In an awkward mix-up, Carey Mulligan’s name was accidentally read out as the winner for best supporting actress instead of the actual winner, Kerry Condon, at the BAFTA Awards on Sunday evening.
The error happened as “CODA” actor Troy Kotsur, who won best supporting actor at last year’s ceremony, introduced the nominees alongside a sign language interpreter. As clips of the nominees’ performances were shown, the interpreter read out Mulligan’s name to cheers and whoops. After a couple of seconds he quickly said: “Kerry Condon…Kerry Condon.”
Condon, who was nominated for her performance in “The Banshees Of Inisherin,” swiftly took to the stage to accept her award. “Oh my God, thanks a million, really. This means so much to me,” she told the audience.
In the room at the Royal Festival Hall in London where the ceremony was taking place, the slip-up received a few murmurs but was quickly swept over, with Condon making her way to the stage in short order. It was her name that was displayed on the screen as winner, which is likely why co-star Colin Farrell encouraged her to go and collect the award.
The camera panned to Condon and showed some confused faces behind her, however, it was clear some in the audience were puzzled by what had just happened. The camera did not pan to Mulligan, who had been nominated for her role as New York Times reporter Megan Twohey in “She Said.” As the first two thirds of the show were aired on BBC One on a time delay, the moment was edited out of the final broadcast.
Afterwards, at the winners’ press conference backstage, Condon described getting up on stage to accept the award as a “surreal” experience, although it was unclear whether she was referring to the mix-up or to her win. “The whole thing was just like this black-out weird moment,” she said. “All I remember is looking and seeing all the boys [from the film] looking at me, like ‘Get up!’ It was really surreal.”
She also stopped in the middle of the presser to watch a live feed of the film’s writer and director Martin McDonagh accepting an award for best original screenplay, during which he thanked BAFTA. “Oh I didn’t thank BAFTA!” exclaimed Condon, who did thank Alan Parker, McDonagh, the crew, cast, her family and her horses and dogs for showing her “so much love.”
“When you get up there, let me tell you, you don’t know what’s going on,” she told the press room.