Conservatoire star Lorn bags BAFTA nomination for Beats

RISING star Lorn MacDonald has been nominated for Best Actor at the Scottish BAFTAS for his role in hit movie Beats.

It’s a first career award nod for the Royal Conservatoire graduate, who will go toe-to-toe with Scots acting legend Peter Mullan, for the Vanishing, and Jack Lowden, who starred in Mary Queen of Scots, on December 7.

“It’s been a bit crazy, that’s a good word for it,” MacDonald said.

“Obviously it would be nice to win but I keep forgetting that there is a second part after the nominations and that’s the awards themselves.

“Being nominated against actors like Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden was more mental. It’s almost ridiculous to see my name next to theirs.”

Despite acting numerous stage performances, such as The Citizen’s 2016 production of Trainspotting, MacDonald’s Beats turn as Spanner was the 27-yearold’s debut feature film.

The screen version of Kieran Hurley’s award-winning play of the same name was premiered at this summer’s Glasgow Film Festival. Set in 1994 when new legislation effectively outlawed raves or “public gatherings around amplified music characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats”, Johnno and best pal Spanner go in search for one final blow-out.

Filmed in black and white, with Steven Soderbergh as executive producer, MacDonald says Beats goes deeper than just the music.

“It’s about friendship, and in particular Scottish boys’ friendships.

“There is a real vulnerability that I love about the script and the characters that is so rare.

“What is rewarding about the film is that it’s about a love of being with people, a love for your friends and having experiences that are part of growing up, that for some reason are almost frowned upon but which are a massive part of growing up.”

MacDonald starred alongside fellow conservatoire alumnus and real-life pal Cristian Ortega, who played Johnno.

“It was weird but also special. There’s a shorthand with me and Cristian that helped massively.

“If you are actually comfortable with another person you don’t always have to show it, but in acting you do.

“We’re nothing like our characters, but we have had the nights out where we wake up in the morning and have those chats” laughs MacDonald.

“The friendship is close but I’m not the one that pulls him out and gets him up to all kinds of mischief – he does that himself.”

Thanks to Beats, MacDonald is already the poster boy of explorations into Glasgow’s underground dance scene. Luckily for us, he has chosen Leith over London as the place to be. His advice to any other budding Scottish actor is to remember – just as his work shows us – “you are interesting on your own.”