Acclaimed British film director Stephen Daldry and popular actress Janine Duvitski, received a rapturous reception from students when they received Honorary Degrees from the University of Essex.
Stephen, who was a student at the University’s East 15 Acting School, is one of the UK’s most distinguished and successful directors – and his portfolio is as varied as it is vast with career highlights including Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader and Netflix TV series The Crown.
He has received eight Bafta nominations, three Oscar nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. For his theatre work, he won a Laurence Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his directing of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. In 2004, Stephen was awarded a CBE for his services to drama.
Speaking after today’s graduation ceremony, Stephen said he had always been a fan of the University of Essex and its “great tradition of rebellion and standing up to authority”.
