What was your reaction to hearing you were a nominee for the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award?

I was in Virginia on the very last day of the shoot and I got the phone call while I was in hair and makeup. I was just like “What do you mean?! How does that even happen?! Oh my gosh!” I just kept saying “Oh my gosh”. I think I cried a little bit; it means a lot. I had no idea I was even being looked at in that way.

Is it particularly poignant that you’ve been given this nomination after you’ve moved from one world to another?

Yes. We move in our different ways. It’s given me a renewed faith in the way I chose to do things; I always knew the way I would do things would be the odd way. It’s very rare that you come in [to acting] from musical theatre. I really appreciate that that’s the way that’s being accepted from me, because it’s giving me the space to do it that way.

Is it important for women to see that there isn’t just one path we should all follow?

Letting people know that you can come in from different avenues and do different things – it’s not an odd thing to be able to do that. There’s nothing wrong with changing it up and trying something new.

Cynthia Erivo on what her BAFTA Rising Star nomination means to her