Robert Aramayo won both Best Leading Actor and the Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs 2026 for his performance in I Swear.
He has beaten heavyweight contenders Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet and others.
The English actor became the first performer in BAFTA history to win the Rising Star and Leading Actor awards in one night.
Actor Robert Aramayo took home the BAFTA Rising Star Award. He also won the Best Actor award for his role as Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson in the British film, I Swear. Aramayo's big win at the BAFTA Film Awards came as a major surprise, beating heavyweight contenders Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet.
The English actor became the first performer in BAFTA history to win the Rising Star and Leading Actor awards in one night.
Robert Aramayo's historic BAFTA wins
The star performer expressed shock after Kerry Washington announced his name as Best Actor.
During his winner’s speech, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star said he could not believe that he had won the Leading Actor award.
“I honestly cannot believe that I have won this award. I really, really cannot. Everyone in this category blows me away.”
Aramayo also thanked fellow nominee Ethan Hawke for inspiring him in his acting journey. “When I was in school, Ethan Hawke came in to speak to us at Juilliard and he gave an amazing talk on longevity as an actor, about protecting your instrument and avoiding self-destructive behaviors,” he said. “And it had a really great impact on everyone in that room. So to be in this category with you tonight is incredible. Thank you, Ethan.”
In his Rising Star award speech, Aramayo said Davidson was the “most remarkable man I’ve ever met.”
Who is Robert Aramayo?
Born on November 6, 1992, in the UK, Robert comes from Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
He started acting when he was just 7 years old. He gained limelight for his performance as Alex in a stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. He bagged his first film in the Italian-American movie Lost in Florence.
He gained popularity for playing the young Eddard Stark in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
About I Swear
Written, directed, and produced by Kirk Jones, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 and was released in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2025. The biographical drama is based on the life of John Davidson, a Scottish activist and campaigner for Tourette Syndrome. The film revolved around his resilience and his efforts to educate the public about the syndrome
