While audiences have long known the power and importance of romcoms, it’s taken a lot longer for film academies to catch on – almost certainly because it’s a genre typically associated with women and therefore considered inferior. 

But the bestowers of awards might finally be starting to see the value of the romcom, both creatively and culturally, with the nomination of Vivan Oparah, star of Rye Lane, in the best actress category (alongside Fantasia Barrino, Sandra Hüller, Carey Mulligan, Margot Robbie and Emma Stone). The film, directed by Raine Allen Miller and set in Peckham, follows newly single Yas (Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) who have a meet-cute in the toilets of an art gallery before spending an eventful day together. It’s fresh, witty and intimate and makes you feel a bit better about the world. 

“As I’m not at home, I’m questioning if anything’s actually happening,” Oparah tells Stylist over Zoom from Los Angeles when I ask about the nomination. “It’s very easy to disconnect and disassociate if you’re not in the thick of it. It feels so surreal. I am obsessed with every single woman in that category, specifically Emma Stone, so to be nominated for something alongside her feels insane.”

While it’s a remarkable achievement to receive a Bafta nomination for your breakthrough role, it’s clear that this is just the start of what’s set to be a huge career for Oparah. Next month she will star in comedy-thriller Dead Hot on Prime Video about friends Elliot (Bilal Hasna) and Jess (Oparah) who live together after the death of Peter, Elliot’s boyfriend and Jess’s twin. It follows what happens when Elliot meets someone new and ghosts from the past start to reappear. Oparah describes it as “an exploration of grief and queer love – which is fabulous to see represented on screen – and funny, funny mayhem”. 

But before that, she has to leave the unprecedented LA rain behind – “I get it; I’m going home and you’re trying to ease me back in, but this is unsightly” – and answer a few of our questions.

This is your first nomination for your first major film role. I’d be spiralling if I was in a category with people like Emma Stone. Have you been able to manage that? 

I think it’s just accepting the blessings as they come, and not looking a gift horse in the mouth. You can’t put too much stock into praise because then you also put a lot of stock into times when people aren’t praising you. I try to maintain a level of neutrality between both even though sometimes it feels very hard because the accolades are crazy. We all grew up in school being given gold stars; I don’t really feel like that goes away. 

If you think back to 12 months ago, does life feel different?

Day to day it feels the same because you wake up and you’re still in your pyjamas in your bedroom. It’s so lucky to feel like there’s a through line between me and my dreams and actualising things that I want to happen. That access and that level of possibility haven’t felt present before. My friends and my family keep me grounded, so I’m just plodding along the same as I always was, and I probably always will. I think that’s the only way to weather the changes: you have to be the constant. I know what my goals and dreams are, and I haven’t even scratched the surface in terms of the things I want to achieve. 

Do you believe in manifesting your way to the things you want to achieve?
Definitely. I think about it from a spiritual perspective by remaining connected to them energetically throughout my little acts within a day. But I also think about things logistically. I’m a Capricorn, so I’m also: how do we make this happen practically.

I think we can forge the lives that we want in a number of ways. If you spend a lot of time being self-deprecating, that’s what you’ll create around yourself because you don’t believe that you should have nice things. Self-love feels anarchistic in a world that is constantly trying to shrink you. You see the effects of pouring love into the people around you and how that helps them blossom, so afford yourself the same thing. I love the story of Dumbo, and how he thought he could only fly because he had a feather, but it was him all along. Everyone that you love is that to you, but sometimes you have to be that for yourself too.

Let’s talk women directors: I read a statistic that said fewer than one in six movie releases will be directed by women this year. Yet some of the biggest and best films of the last year have been made by women. Why are women’s voices still not being heard? And why are we still having this boring conversation about it?

It doesn’t make any sense to me. Especially as the contributions are there: Greta Gerwig just broke a million records with Barbie. It was always wilfully obtuse from the perspective of people that have the power and have the money. But it feels like bad business at this point. I’m in awe of all the incredible female directors, particularly female directors of colour, who find a way, because no one wants you to do it, even when you’re the best at it. 

What are the films and TV shows you’ve been watching and loving?

I’ll do a directorial deep dive and watch everything they’ve made from top to bottom. The last one was Scorsese – it took a long time! I came across a film I’d never even heard of before: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore with Ellen Burstyn. It’s about a woman whose husband dies and she wants to become a singer; it’s a road trip movie with her son. She’s chaotic and messy, and a bad mum but also a brilliant mum. It was super groundbreaking; I was really struck by it.

Are you on Letterboxd?

I’m scared of it! I write all of my film reviews in my iPhone notes. I’m obsessed with Letterboxd and love reading people’s reviews, but I go crazy about a film after I’ve watched it.  The consequences man….

OK, let’s finish with a time when you don’t feel afraid. When do you feel at your most powerful?

When I‘ve got out of the shower and I’m doing my skincare, I feel like I’ve just been born and I’m ready to face anything. I’ve been flying a lot and if I don’t take a shower before I get on a flight, I don’t feel ready for it. I’m not very good at flying and I need that reset that says: you can face anything. 

Watch Rye Lane on Disney+ here 

Images: Searchlight; Prime Video; Getty