Australian actresses, Slovenian cyclists, Argentine dictators… sometimes a nationality develops an inexplicable ability to produce legions of talented individuals in the same field – and Ireland’s penchant for producing actors has not gone unnoticed in recent years.
From Richard Harris to Colin Farrell, the assembly line has gone Mach 10.1 in recent years – mostly in line with the explosion of its TV industry: from the laudable ‘Normal People’ and ‘reliable’ Kin to the reprehensible ‘Mrs’ Brown’s Boys’ and indefensible death of ‘The Fall’. See our fact box for our top five youngsters to watch out for.
Class of 2023
But what about the actresses? No, we’re not talking about one-off events – from Hollywood legend Maureen O’Hara to veruca dissector Brenda Fricker, who traded the wards of Casualty for an Oscar night to win Best Supporting Actress in 1990 – there have inevitably been a couple over. the years.
No, it’s all about the class of 2023: a top ten that can rival anything the men can put together. We’ve got Oscar nominees by the bucketload, singers and screenwriters – talent that will make you question what they’ve put in the water.
1 Sharon Horgan
It’s gotten to the point where it should no longer surprise you when Sharon Horgan is cast in a major Hollywood movie, most recently as the wife of Nicolas Cage (who plays himself) in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. She was even allowed to keep her Irish accent – that’s how she’s been in demand. Raised in Bellewstown, County Meath – her brother is rugby player Shane – nothing was handed to her on a plate. At the age of 36, she created the comedy series Pulling to get her big break, followed by the equally acclaimed Catastrophe. And now her new series Bad Sisters, one of the hits of 2022, has opened the door to what she wants.
2 Saoirse Ronan
From Caoimhe and Niamh to Siobhan and Aoife, Irish names can be difficult to pronounce, even if the end result sounds simple and familiar. Enter Saoirse (pronounced seeuh-shuh) Ronan, Ireland’s answer to Meryl Streep, who had already been nominated for four Oscars by the time she was 25 – or should that be seven-time nominee Peter O’Toole, as she has yet to be nominated . win one. ‘Little Women’, ‘Lady Bird’, ‘Brooklyn’ and ‘Atonement’ … what’s next on the journey for the 28-year-old born to Irish parents in the US, who moved to Dublin at the age of three. She has already reached the stars.
3 Jessie Buckley
Fame took a while to come knocking on Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley’s door. An early fan was composer Andrew Lloyd Weber – the mastermind behind a 2008 talent show to discover the next Nancy for a new production of ‘Oliver!’ in London’s West End, where she came second – who ended up mentoring her. Since then, roles like ‘Chernobyl’, ‘Wild Rose’, ‘Fargo’ and ‘The Lost Daughter’ have cemented her status as a leading lady. Born in Killarney, Jessie is another Irish actress with the world at her feet.
4 Nicola Coughlan
Hard to imagine that this actress would end up as one of the leads in two of Netflix’s most popular shows in recent years, but Nicola Coughlan has defied expectations all her life and never been afraid to stand up for the downtrodden, or when she feels stepped on. , herself. The Derry Girls and Bridgerton star, who grew up in Oranmore, near Galway, took exception to an article in The Mirror criticizing her choice of dress for the 2019 BAFTA TV Awards, tweeting “I mean wrong @DailyMirror I see fuming out” , sorry about that”. Well, she is so hot right now that she was even invited to ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’.
5 Ruth Negga
Another Oscar nominee is Ruth Negga, who grew up in Limerick. Her career was nominated in 2016 for ‘Loving’, a portrayal of a couple’s struggle to have their interracial marriage recognized by US courts in the 1960s, and her career has stalled since then, although she has been busy on stage – in 2011 she memorably portrayed Shirley Bassey in a BBC mini-series. But in October, her casting in ‘Good Grief’ was confirmed – the directorial debut of Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy. So her film career seems to have found its paddle again.
6 Kerry Condon
Nominated for the Oscars this year is Kerry Condon, more or less the only actress in ‘The Banshees of Insherin’, where she plays the significantly smarter sister of Colin Farrell’s simpleton. After her BAFTA triumph, she is the second favorite to win. Her most notable role so far was playing Mike Ehrmantraut’s daughter in ‘Better Call Saul’. Oscar night will determine if we get to call her agent.
