soap-opera EastEnders in which the character Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) tells Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), "I'm your mother!", with Campbell playing both roles during the audition.[3] She also discussed with Regan her love of the department store Home Bargains. During filming she was twelve years-old.[4] For her role in the film as Georgie, Campbell received critical praise,[5][6][7][8] with Jonathan Romney in The Financial Times describing her as an "astonishing discovery" who "excels".[9] Claire Shaffer in The New York Times said she played the role "wonderfully",[10] and Deborah Ross in The Spectator used "terrific, fresh, naturalistic, winning".[11] Campbell appeared opposite Harris Dickinson, who played her estranged father, Jason, and the pair’s scenes together were highly improvised.[12] They were nominated for the Best Joint Lead Performance Award at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards, and she was individually nominated for Breakthrough Performance.[13][14] She was also nominated for the Young British/Irish Performer of the Year award at the London Film Critics Circle Awards 2023[15]
Campbell made her debut performance as Britney Wainwright in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, in the episode airing on 4 March 2024.[16]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Scrapper | Georgie | Lead role |
| 2024 | EastEnders | Britney Wainwright | Guest role |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Joint Lead Performance (shared with Harris Dickinson) | Scrapper | Nominated | [17] |
| British Independent Film Awards | Breakthrough Performance | Scrapper | Nominated | [17] | |
| London Film Critics Awards | Young British/Irish Performer of the Year | Scrapper | Won | [15] |
References
[edit]- ^ Carter, Chris (20 September 2023). "Leventhorpe School student Lola Campbell on her starring role with Harris Dickinson in UK comedy-drama earning rave reviews". Bishops Storrford Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (January 20, 2023). "Harris Dickinson, Big Screen Debutant Lola Campbell Talk "Fun" 'Scrapper' Shoot Ahead Of UK Indie Drama's Sundance Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (24 August 2023). "Scrapper director reveals EastEnders impression led to child star's casting". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Clarke, Cath (24 August 2023). "A lot of working-class cinema is so joyless': Charlotte Regan on her candy-coloured debut Scrapper". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ White, Adam (20 July 2023). "Harris Dickinson bonds with his daughter in exclusive clip from movie dubbed 'Ken Loach meets Wes Anderson'". Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Russell, Stephen A (11 August 2023). "Newcomer Lola Campbell is magnificent in magical British debut Scrapper". Flicks.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Strong, Hannah (24 August 2023). "Scrapper review – a charming, effervescent story about grief". Little White Lies. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Kemp, Ella (24 August 2023). "Scrapper review". Empire. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Romney, Jonathan (24 August 2023). "Scrapper film review — British debut of trauma and father-daughter tenderness". The Financial Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (August 23, 2023). "'Scrapper' Review: You're on Your Own, Kid". New York Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Ross, Deborah (26 August 2023). "Colourful, tender and sweet, grounded in magical rather than social realism: Scrapper reviewed".
- ^ Wickes, Jade (24 August 2023). "Breakout Lola Campbell brings grief to life in Scrapper". The Face. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Jones, Ellen E. (26 November 2023). "'It's been the craziest moment of my life': the 2023 British independent film award nominees on risk, romance, and why UK film is on fire". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "British Independent Film Awards 2023: the winners in full". bfi.org. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ a b Pulver, Andrew (20 December 2023). "All of Us Strangers leads London film critics awards nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Knight, Lewis (26 February 2024). "EastEnders casts award-winning child star as troubled newcomer in Whitney story". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (November 2, 2023). "Jodie Comer, Paul Mescal Score Nods as 'Rye Lane,' 'Scrapper, 'All of Us Strangers' Lead British Independent Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2023.