Peter Capaldi ‘touched’ to receive Bafta’s outstanding contribution award

Actor and director Peter Capaldi has said he is “deeply touched” to be receiving an outstanding contribution award from Bafta Scotland.

The Dr Who star will be presented with the honour at the Bafta Scotland awards ceremony on Sunday November 20.

Capaldi landed his breakthrough film role aged 24 playing Danny Oldsen, a naive young oil industry executive, in Bill Forsyth’s cult classic Local Hero.

He has since starred in films including The Suicide Squad and Paddington – but is perhaps best known for his roles as the 12th Doctor in Doctor Who and for his Bafta award-winning performance as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in political satire The Thick Of It and In The Loop.

The actor, writer and director first stepped into the Tardis in 2013 and played the Time Lord for three series.

He said: “I am deeply touched to be receiving the Bafta Scotland outstanding contribution to film and TV award.

“My good luck started with being born in Scotland and continued on with the opportunities afforded me within the Scottish film and TV industry.

“Without the support of the creative community in Scotland I wouldn’t be here, so to be the recipient of this award is kindness indeed.”

Capaldi took on the role of foul-mouthed spin doctor Tucker in Armando Iannucci’s The Thick Of It in 2005. He earned four Bafta award nominations for his performance, and won the best male and best male performance in a comedy gongs in 2010.

He received his first Bafta award in 1994 for his short film Franz Kafka’s It’s A Wonderful Life, which also won him an Oscar that same year.

Jude MacLaverty, director of Bafta Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be presenting this year’s outstanding contribution to film and television to the exceptionally talented Peter Capaldi.

“Peter Capaldi is one of Scotland’s highest profile actors who has created some of film and television’s most iconic and much-loved characters.

“His work has not only been recognised by his peers and the public, but has also inspired future generations of film and television makers.

“We are honoured to present this award to Peter and look forward to recognising his outstanding achievements in-person at the Bafta Scotland awards on Sunday November 20.”

Capaldi more recently garnered critical acclaim in Amazon Prime Video’s six-part psychological thriller The Devil’s Hour and next year he will star in new crime drama Criminal Record for Apple TV.