7 Caitriona Balfe
It was a surprise to many when Caitríona Balfe from Greater Dublin failed to land a nomination for her brilliant portrayal of the main character’s mother in Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’. At the Golden Globes, BAFTAS and several others, she had been favored over Judi Dench for a Best Supporting Actress nod, but seniority claimed Dame when it came to the big one. Known far and wide for her lead role in ‘Outlander’, at 43 she doesn’t have much left to prove, but you never know.
8 Eve Hewson
Turns out there’s a good reason Bono always showed off his package, as it contained the seeds of one of Ireland’s brightest acting prospects. Luckily, Eve Hewson chose to take her rock god Daddy’s deadly name – otherwise people might have thought her parents were Sonny and Cher. So far, she’s made a few notable films — including a woeful 2018 retelling of ‘Robin Hood’ — but it’s on TV where she’s managed to shine, bringing a crazy nature and real menace to her roles in ‘Behind Her Eyes ‘ and ‘Bad Sisters’ ‘.
9 Elva Trill
Blink and you’ll miss her in “Star-struck” and “Line of Duty,” but stardom beckons for Elva Trill after her significant role in the recently released “Jurassic World Dominion.” Trill, who grew up in Ballymote, will be a household name before you know it.
10 Clare Dunne
In the end, it was a battle for the final spot on our rankings between Clare Dunne and Alison Oliver – the stars of recent series ‘Kin’ and ‘Conversations with Friends’ respectively. In the end, Dunne gets it because 1/ The Dubliner is brilliant in her breakout part and 2/ it’s refreshing to see an actress put herself out there with such a prominent birthmark on her face – in her case, under her left eye. Keep an eye on Miss Dunne as her career takes off.
TOP FIVE YOUNG IRISH ACTORS
Barry Keoghan
His role as Dominic in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ could have been a typically weak but lovable part, but he manages to make the role more nuanced as the film goes on. Not unlike Dominic, Keoghan overcame a rough childhood and has since shot to stardom with roles in ’71, Dunkirk and The Batman. Less well known is Keoghan’s love of boxing. “The thing about boxing is that it’s the only time I feel really present,” he told the New York Times. “You can meditate – which I don’t – but people continue to feel in the moment and for me that’s when I’m boxing. You are completely immersed in this state that I cannot describe.”
Andrew Scott
After starring as Benedict Cumberbatch’s eternal nemesis Moriarty in ‘Sherlock’, Andrew Scott has gone from strength to strength. The eclectic actor was even in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ – he’s one of the nauseating extras on the boat before they land on Omaha Beach. His main recent role was as ‘the hot priest’ in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hit comedy ‘Fleabag’. This prompted someone to post on Twitter that “When that priest said ‘kneel’ my vagina exploded in a way that a man has never quite been able to achieve.” Unfortunately, for the author of that post, Andrew publicly came out as gay in 2013.
Paul Mescal
Another actor whose most famous character has earned him heartthrob status is Paul Mescal. His role as Connell in the TV adaptation of Irish novelist Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ led to the creation of an Instagram account ‘@connellschain’ which primarily features pictures of Connell decked out in his best Argos chic . It has 143,000 followers. The Guardian published an article called ‘Chain Reaction: Why is there such unbridled lust for Connell’s necklace in Normal People?’ Mescal, meanwhile, is proving to be anything but normal as he has been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in ‘Aftersun’.
Colin Morgan
Magic Colin Morgan first hit our screens as Merlin in the TV series of the same name. There was a bit of a kerfuffle at the time because Morgan, who is Northern Irish, had to hide his accent, leading people to assume he was English. This annoyed some viewers, who pointed out that Merlin, being Welsh, should speak with a Welsh accent. Hopefully someone told them that there are limits to the historical accuracy required of a TV series about a mythical wizard. Regardless, like Harry Potter, Morgan eventually grew up, although unlike Daniel Radcliffe, he developed a leading man look. Recently cast as the villain in ‘Belfast’, he has also had major roles in the TV series ‘Mammals’ and the upcoming film ‘Corsage’.
Domhnall Gleeson
Everyone knows Brendan Gleeson who plays the humble Colm in The Banshees of Inisherin. But what about his son, Domhnall? Thanks to roles in ‘Ex Machina’, the latest ‘Star Wars’ trilogy and the latest series ‘The Patient’, he is building a portfolio that could soon challenge his father’s. (SH)
Source: The Nordic Page