BAFTA Rising Star Nominee Posy Sterling On Her Breakout Performance In Lollipop

What do Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Eddie Redmayne, Margot Robbie, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi and Mikey Maddison all have in common? They have all been nominated for the EE Rising Star award at the BAFTAs. And you’ll notice I said nominated: despite their internationally successful careers since, all missed out on the prize (though familiar names like James McAvoy, John Boyega, Tom Holland and Daniel Kaluuya did walk away with the gong). This is to say that just to be nominated for the prize – the only BAFTA Award determined by a public vote – heralds a stellar career.

In 2026, Robert Aramayo, Miles Caton, Chase Infiniti, Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling are nominated in the EE Rising Star category, with the winner set to be revealed in London on Sunday 22 February 2026. So if you don’t know them yet, that’s all about to change. We sat down with one of the five nominees, Posy Sterling, to get her reaction to her nomination, plus delve into her career to date.

‘The BAFTA nomination makes me feel excited about what’s ahead and grateful to be part of a new wave of storytellers coming through.’

Q&A: Posy Sterling

Hi Posy, how’s life going at the moment?

Pretty good – can’t complain! Many lessons and blessings over the last few years.

You are one of the nominees for the prestigious EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs. Can you remember your reaction when you found out?

I was on a walk with friends, in one of my favourite spots. I had reached the top of a mountain to watch the sunset when my agent called with the news. She asked, ‘Where are you? Are you on your own?’ So I went a bit higher towards a beautiful cathedral on top – pretty biblical, I know – and when she told me the news, we FaceTimed and cried. 

I remember taking it all in; the setting as well as this huge moment. I just remember her saying, ‘Get ready: your life’s about to change. Just don’t tell anyone!’ So it was a quiet and reflective walk back down to the bottom. Thankfully, the secret is out now!

You join previous nominees like Mia McKenna Bruce, Emma Mackey, Jacob Elordi, etc. How does it feel to join such a prestigious cohort?

Honestly, I’m still pinching myself. It’s a huge honour. To be alongside actors I admire and have been inspired by feels incredibly special. It makes me feel excited about what’s ahead and grateful to be part of a new wave of storytellers coming through.

You can currently be seen in Lollipop on BBC iPlayer – can you give us an elevator pitch for the film?

Lollipop is a raw, hopeful and human story about a young mum coming out of prison and fighting to reunite with her children, whilst navigating a system stacked against her. It’s about resilience, friendship and finding light in really difficult places.

You won the Breakthrough Performance award at the British Independent Film Awards 2025 for your role. How did that feel?

It was completely surreal, beautiful and overwhelming. I felt so proud – not just for myself, but for the whole team who poured so much heart into the film. It felt like a real milestone moment in my journey – and to have Idil Ahmed (Amina), Tegan-Mia Stanley Rhoads (Ava), Daisy-May Husdon (our director) and our producers Cecilia Frugiuele and Olivier Kaempfer there with me was a huge full circle moment that I won’t forget. 

You play Molly – how would you describe her?

Molly is fierce, flawed, funny and deeply loving. She’s a survivor. She makes mistakes, but her heart is always rooted in protecting her children and striving for a better life.

What was it like playing her? 

It was intense, emotional and incredibly rewarding. I felt very protective of her and portraying her story as authentically as possible. It challenged me in ways that changed me as an actor and as a person.

Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

I spent time researching, speaking to women with lived experience, and grounding myself emotionally before shooting. I wanted to honour Molly’s reality with honesty and respect. I also plunged into an ice bucket in the garden at 4am every morning during the October/November shoot to be ready for the day. It could only go up from there!

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

So many. Much of the film itself was improvised, so every day was different. Idil Ahmed brought the vibes and sisterhood, whereas the children kept me on my toes in the most exciting way. I very much felt protective of all of them and missed them when they weren’t there. I am in awe of their performances. I felt a constant mixed bag of emotions with Terri Ann (who plays Sylvie), which I guess is the point of the character’s dynamic, but she also really made me laugh. She is medicine for the soul.

What was the cast dynamic on set?

It felt very supportive and collaborative. There was a real sense of care – we held each other through heavy days and laughed a lot in between. It felt like a little family working towards the same goal. I remember the ‘why’ being at the forefront of every day, as there were many people on the project who deeply connected with the themes in the film. 

What has been your favourite project to date?

