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| Billy Connolly with Judi Dench in Mrs Brown Photo: BBC Films |
Scots comic and actor Sir Billy Connolly will receive this year's BAFTA followship on May 8.
The 79-year-old, who was knighted in 2017, said he was "deeply honoured" to receive the ward and told bafta.org: "I don’t let the Parkinson’s dictate who I am."
The star, who started out as a ship welder in Glasgow is being honoured for "outstanding and exceptional contribution to film" in a career that also included success on stage and the small screen, which has spanned more than 50 years.
The star's film roles have included ghillie John Brown in Mrs Brown - for which he received a BAFTA Scotland nomination and, more recently, Dustin Hoffman's Quartet, for which he was nominated for a Supporting Actor BAFTA. He has also provided voices for animated films including Pocahontas and Brave.
Noting, "I have a collection of shiny things that I'm very proud of," the star said, in respect of his diagnosis in 2013 "I just get on with it. I’ve had a very successful career and I have no regrets at all.”
