The Favourite star Olivia Colman has 'always dreamed of holding Oscar'

'I’m really trying to sort of keep everything in check, keep calm'

Olivia Colman has been generating serious awards attention for her role in new film The Favourite – not that the attention is in any danger of going to her head.

In the period comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster), Colman plays Queen Anne opposite Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone and is widely expected to see her nominated for her first Oscar in January. Just last week, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes.

While promoting the film, Colman was asked whether she was concerned that its use of the C-word could scupper the film's chances of winning any trophies – and responded in the best way.

“Who gives a f***?” she told The Guardian, admitting that recent awards chat has been making her “want to be sick in [her] mouth” if also getting her quietly excited.

“If I’m really honest, I’ve always dreamed of holding an Oscar. But I’m really trying to sort of keep everything in check, keep calm. This is silly. What are the chances? I don’t want to get excited. I don’t want to face that disappointment. I just want to be on an even keel.“

She continued: “I’m a mum, a wife, I’m a mate. I’m other things. You can see how people get sort of swept into it and I want to stay sane.”

Upon its release in November, the Fox Searchlight film became the highest-grossing independent movie of the year so far.

Should Colman be nominated for Best Actress, her closest competitors are expected to be Lady Gaga (A Star is Born), Glenn Close (The Wife), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Yalitza Aparicio (Roma).

The Favourite is released in cinemas on 1 January. Following that, Colman will also be seen as Queen Elizabeth in the third season of Netflix drama The Crown.