How BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo's 'grounded' working class family from Hull inspired him to pursue his acting dreams - as his role in low-budget British indie film sees him topple Hollywood heavyweights

It was one of the most talked about moments of the BAFTAs, with the guests at Sunday's glittering ceremony audibly shocked when Robert Aramayo won the Best Actor awards. 

Indeed, no one had predicated that the working class Yorkshire native would topple the Hollywood heavyweights he was up against, having beat hot favourite Timothee Chalamet and esteemed actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke to the win. 

No one was more shocked than Robert's parents, who leapt up from their seats to celebrate his win, having previously described his acting success as 'bonkers', given he is from a 'humble little family in Hull'.  

It was undoubtedly a gratifying moment for Lisa Dawson and Mike Aramayo, who had sacrificed so much to help him achieve his dreams. 

Growing up in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire alongside sisters Laura, 35, and Charleigh, 27, Robert, 33, realised his talents at the age of seven when he bagged the role of Bugsy Malone in a primary school production. 

From there, he realised he had a talent for impersonations and at the age of 10 he joined the Hull Truck Youth Theatre, where he developed a real passion for his craft. 

In his teenage years he realised this was the path he wanted to take and applied for a place at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, which counts the likes of Viola Davis, Adam Driver, Jessica Chastain and Robin Williams as alumni. 

Impressed by his talent, Juilliard awarded Robert a place when he turned 16 - the only British student to be accepted. 

Yet his dream nearly didn't come to fruition, with his family unable to gather the funds needed in order for him to move abroad. 

'One day he came home from school and said: 'I really want to study in America, can you help me?' We couldn't afford it,' Lisa recalled. 

'Neither of us had any money at the time. We did a bit of gathering and family and friends put in money to get him there.' 

Lisa, who is no longer in a relationship with Mike - added to The Times: 'Fortunately Robert's dad's circumstances changed and he weighed in with quite a bit of funding after that but initially we were: 'Okay, he has earned his place but how can we make it work?''

It was at Julliard that Robert got his first big break when his performance as Alex in the Julliard production of A Clockwork Orange earned him his first film role in Lost In Florence. 

Since then, Robert has not looked back, continuing to live in New York and landing roles in the likes of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. 

Yet while he may be living it up across the pond, Robert hasn't forgotten his Yorkshire roots, often seen visiting his favourite chippy, A & M Fisheries, and catching a local football game when he returns to his hometown to see family. 

'There is no more grounded, humble person than Robert,' his father mused. 'He is just from a normal, working-class family from Hull.'

Despite Robert landing a series of prestigious roles over the years, his dad Mike continues to be his number one cheerleader, visiting the cinema five times to watch his latest film, I Swear. 

He also booked out a cinema to host a private screening for family and friends as a 'celebration of Rob's rise to stardom.'

Robert received critical acclaim for his role in I Swear, a low-budget British indie film based on the true life story of campaigner John Davidson, now 54, who was diagnosed with Tourette's at a time when little was known about the condition. 

The film currently has a rare 100 percent certified 'fresh' rating on review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes. 

Yet his family were still flabbergasted by his BAFTAs success, with Lisa saying of his Best Actor nomination: 'It is bonkers, really bonkers. 

'We are just normal, very unremarkable people... Well, Robert is remarkable.' 

Mike, who has worked for Buoyant Upholstery for 26 years, and eventually became managing director, dedicated his social media to campaigning for the public to vote for Robert in the EE Rising Star category - another win for the actor. 

The family are also friends with Selling The OC star Polly Brindle, who expressed her pride for Robert on her profile. 

Robert's sister Laura has also dabbled her toe in the acting world. While she makes a living as a midwife, she has landed small roles in Coronation Street and Emmerdale. 

She also appeared alongside her brother in one episode of his Netflix series, Behind Her Eyes.  

Their younger sister Charleigh seems to not have developed her siblings' love for acting and is instead doing a degree in social work.

Robert's whole family have supported him through his various endeavours, while his sister Laura and their parents were able to attend the BAFTAs with him. 

They previously expressed their fears that they wouldn't be able to get tickets for the ceremony, with Mike quipping: 'I just hope that I'm there somewhere. 

'Maybe even behind the bar serving drinks, hanging coats, however I can get in. Gatecrash the Baftas. There we go — I will do that.'

Thankfully, they were able to get in, with Mike's reaction to his son winning Best Actor going viral, after he was seen leaping to his feet and screaming in delight. 

Robert then struggled to contain his emotions as he took to the stage to accept his second BAFTA of the night. 

Addressing the room full of Hollywood stars, Robert looked at Leonardo DiCaprio as he joked: 'I can't believe I'm looking at people like you, never mind that I'm stood here...

'I honestly cannot believe that I have won this award I really cannot. Everyone in this category blows me away'. 

Earlier in the evening Robert also won the EE Rising Star Award, the only accolade voted for by the public. 

Also nominated in the category was Miles Caton, Chase Infiniti, Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.

He said: 'Oh my word this is really scary last time I was at the BAFTAs I dropped the award, so I hope this goes better. Wow I can't believe this it really blows my mind.

'I want to acknowledge my family who support me all the time. I can see my dad up there and my mum and my sister and my amazing partner.

'I love you all so much and my second family, my I Swear family, thank you so much for letting me tell your story. John Davidson is the most amazing person I have ever met.'

I Swear has propelled Robert to a new level of success, and after he made BAFTA history to win the emerging talent prize and Leading Actor award on the same night, his career looks set to soar further. 

Yet in an interview with The Rolling Stone magazine back in October, Robert shared that he had no expectations going into the awards ceremony. 

Speaking before nominations were announced, he was asked if he was prepared to hear his name read out during awards season. 

'No, definitely not,' Robert replied: 'We were just working really hard to build this authentic story and I think it would be amazing for John if lots of people saw this and it highlighted how incredible that man is. That would be awesome.'

Robert also spoke openly about the debate surrounding actors who portray characters with a condition that they don't have. 

He explained: 'It makes you feel like you have a lot of responsibility to do the project justice. I mean I'm an actor and I read a really challenging role and I wanted to do it. 

'I knew that if I was going to do it, the authenticity should be the thing I focused on the most and I ran with that, right to the edge of what was possible for me, because I really believed in doing that.'

Robert also described his role as John as the 'biggest challenge' of his career. 

Speaking on BBC Radio Humberside he said: 'It was a real challenge, probably the biggest challenge I've done. Having John there and having his guidance and help was invaluable.' 

According to his IMDB page, Robert - who recently made his stage debut at London's Royal Court theatre in Guess How Much I Love You? - does not have any projects lined up. 

However, as the BAFTAs golden boy and officially the Rising Star of the night, it seems certain that Robert is one to watch.