Lollipop is the gift that keeps on giving. In a very different way, so was Benedict Andrew’s The Cherry Orchard, which we performed at The Donmar in 2024 and transferred to New York in 2025. Experiencing different audiences and new ways to approach the show was electric. I quite literally got to sing live every night with an electric New York band. A huge tick off the bucket list all round!

‘I need the town. I need the country. They fulfill different sides of me.’

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

A three part series for Channel 4 called Dirty Business, airing on 23 February for three consecutive days. I play a real woman, Julie, who had her whole world turned upside down when her daughter Heather died from e-coli (believed to be from untreated sewage dumped into the sea when they were on a family holiday). I am also playing DC Ellie Hackett in the next season of Trigger Point!

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

That’s not fair! I’ve worked with some incredible actors who have become mentors and friends. For talent, generosity and kindness in equal measure, Nina Hoss. Vicky McClure has buckets of the above, too.

Which co-star did you learn the most from? 

Although I only played a small role [in The Outrun], working with Saoirse Ronan for a couple of weeks in the summer was the biggest gift and best school (or crash course!) before shooting Lollipop in the Autumn of 2022. She’s such a pro and so brilliant at her craft, I learnt a ridiculous amount in a short space of time by watching her. Even leading a film like The Outrun, she still had time to answer the many many questions I fired her way. 

As a co-star, Asim Chaudry knows how to have a laugh and you need a lightness in the work – my mental approach to showing up on set changed after playing opposite him in Person of Interest (2024). And I’m still learning a lot from him now picking his brains in the comedy world of writing.

What’s your dream role?

I’d like to explore a character that has power. I’d like to see what that unlocks in terms of the responsibility and the complexities that come hand in hand with it.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I love so many. Feel good films – comedy that plays on your heart strings. Also so my nieces and nephews can watch something I’m in!

Who is an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

Staying with that train of thought, if Celine Song (Past Lives) or Sian Heder (Coda) directed a Phoebe Waller-Bridge project and I starred alongside Olivia Colman and Tim Key, that would be lovely. Any genre, any time, though: Viola Davis.

Do you get to spend much time at home? What do you like to do in your free time? 

I love my home. I live with my best friends in London. It’s kind of like a creative coven. We love to have little gatherings or go out to the Heath, the forest or take trips to the mountains or sea. Very wholesome and quiet. Sometimes doing absolutely nothing is the best.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I love both. I need the town. I need the country. They fulfill different sides of me. With my busy life and social circle, the town is where it’s at. Being from the midlands and going back there regularly to visit family, taking the scenic route through the miles and miles of fields and stopping off along the way to just be in nature is one of my favourite things to do.

What’s your interior design style?

My friends say I’m very good with colour. In terms of style, if an apothecary was in a grand 1940’s boudoir – add a touch of bohemian and women focused art – there’s your answer! I have a lot of antique dark Spanish wood my grandparents left me, plants and I love large windows letting in lots of light.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

It’s important to have both friends not in the business and friends in it. I love to escape to see close friends and family that are all outside of the industry and not talking about it. Sometimes you can get caught in the bubble and I think that can be the death of an actor – if you’re not tapping into the real world. Equally, I love to create and feel the most alive when working with people I love. Collaboration and community is key. That’s what it’s all about.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Get outside. Listen to music. Dance. Honestly, I think it’s the best medicine. Turn off your phone. I do this as best I can now by having my phone on the other side of the room overnight because it’s a sneaky so and so! Keep a gratitude journal. And for those you love, tell them, tell them, tell them.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’m a bridesmaid again, for the second year in a row, this time for my brother and sister in law to be. Can’t wait for that!

‘I live with my best friends in London. It’s kind of like a creative coven.’

What Posy Sterling Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… Making my way through the BAFTA nominees.

What I’m reading… All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025)

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The Odyssey (out 17 July 2026)

Favourite film of all time… Thelma & Louise (1991)

Favourite song of all time… ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ by Sam Cooke (Live at the Copa, 1964)

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Eleni Drake, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Doechii, Florence + The Machine, Loyle Carner

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Support independent cinema and local theatre – that’s where the magic starts and the best unfiltered stories are told.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Anything with vampires.

Posy Sterling stars in Lollipop, streaming now on BBC iPlayer. 

Along with Robert Aramayo, Miles Caton, Chase Infiniti and Archie Madekwe, Posy is nominated for the EE Rising Star award at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, the only prize determined by a public vote. Voting is open until Friday 20 February at ee.co.uk/BAFTA.