Hit TV series “Killing Eve” grabbed three top honors Sunday at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts ceremony in London.
The quirky tale about a female Russian assassin and MI5 officer Eve Polastri (played by Sandra Oh), who hunts her, won awards for Best Drama Series, Best Leading Actress (Jodie Comer) and Best Supporting Actress (Fiona Shaw).
An emotional Comer, who plays the assassin Villanelle, dedicated her first BAFTA ever to her grandmother, who died the first week of filming.
“She never got to see Villanelle, but she was the life and soul of everything,” said Comer, adding: “Sorry I’m the only one who’s turned on the waterworks.”
“When she was here she used to say, ’You get it off me, you know?′ And I just want to stand up here tonight and say, ’Nana Frances, you were right all along.’”
Series “spy chief” Shaw said she found the script so unusual when she first read it that she had no idea if it would become as popular as it is.
“As I turned each page I was laughing,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if it was something that could be amazing under the radar, and five people in London would enjoy it, but I was laughing.”
BAFTA rules were twisted a bit to make room for the series because it was initially commissioned by the U.S. network BBC America, which typically would have kept it from some categories, according to The Guardian.
Benedict Cumberbatch grabbed the Best Leading Actor award for his work in the the miniseries “Patrick Melrose,” while the Best Supporting Actor win went to Ben Whishaw for his role in the true crime series “A Very English Scandal.”
The Best News Coverage honor went to London’s Channel 4’s work on the Cambridge Analytica political scandal.
Check out the full list of BAFTA winners here.