Robert Aramayo was named best actor and rising star at the Bafta awards in London, becoming the first performer to win both prizes in the same night. The 33-year-old, who won for his role as a man with Tourette syndrome in I Swear, said he "absolutely can't believe this" as he collected the awards.
His former drama teacher Andy Feetom, who taught at Wyke College in Hull, said he was not shocked. "For me the rising star award was a foregone conclusion," he said. "And I wasn't shocked at the best actor win... he's earned it." Feetom recalled Aramayo's A-level drama performance as "mesmerising," adding: "He was great then, as he is today."
Aramayo went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York after searching for the "best drama school in the world" online. Richard Feldman, who taught him there, described him as "one of the hardest workers that's ever come through the school" and praised his pride in his Hull background.
Mark Babych, artistic director at Hull Truck theatre, where Aramayo performed as a teenager, said the win was the culmination of years of hard work. He hoped it would inspire young performers from Hull, saying the "acting bonfire was first lit in him" by seeing other Hull actors on stage.
