Summary

TheOscarsare the most sought - after prize for anyone work in moving-picture show , but until Cillian Murphy ’s Oscar winnings , no Irish worker or actress had gain the Oscar for a lead purpose . The Academy Awards are incredibly prestigious , with only a handful of category awarding an Oscar each year , and several nominees fighting to gain the sought after prize . However , despite unbelievable talent and many years of arduous piece of work , many people involved in cinema will never gain an Oscar themselves .

And , while the Oscars are host in the US , there is batch of representation and acknowledgement , shining a visible radiation on gift from all over the world . Every yr , actors , directors , and others involve in making movies from a diverse range of a function of countries are in the running play for an Oscar , but despite solid internal representation in the industry , Irish actors have never been the receiver of anOscar for Best head Actoror Actress until now . Cillian Murphy may be the first Irish actor to reach this calling - defining award , buthe certainly was n’t the first to be nominated .

Daniel Day - Lewis won three Oscars with a further three nominations . However , he was have a bun in the oven and enhance in England , but he holds double British - Irish citizenship .

Every Paul Mescal Movie, Ranked

10Saoirse Ronan

Nominated In 2016 For Her Performance In Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan became one of theyoungest people nominate for an Oscar for a lead Rolewhen she look inBrooklynat 21 . However , Ronan was also recognized at the Awards much in the first place , at just 13 age old , when she was nominated for Best underpin Actress in 2008 for her office inAtonement . Ronan is an incredibly talented young woman , and following her nominations in 2008 and 2016 , she was nominated again in 2018 , forLady Bird , and in 2020 , forLittle Women . Which could meanit ’s only a thing of time before she take away home the winnings .

9Paul Mescal

Nominated In 2023 For His Performance In Aftersun

Paul Mescal is a late nominee who was in the run for the 2023 Oscars for his performance inAftersun . The film is a coming - of - geezerhood account , where Mescal plays a young Scots Fatherhood on vacation with his nipper . The film is deep emotional , and Mescal does a cracking chore with the emphasis despite being the wrong type of Celt for the role . Mescal ’s talents are only just beginning to be recognizedafter he began set ashore credited acting job in 2019 , but in just a few years , he now has over a dozen credits to his name and an Oscar nomination .

Paul Mescal is one of the most exciting up and coming actors sour today , this leaning rank the Irish actor ’s short filmography from worst to best .

8Colin Farrell

Nominated In 2023 For His Performance In The Banshees Of Inisherin

That same class , a seasoned Irish actor who has been a well - experience figure in Hollywood for some time was also compete for his first Oscar nominating speech . Colin Farrell has had a colorful careerin pic , appearing in everything from Ben Affleck’sDaredevilas Bullseye , to play Penguin in Robert Pattinson’sThe Batman , but his first Oscar nominating address came from a very different type of movie . The Banshees of Inisherinis an Irish dramedy that managed toearn a total of nine nominations in 2023 , but due to stiff competition , the film walk away empty - handed .

7Michael Fassbender

Nominated In 2016 For His Performance In Steve Jobs

Michael Fassbender was born in Germany to an Irish mother and moved to the South - West of Ireland when he was just 2 year old . His acting vocation has see him take on a variety of roles , fromX - Men : First ClasstoPrometheus , with most placing him in a leading character . In 2015 , he portray the late engineering innovator and legend in the titular film , Steve Jobs , for whichhe received far-flung recognition for his unbelievable performance . He was also nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role in12 Years a Slavein 2014 .

6Liam Neeson

Nominated In 1994 For His Performance In Schindler’s List

Liam Neeson is potentially the most famous actor to hail from Ireland beforeCillian Murphy ’s steady rise in Hollywood . Neeson starred inTakenand its sequels , he play Qui - Gon Jinn inStar Wars : Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Ra ’s al Ghul in Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy , and he was the spokesperson of Aslan inThe Chronicles of Narniafilms in the tardy 2000s . But before any of those , he had hisbreakout persona as Oskar Schindler inSchindler ’s listing . Not only did this role see Neeson ’s life history take off , but it clear him a nomination for Best Actor in 1994 .

5Ruth Negga

Nominated In 2017 For His Performance In Loving

Ruth Negga was born in Ethiopia , but raised in Limerick , Ireland , before spending some time in London studying , and then returning to study at college in Dublin , Ireland . She has consistently grow her career in acting for TV and film since 2004 , and in 2017 , she receive an Oscar nominating speech for her function inLoving . Ruth then becamethe first Irish soul of colour to be nominated for an Oscarin a leading purpose and has continued to down lead roles in celluloid and TV ever since .

Ireland has many critically acclaimed and star - score picture in its filmography that in truth merit a watch or rewatch . IMDb range the best here .

4Stephen Rea

Nominated In 1993 For His Performance In The Crying Game

Stephen Rea began his career performing in phase production in Ireland , before landing on - covert roles . Once again , hisbreakout function was the one to see him nominated for an Oscarin 1993 , when he diddle Fergus inThe Crying Game . The pic explores The Troubles in Northern Ireland , a account which likely held significance for Rea personally as he had grown up in Belfast and hold out through those dark geological period of history . Rea has gone on to seem in much large productions , such asInterview with the Vampire , V For Vendetta , andBreakfast on Pluto , but chiefly in substantiate part .

3Richard Harris

Nominated In 1991 For His Performance In The Field

Richard Harris was nominated for an Oscar twice , in 1964 forThis Sporting Life , and again in 1991 forThe Field . However , neither of these was his most pop role , and he continued to have a long and healthy calling in Hollywood before passing away in 2002 . Richard Harris was an unbelievable gift whoplayedAlbus Dumbledore in the first twoHarry Potterfilmsand had several picture loose posthumously , which reflected his commitment to his foxiness with so much work fill out his final years .

2Kenneth Branagh

Nominated In 1990 For His Performance In Henry V

Kenneth Branagh has had a varied and notable career in Hollywood , having tackled role as a director , writer , and actor , and receiving critical acclaim for each . In 1990 , Branagh wasnominated for both Best Director and Best Actorfor his piece of work onHenry Vbut succeed neither award . Since then , Branagh has been constitute for his various donation on several other occasions , until in 2022 , he ultimately won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay withBelfast . Thus prove that relentless effort can get the desired results , and earning one of the few Oscar win for Ireland .

1Barry Fitzgerald

Nominated In 1945 For His Performance In Going My Way

In 1945 , Barry Fitzgerald earned the unique perquisite of having been the only actor in history to benominated for two Oscar , in two disjoined categories for the same characterin the same movie . Fitzgerald plays Father Fitzgibbon in the filmGoing My Way , and after his nomination , the rules and guidelines for the accolade were tightened to forbid such an incident . While Fitzgerald did not win the Best Leading Actor category , he did gain the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor , making him the only Irish actor to get ahead for a keep going role .

Brenda Fricker then went on to become the first Irish actress to win an Oscar in a hold up role in 1989 for her public presentation in My Left Foot , opposite Daniel Day - Lewis , which he also won .

Two side by side images of the main characters from My Left Foot and Once

How Rachel Zegler’s

Oppenheimer-Cillian-Murphy-Oscar

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Aftersun 2022 (2)

Padraic (Colin Farrell) explains himself to Colm (Brendan Gleeson) in The Banshees of Inisherin

Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs

Ruth Negga on the phone in Loving

Forest Whitaker and Stephen Rea in the Crying Game.

Kenneth Branagh as King Henry V of England in Henry V.

barry fitzgerald in going my way as father fitzgibbon

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