Movie Feature
Rising Irish Stars
Monday 14 March 2011
Robert Sheehan
The Misfits' star might as well be repeating 'Look into my eyes' on a loop, so spellbinding are his baby blues. We'll be seeing a lot more of them as the 23-year-old Portlaoise 'Love/Hate' star is about to appear in the big screen comedy, 'Killing Bono'.
Martin McCann
We first noticed him in Spielberg's 'Pacific', then he scooped an IFTA for his superb central performance in 'Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne'. Now Martin McCann is playing the titular role in 'Killing Bono'. The 28-year-old Belfast actor is clearly one to watch.
PJ Dillon
Arguably our finest cinematographer (check out his work on movies such as Kings, 32A and The Runway), PJ has recently taken up the megaphone himself to great effect for 'Rewind'. This no-budget thriller succeeds thanks to its two strong central performances but mostly due to the skill of the IFTA award-winning debut director.
Marcella Plunkett
We first saw the Wicklow actress in 'Bachelors Walk' and she has since made a series of eye-catching appearances in movies such as 'On the Edge' (2004) and 'Once' (2005). The big break has been her IFTA nominated turn in 'Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne' (2009) and, like Amy Huberman, she found herself in Tipperary earlier this year filming with Martin Sheen and Stephen Rea in 'Stella Days'.
Aidan Turner
Another who has become a TV favourite - 'The Clinic', 'Desperate Romantics', 'Being Human' - Turner is looking to make the leap to the big screen later this year with a strong role in Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit'.
Jason O'Meara
After impressing theatre and TV audiences on both sides of the channel, Jason entertained Life on Mars' fans in the American version of the BBC series as Detective Sam Tyler, alongside Harvey Keitel. He recently starred in the pilot of the new sci-fi TV series 'Terra Nova' and will soon appear opposite Katherine Heigl in the comedy 'One for the Money'. He has laid the foundations and deserves all the success coming his way.
Juanita Wilson
Oscar nominated for her debut short, 'The Door' and an IFTA hat trick win for her debut feature, 'As If I Am Not There', Juanita Wilson is an Irish writer/director to watch. Her next adaptation brings her stateside for a family comedy based on a book by Winter's Bone scribe, Daniel Woodrell, The Ones You Do.
Colin O'Donoghue
The 30-year-old Drogheda man was as well-known for his music career as his acting work when he found himself cast in the lead role of 'The Rite'. Not even a scenery-chewing Anthony Hopkins could prevent O'Donoghue from making his mark and earning that 'Next Big Thing' tag.
Colin Morgan
We first saw the young Armagh actor when he landed the lead role in BBC's 'The Adventures of Merlin'. His excellent performance as a Dublin drug addict in Darragh Byrne's fine drama, 'Parked', bodes well for the future.
Amy Huberman
Just as she was in danger of being pigeon-holed as the sweet, girl-next-door type, along comes PJ Dillon and casts the former 'Clinic' actress as a woman with an extremely nefarious past. The result was an IFTA for the Dublin actress and a key role in Thaddeus O'Sullivan's 'Stella Days', co-starring Martin Sheen.
Ruth Negga
To call Ruth Negga a rising star is probably a tad rich. She was a rising star on stage in 2003 when she was nominated for an Olivier award as Best Newcomer. She was a rising star in 2006 when chosen as one of Europe's Shooting Stars at the Berlin Film Festival in 2006. She has caught the eye on TV ('Love/Hate', 'Five Daughters') and, as her big screen performances in 'Breakfast on Pluto' (2004) and 'Trafficked' (2005) amply testify, Ruth Negga is already a star.
Domhnall Gleeson
We wondered how long it would take Domhnall Gleeson to emerge from his father's shadow. Not that long was the answer. In the past six months alone, he has popped up in 'Harry Potter', 'Never Let Me Go' and 'True Grit', while his portrayal of Bob Geldof in the BBC drama, 'When Harvey Met Bob', really caught the eye.
Michael Doherty and Taragh Loughrey-Grant
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