Bafta nominee Albrecht Schuh of All Quiet on the Western Front pays tribute to late casting director after film sweeps ceremony-Aisha Nozari and Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

All Quiet on the Western Front swept this year’s Baftas, scooping seven awards, including best picture and best director (Picture: Getty/Rex)

All Quiet on the Western Front actor Albrecht Schuh shared some poignant words about the film’s casting director, Simone Bär, who died on January 16.

The film swept this year’s Baftas, scooping seven awards, including best picture and best director.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk from the red carpet, Albrecht – who was up for the best supporting actor trophy on the night – spoke of his surprise at the nomination while also praising Simone.

Of Simone, the 37-year-old actor said: ‘The casting director for our movie, Simone Bär, she passed away, I think it was three days before we heard about the Bafta nominations, and she was an incredible personality.’

The star added: ‘Plus, she was one of the best casting directors from Germany, if not globally.

‘She’s the reason why we had such a good energy and chemistry on set, amongst each other, between my colleagues and me, that was insane.’

Albrecht Schuh hailed Simone Bär as ‘one of the best casting directors’ (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Simone, pictured on the far right, died last month (Picture: Sascha Steinbach/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

All Quiet on the Western Front won seven gongs (Picture: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)

The war epic is based on the book of the same name (Picture: Netflix/Moviestore/Shutterstock)

He also said he was slightly starstruck upon being in the presence of other actors he ‘admires’, such as Paul Mescal, Cate Blanchett, and Viola Davis.

Asked whether he was expecting a nomination, Albrecht said: ‘No, not at all. Not at all. It touched me on so many levels.’

Accepting All Quiet on the Western Front’s best film gong, cinematographer James Friend said the message that young people can be ‘poisoned by right-wing nationalistic propaganda’ and ‘war is more than an adventure’ was as relevant now as more than 100 years ago when the book of the same name was published.

He also thanked Felix Kammerer, an Austrian actor who made his film debut in the war film, Netflix for making it possible and Bafta for honouring them with this prize.

All Quiet on the Western Front also won best director for Edward Berge, best film not in the English language, cinematography, adapted screenplay, original score and best sound.

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