Film fans pit Sunshine On Leith girl Antonia Thomas against hottest new stars of Hollywood

After film fans fell for her performance in Sunshine On Leith, Londoner Antonia Thomas will be up against some of Hollywood's rising stars for best female newcomer at the Jameson Empire awards

24 February 2014

Londoner Antonia Thomas will be up against rising stars from some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters after film fans fell for her performance in Sunshine On Leith.

Thomas, 27, will compete against co-star Freya Mavor for best female newcomer at the Jameson Empire awards, which are chosen by the public. Their rivals include Margot Robbie, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio’s wife in The Wolf Of Wall Street, and Lupita Nyong’o from 12 Years A Slave.

Thomas, who grew up in Blackheath, is the daughter of David, a classical bass singer, and Veronica, a hospital psychology boss. She said: “It’s amazing — I was really shocked, really surprised and honoured. It’s lovely. It’s nice to have proper film fans respecting and appreciating your work.”

She was the love interest of a returning soldier, played by George Mackay, who is up for best male newcomer against his London school friend Will Poulter, who beat him to the EE Rising Star award at the Baftas.

Thomas said going back to her singing roots won her the role. She began performing with the National Youth Music Theatre, inspired by her older sister, Emma, who was later in the original cast of Mamma Mia! Antonia had concentrated on straight theatre training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, before winning the role of Alisha in C4’s Misfits the moment she left.

Sunshine On Leith, directed by Dexter Fletcher, was her most high-profile project to date. “Playing one of the romantic leads in it felt like a big deal in terms of my career. And it was an amazing thing to be part of,” she said.

She is filming Survivor In London with Pierce Brosnan and was a jazz singer in Sky’s Ian Fleming drama, Fleming. She will soon return to the National Theatre for a revival of the acclaimed show Home. “I want to keep it varied with theatre, television and film but I’m wanting to focus more on film now for sure,” she said.

Dave Benett

The Jameson Empire nominations see films such as The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire fare strongly with the public, despite being mainly snubbed by the major award ceremonies.

Best horror includes World War Z as well as Ben Wheatley’s black and white period drama A Field In England. In the best comedy category is Alan Partridge’s movie debut in Alpha Papa, The World’s End, the final part of the “cornetto trilogy” with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as US blockbusters Anchorman 2 and This is 40.