BAFTAs 2019: Letitia Wright opens up about depression during EE Rising Star speech

Letitia Wright took home the EE Rising Star award at the 2019 BAFTAs and she spoke of her history of depression.

The Black Panther star made an emotional speech after being presented the award at the Royal Albert Hall and she thanked god throughout.

“I identify myself as a child of God and I can’t get up here without thanking God,” Wright said. “A few years ago I saw myself in a deep state of depression and I wanted to quit acting.

“The only thing that pretty much pulled me out of that was God, my belief, my faith and my family and an email from Bafta saying they wanted me to be a part of the Bafta Breakthrough Brits and I was like ‘let me try again’.”

The actress said her success was not an “overnight thing, it wasn’t a click-of-a-finger success and I’m still a work in progress,” and urged others to follow their dreams.

“I want to thank God, my family my team… I want to thank everybody that said yes to me, everybody that gave me a chance and just saw my talents and saw what God placed in me and said yes,” she said.

“I want to encourage young people, you can be any age (actually), I want to encourage you… anyone who has lost their light, I want to encourage you. God made you and you are important… I want to say God loves you and let your light shine”.

Wright won the EE Rising Star, as voted by the public, over Jessie Buckley, Barry Keoghan, Lakeith Stanfield and Cynthia Erivo.

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