Delroy Lindo is the actor in the middle of a BAFTAs racial slur row

Delroy Lindo has found himself thrust into the spotlight after being at the centre of a shocking BAFTAs racial slur row over the weekend.

During the ceremony, the actor, 73, along with his Sinners co-star Michael B. Jordan was left shaken when the N-word was shouted out by John Davidson, who has been diagnosed with Tourettes syndrome, while they were presenting an award.

While Delroy and Michael carried on with the presentation, he later shared in an after party interview his disappointment that 'no one from BAFTA spoke to him' in the wake of the incident.

Delroy, who was born in Lewisham, has previously spoken about the impact of racism in Britain, stating it is as 'violent' as it can be in the United States.

While he has worked in the film industry for more than four decades, much of his career has formed of smaller parts in big films, including Get Shorty, The Cider House Rules, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Ransom.

Highlights in his career include his collaborations with Spike Lee, most prominently the biopic Malcolm X, where he appears opposite Denzel Washington.

The actor has also found himself as a surprise nominee for Best Supporting Actor at next month's Oscars, beating out hopeful Paul Mescal.

Despite his British roots, Delroy moved to the United States when he was a teenager, after his mother, a nurse, emigrated to Canada then to San Francisco, where he studied acting.

While Delroy has said he still regularly visits the UK, he has few good memories of his British upbringing.

At the time of his childhood, the UK was gripped by rising support for far-right groups including the National Front and racist language from figures such as Enoch Powell, who delivered the infamous 1968 Rivers of Blood speech.

Delroy has previously described his relationship with the UK as 'complicated,' as despite being the child of two Jamaican parents who emigrated as part of the Windrush generation, he knew little of Black British history until he left the country.

He told The Guardian in 2020: 'British racism is every bit as virulent and violent as American racism.  

'I'm curious to unpack those stories. I have an intense interest in the Windrush period, because my mom was part of that.'

'Everything I have achieved in my life has come as a result of leaving England. I could never in a trillion years have had this career in England. Never.'

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Delroy previously shared his outrage at the Windrush scandal, branding it 'disgusting and enraging.'

Referring to the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993, he added: 'When I heard it had happened in Eltham – where I lived as a child – it did not surprise me, given incidents that happened to me there.'

Delroy launched his career on the stage with his Broadway debut alongside Danny Glover in apartheid-era drama Master Harold … and the Boys.

He only landed the role as James Earl Jones, for whom he was understudying, had to go to Hollywood to finish voice work for Star Wars.

While Delroy did find mainstream film success, it was his work with Spike Lee that led him to be branded the director's 'secret weapon.'

He was tipped for an Oscar nod in 2020 for his work on Lee's Da 5 Bloods, where he starred as an African American Vietnam veteran who returns to the country to lay old ghosts to rest, but missed out.

It's for Sinners that he's landed his first ever Oscar nomination, meaning he will join the cast and director Ryan Coogler, at next month's ceremony.

Delroy also earned critical praise for his performance as a criminal mentor in Malcolm X, and also starred in Lee's Crooklyn, and Clockers.

On the small screen, he appeared in the CBS series The Good Fight, and opposite Kerry Washington in the 2023 show Unprisoned. 

He married his wife Nashormeh Lindo in 1990, and they share son Damiri, 25. 

Following Sunday's BAFTAs, Delroy spoke about the deeply uncomfortable moment the N-word was shouted while he and Michael B. Jordan were presenting on stage.

Lindo addressed the incident while speaking to Vanity Fair at one of the BAFTA after-parties, explaining that he and his Sinners co-star 'did what we had to do' in the moment as they presented the award for Best Visual Effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash.

The slur was shouted from the audience by John Davidson, who attended the ceremony as the subject of the nominated biopic I Swear, on Sunday evening, with microphones picking up the racist term.

Davidson has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, a neurological condition that causes involuntary vocal and physical tics.

As reported by Variety, Davidson had multiple audible outbursts throughout the ceremony. 

The publication noted: 'A number of outbursts from Davidson could be heard throughout the BAFTA ceremony, including 'shut the f**k up' being shouted during an introductory speech from BAFTA chair Sara Putt and 'f**k you' when the directors of 'Boong,' which won the BAFTA for best children's and family film, accepted their award.'

Sources told Variety that floor managers warned guests seated near Davidson about his condition, though they did not specify what types of vocal outbursts might occur. 

According to multiple sources, neither nominees nor attendees were contacted by BAFTA or the BBC ahead of the show with any such warnings.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, BAFTA acknowledged the 'very offensive language' heard during Sunday night's ceremony, saying it 'carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many' and apologising 'unreservedly to all those impacted.'

The organisation confirmed the outburst came from guest Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, a condition that causes 'involuntary verbal tics' which are 'in no way a reflection of an individual's beliefs and are not intentional.'

BAFTA said it had taken steps to warn attendees that Davidson was in the room and that they 'may hear strong language, involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony,' but admitted that 'a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard' while Jordan and Lindo were on stage.

'Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism,' the statement read.

On Monday, John himself apologised for the outburst, saying in a statement: 'I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast.

'I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs.

'I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me.'

'In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.

'I was in attendance to celebrate the film of my life, I Swear, which more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome.

'I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so.

'I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.'