Lola Campbell (born 2010/2011) is a British child actress. She made her screen debut in the 2023 British comedy-drama film Scrapper, filmed when she was twelve years-old. For the role she was nominated for breakthrough performance awards at the British Independent Film Awards and by the London Film Critics Circle.
Early life
Campbell lives with her family in Sheering, near Bishop's Stortford. She is a pupil at The Leventhorpe School in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire. She had not appeared in a school play before her film debut, but began to record and produce videos in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Career
Campbell auditioned for the 2023 British comedy-drama film Scrapper after one of her mother's friends directed her towards a Facebook casting call for “a bit of a mess about”. Campbell was cast in the film after impressing writer/director Charlotte Regan by acting out a well-known scene from soap-opera EastEnders in which the character Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) tells Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), "I'm your mother!", with Campbell playing both roles during the audition. She also discussed with Regan her love of the department store Home Bargains. During filming she was twelve years-old. For her role in the film as Georgie, Campbell received critical praise, with Jonathan Romney in The Financial Times describing her as an "astonishing discovery" who "excels". Claire Shaffer in The New York Times said she played the role "wonderfully", and Deborah Ross in The Spectator used "terrific, fresh, naturalistic, winning". Campbell appeared opposite Harris Dickinson, who played her estranged father, Jason, and the pair’s scenes together were highly improvised. They were nominated for the Best Joint Lead Performance Award at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards, and she was individually nominated for Breakthrough Performance. She was also nominated for the Young British/Irish Performer of the Year award at the London Film Critics Circle Awards 2023
Campbell made her debut performance as Britney Wainwright in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, in the episode airing on 4 March 2024.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Scrapper | Georgie | |
| 2024 | EastEnders | Britney Wainwright | Guest role |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Joint Lead Performance (shared with Harris Dickinson) | Scrapper | Nominated | |
| British Independent Film Awards | Breakthrough Performance | Scrapper | Nominated | ||
| London Film Critics Awards | Young British/Irish Performer of the Year | Scrapper | Won |
References
- Carter, Chris (20 September 2023). "Leventhorpe School student Lola Campbell on her starring role with Harris Dickinson in UK comedy-drama earning rave reviews". Bishops Storrford Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Goodfellow, Melanie (January 20, 2023). "Harris Dickinson, Big Screen Debutant Lola Campbell Talk "Fun" 'Scrapper' Shoot Ahead Of UK Indie Drama's Sundance Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Cremona, Patrick (24 August 2023). "Scrapper director reveals EastEnders impression led to child star's casting". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Clarke, Cath (24 August 2023). "A lot of working-class cinema is so joyless': Charlotte Regan on her candy-coloured debut Scrapper". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- White, Adam (20 July 2023). "Harris Dickinson bonds with his daughter in exclusive clip from movie dubbed 'Ken Loach meets Wes Anderson'". Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Russell, Stephen A (11 August 2023). "Newcomer Lola Campbell is magnificent in magical British debut Scrapper". Flicks.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Strong, Hannah (24 August 2023). "Scrapper review – a charming, effervescent story about grief". Little White Lies. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Kemp, Ella (24 August 2023). "Scrapper review". Empire. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Romney, Jonathan (24 August 2023). "Scrapper film review — British debut of trauma and father-daughter tenderness". The Financial Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Shaffer, Claire (August 23, 2023). "'Scrapper' Review: You're on Your Own, Kid". New York Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Ross, Deborah (26 August 2023). "Colourful, tender and sweet, grounded in magical rather than social realism: Scrapper reviewed".
- Wickes, Jade (24 August 2023). "Breakout Lola Campbell brings grief to life in Scrapper". The Face. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Jones, Ellen E. (26 November 2023). "'It's been the craziest moment of my life': the 2023 British independent film award nominees on risk, romance, and why UK film is on fire". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- "British Independent Film Awards 2023: the winners in full". bfi.org. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Pulver, Andrew (20 December 2023). "All of Us Strangers leads London film critics awards nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- Knight, Lewis (26 February 2024). "EastEnders casts award-winning child star as troubled newcomer in Whitney story". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (November 2, 2023). "Jodie Comer, Paul Mescal Score Nods as 'Rye Lane,' 'Scrapper, 'All of Us Strangers' Lead British Independent Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2023.