Claire Dickson
The beginning of a new year means one thing in showbiz – new list of actors earning a place on the New Year’s Honours List. It is a part of the British Honours System which names recipients of official honours ‘New Members of Orders of Chivalry.’ The list recognises the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK.
Awarding honours to the following recipients is testament to the hard work and dedication they have given to their particular enterprises and provides well-earned recognition following three very successful careers.
Here are some of the actors who were commended for their duties in 2023…
Stephen Graham OBE
“He has received a number of awards for acting throughout his career”
Stephen Graham is a British actor who is best known for his roles in the influential This Is England ’86 film, and its later reprisal as a television series (2010). Other well-known appearances that has cemented him into British film culture include Snatch (2000) and Gangs of New York (2002). He has received a number of awards for his acting throughout his career, such as a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as being a five-time British Academy Television Award nominee and being shortlisted for two BAFTAs.
Graham has exemplified his extraordinary acting talents through his portrayal of a wide range of characters with varying accents, including Cockney, Welsh and Geordie.
David Harewood OBE
David Harewood is a British actor and presenter who has featured in films such as The Hawk, Great Moments in Aviation and Blood Diamond. His television appearances are inclusive of Fat Friends and The Vice.
“Highlights the struggles that British Black actors face within the UK”
Harewood made history by becoming the first Black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre, and he hasn’t been shy about his experiences with racism as an actor in the UK.
In 2021, he was the subject of an article by The Guardian which focuses on his life and career, and which highlights the struggles that Black British actors face within the UK. In the article, Harewood said that he had never played a leading character on British television and that the industry was not so progressive when his career started out. He also noted that he had to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to be playing strong, authoritative characters.
His OBE was awarded to him for services to drama and charity, the charity aspect of which is due to him being a mental health ambassador and appearing in Soccer Aid 2018. He has acted as ambassador for the UK’s leading mental health charity Mental Health Foundation. He has campaigned during Mental Health Awareness Week for open dialogue surrounding mental health for all.
Dame Virginia McKenna
Virginia McKenna is a 91-year old actress who founded the Born Free Foundation which strives to end the suffering of wild animals and to keep wildlife in the wild. Her damehood was for services to wildlife conservation and wild animal welfare.
“This award may be in my name, but I feel it really belongs to all those striving to end wild animal suffering”
Upon receiving her damehood McKenna said: “This award may be in my name, but I feel it really belongs to all those striving to end wild animal suffering in the wild.”
McKenna’s husband, who also contributed towards the charity, died in 1994, but McKenna commented that he would have given her a “big hug” upon finding out about the award.
Featured image courtesy of Yiran Yang via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
