Bafta nominee Kaitlyn Dever says she wants to take the roles in Hollywood “more often given to men”.
The American actress has been nominated for the Bafta EE Rising Star award for her powerful performances in teen comedy Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde, and Netflix show Unbelievable, about a teenager who is forced to withdraw a rape allegation under police pressure.
Dever, 23, said she intended to play similar roles in the future. She told ES Magazine: “I want to continue to play really strong, complex women who seem like women I know and find the roles that are more often given to men. I want to find the really rich characters for women.
"Booksmart has been so fulfilling, that’s all I want to do now — stories that really matter and mean something. I can’t go backwards now. I don’t want to.”
In Booksmart, Wilde’s directorial debut, Dever stars as academic overachiever Amy.
She and her best friend Molly — played by Beanie Feldstein — decide to have an adventure on the eve of graduation to make up for experiences they missed while studying.
Dever, who grew up in Texas, said she first read the script when it was written in 2009 — and pushed to be involved for five years because it was the “love of her life”.
She said “society had to catch up with it” before it was made.
Voting is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTA and the winner will be announced at the EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 2 at London's Royal Albert Hall.
