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Kaluuya celebrated with Leicester Square statue

The moment the statue is unveiled

Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya has been celebrated with a statue in Leicester Square depicting his acclaimed performance in psychological horror film Get Out.

Kaluuya topped a public poll on which actor should join the "Scenes in the Square" trail of star statues that are in the central London location, which is famed for hosting film premieres.

The statue depicts a pivotal scene from Get Out where Kaluuya’s character is hypnotised by his girlfriend’s mother and finds himself receding into "the Sunken Place", a suppressed metaphysical abyss.

The Hollywood star, who was there when the artwork was unveiled, said it was “a bit of an overwhelming moment".

Actor Daniel Kaluuya wearing a mauve suit and dark blue t-shirt and a decorative necklace stands in front of a Get Out sign.
Daniel Kaluuya has gone on to forge a stellar career since his breakout performance in Get Out

He added: "It's a big moment in the film - it's amazing that they managed to capture it. It's amazing how dynamic the statue is; I really love that as well."

On the statue being voted for by the public, he said: "That's what I find the most special about it."

He added: "We make art for people, we make art for people to watch and to think and feel things, so the fact that it's come back in this way is the best blessing - I'm just really thankful for the people."

Representation

Get Out took more than £190m at the box office, the highest-grossing debut film based on an original script in Hollywood history, and its status as a horror classic has only grown since its 2017 release.

The film is described as having had a profound effect on the representation of black people’s experiences of marginalisation and objectification.

Universal Pictures/ALAMY A scene from the film Get Out. Chris Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, seated and dressed in a grey hoodie and t-shirt, has a shocked and scared expression as tears roll down his face. Universal Pictures/ALAMY
Get Out was a worldwide hit

The success of Get Out propelled Kaluuya to global fame, leading to roles in Black Panther and an Oscar-winning performance in Judas and the Black Messiah.

The Londoner, who began his career as a writer on the Channel 4 show Skins, recently made his directorial and feature film-writing debut with The Kitchen, which he also produced.

Asked if he was now more Hollywood than London, he replied: "Come on bruv, I am in Hollywood, I work in Hollywood but I feel like I'm a real guy that just fell in love with my job.

"London is me, I am London, I really come from here."

PA Images Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya pose on a red carpet beside the horizontal statue of Mr Kaluuya as his character in Get Out. Mr Kaluuya is dressed in a mauve suit and Ms Turner-Smith is wearing a blue denim jacket and trousers. PA Images
Kaluuya with Jodie Turner-Smith at the statue unveiling

Kaluuya, who grew up in Camden, is the latest film icon to join Leicester Square’s Scenes in the Square trail - others include Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Gene Kelly and Batman.

Mark Williams, deputy chief executive of membership organisation Heart of London Business Alliance, organisers of the trail, said the statue was a celebration of a modern cinematic success and homegrown British talent.

Scenes in the Square project A statue of Gene Kelly hanging off a lamp post with an umbrella in hand in the classic pose from his film Singing in the Rain. The photo was taken when it was raining. A sign for the Odeon Leicester Square is in the background. Scenes in the Square project
Other icons who have been honoured with statues include Gene Kelly

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