Colin Firth in line for Bafta ‘double’

Firth’s performance in The King’s Speech has won him a slew of awards

Colin Firth will learn if he has won a second consecutive best actor Bafta when this year’s awards are held later.

The 50-year-old won the prize for his role in A Single Man last year and is in the running again for playing George VI in The King’s Speech.

The late Rod Steiger was the last actor to achieve this feat, winning back-to-back Baftas for The Pawnbroker in 1967 and In the Heat of the Night in 1968.

Firth’s drama is up for 14 awards in all, including best film and director.

The Pride and Prejudice star has already won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance, for which he has also received an Oscar nomination.

The actor was recognised again on Thursday at the London Film Critics’ Circle awards.

Ballet thriller Black Swan has 12 Bafta nominations, including one for its lead actress Natalie Portman.

Science-fiction blockbuster Inception is up for nine awards, while Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours and Coen brothers western True Grit have eight nominations each.

Steiger, pictured in 1993, was the last actor to win consecutive Baftas

Jonathan Ross will host this year’s ceremony, to be held at London’s Royal Opera House.

The event will be shown on BBC One from 2100 GMT, with red carpet coverage preceding it on BBC Three.

King’s Speech writer David Seidler told the BBC on Thursday it felt like “a dream” to be nominated for so many awards.

“I keep on looking over my shoulder to see the guy who really wrote it and waiting for the alarm clock to ring,” said the British-American playwright.

“There’s a lot of expectation and pressure but you never know – these things are unpredictable,” he continued.

A host of stars are expected at Sunday’s ceremony, which comes two weeks before the Academy Awards on 27 February.

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