Daniel Kaluuya ‘Fell Out the Chair’ When Stormzy Name-Checked Him at the 2018 Brit Awards
Daniel Kaluuya is an accomplished, Academy Award-winning movie star. But the British actor is still pretty humble. And he recently revealed that he felt so enamored by Stormzy’s mention of him during a performance that he literally fell out of his chair.
Daniel Kaluuya has won many awards, including BAFTAs
Kaluuya started his career in 2006 with a small role in the BBC drama, Shoot the Messenger. He then appeared in several British television series, including Skins, Silent Witness, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Harry & Paul, Sneakiepeeks, and FM.
The actor took to the stage in 2010, playing the lead in the Royal Court Theater’s production of Sucker Punch. And in the following few years, he starred in numerous films, including Johnny English Reborn, Kick-Ass 2, and Sicario.
After Kaluuya’s performance in an episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror caught Jordan Peele’s attention, the actor was cast as the lead in the filmmaker’s 2017 hit film, Get Out. The movie was a critical and commercial success. It earned Kaluuya several accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and similar recognition at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards. At the 2018 BAFTAs, Kaluuya received a Rising Star Award.
In 2021, he wowed audiences with his portrayal of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. For his performance, Kaluuya picked up an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Daniel Kaluuya fell out of his chair when Stormzy mentioned his name
In 2018, Stormzy performed at the BRITs. And toward the end of his performance, the British rapper name-checked Kaluuya and recognized his BAFTA win.
During a recent appearance on Hot Ones, Kaluuya talked about winning that first BAFTA. But he noted it was even more thrilling to hear Stormzy mention his name.
“I like watching music performances,” he told host Sean Evans. “So I was at the house watching the BRITs — and I’m like, ‘Oh, [Stormzy’s] doing a freestyle.’ And then I heard my name, and I just fell out the chair.”
Kaluuya called the moment “epic.” And he noted it was something he dreamed of. “You can’t buy that,” he explained. “That’s always been a dream. You always want to be name-checked by rappers. And that’s cool…Big up Stormzy for that.”
Daniel Kaluuya has always been a big Stormzy fan
Kaluuya is a music buff who’s been candid about his support of U.K. artists. In 2017, before the BRIT Awards name-check, he professed his love for Stormzy’s album, Gang Signs & Prayer. He revealed that he had the rapper’s collaboration with Wretch 32, “21 Gun Salute,” on repeat.
“Favorite song on Stormzy’s album,” Kaluuya told Interview Magazine. “Wretch singing makes too much sense. Had this on loop for the whole of March.”
In 2018, a few weeks before the BRITs aired, Stormzy joined Kaluuya and his co-star Chadwick Boseman for the London premiere of Marvel’s Black Panther. Kaluuya’s next movie, Nope, hits theaters on July 22.
