Daniel Kaluuya says ‘it means the world’ as Get Out statue unveiled in London

British actor Daniel Kaluuya has said a statue memorialising his character in the film Get Out “means the world” to him and feels like a “blessing”.

The Londoner, 35, who received an Oscar nod for his role playing Chris Washington in the hit thriller, written and directed by Jordan Peele, said the statue “shows how far I’ve come”.

The movie, about a young black man who meets his white girlfriend’s family at their remote estate in the countryside, was widely praised for its skewering social commentary following its release in 2017.

The new statue is inspired by a part of the film where Kaluuya’s character falls into the “sunken place” after his girlfriend’s mother, played by Catherine Keener, hypnotises him.

Speaking at the unveiling in London’s Leicester Square on Tuesday, Kaluuya said: “(It feels like) a blessing.

“I just feel like, you work hard, put your head down, you just do what you feel is right, and just hope that it impacts and touches people.”

He added: “It just shows how far I’ve come, but also it’s a mark of how far we’ve got to go. It makes me really focused and go, alright cool – there’s more to do.”

He continued: “It’s more a representation of the people, as much as a representation of the people as it is my work. So it’s a reflection of what they wanted.

“So I’m just in the middle of what they want and that feels like an amazing blessing.”

He added: “And to be part of this history, especially in Britain, especially in London, it means the world to me. So yeah, I’m blessed.”

The statue is a part of the Scenes In The Square trail, unveiling famous characters from across a century of cinema in the heart of Leicester Square.

Discussing the meaning behind the statue, Kaluuya said: “It’s the sunken place when I get hypnotised and I fall over into some place.”

He added: “It’s quite surreal that this pivotal moment within the film, that articulates a lot of people when they feel repressed and feel like they haven’t got a voice, and they feel like they’re falling into the sunken place.

“It’s now part of the fabric of this legendary square.”

Get Out won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2018 and was nominated in categories including best picture and directing.

Kaluuya has appeared in Johnny English Reborn (2011), Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Black Panther (2018) and Nope (2022).

He won the Bafta EE Rising Star prize in 2018 and took home the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in Judas And The Black Messiah at the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.

Published: 08/10/2024 by Radio NewsHub