For such a small nation, Ireland has punched well above its weight on the movie front. From silent movie talents such as Meathman Owen Moore and Dubliner Rex Ingram (both of whom earned stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame), to modern success stories such as Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson, the Irish have been a staple of the Hollywood film industry for over a century. On the downside, that’s meant we’ve had to endure a seemingly endless parade of dodgy accents, Tooralooras and shamrock-clad leprechauns. Despite that, we’ve managed to produce an array of marvellous film-makers who have succeeded in putting our stories up there on the big screen...
Jim Sheridan/Neil Jordan
These guys need to be paired together since they were at the vanguard of the Greening of Hollywood and would both find themselves immortalised on Ireland’s cinematic Mount Rushmore. Both Oscar-winning film-makers are working on interesting productions at the moment – Neil is shooting Neil Gaiman’s fantasy epic, 'The Graveyard Book', while Jim is finally filming his mob drama, 'Black Mass'.
Ciarán Hinds
Probably the most solid and reliable of all our actors, Ciarán has been delivering quality performances on the big and small screen for 30 years. His profile will crank up another few notches this year with his upcoming appearance in the Harry Potter finale, his co-lead in 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' and his star turn in the adaptation of John Banville’s 'The Sea'.
Joan Bergin
She wanted to be an actor, believe it or not, but Joan Bergin instead became our most celebrated costume designer, whose shelf is creaking with awards, from 'My Left Foot' to 'The Tudors'.
Colin Farrell
By his own admission, Farreller lost his mojo after 'Alexander' (and could you blame him?) but he has delivered some of his strongest work in recent years and he’s now making headlines for his performances ('The Way Back' was particularly strong) rather than his excesses. A big-budget remake of Arnie’s sci-fi classic, 'Total Recall', now beckons for the Castleknock man.
Liam Neeson
It’s a pity he didn’t take the Abe Lincoln biopic, but Liam, at 58, has carved a nice niche for himself as a no-nonsense tough guy. Both 'Taken' and 'Unknown' prove that, unlike many of his action man peers the big Ballymena man really can walk the walk.
Morgan O'Sullivan
The Don. The movie magnet. The man responsible for bringing a plethora of international movie and TV productions into this country. Despite his Outstanding Contribution IFTA, Morgan the Indefatigable has no intentions of letting up.
Colm Meaney
He’ll be forever associated with the Barrytown trilogy (unless you’re a Trekkie) but Colm Meaney is another veteran Irish actor who is delivering his best work at the moment. His moving performance in Darragh Byrne’s excellent 'Parked' reminded us of his dramatic chops. Upcoming projects include the UK drama 'Hot Potato', co-starring Ray Winstone.
The Cartoon Salooners
We punch well above our weight on the animation front and this Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon troupe, led by Tomm Moore and Paul Moore, is right in the vanguard of the industry. 'The Secret of Kells' brought them Oscar-nominated acclaim and 'Skunk Fu!' has put them on global TV screens. We like the Trócaire promotion, too, with Imelda May et al.
Saoirse Ronan
It’s hard to believe that the Carlow gal is still only 17, such is the impact she’s already had on the film business. Under the guidance of father, Paul, Saoirse has resisted the temptation to take on fluffy high school or rom-com roles and she has already amassed an impressive body of work. Upcoming projects include 'Hanna', co-starring Cate Blanchett; and then Saoirse is New Zealand bound (again with Ms Blanchett) for 'The Hobbit'.
Stephen Rea
The Belfast actor's screen career has been intrinsically liked with Neil Jordan, who considers the actor a talisman figure (“Stephen is the kind of actor you can hang a whole character around”, says the director). Rea has delivered consistently impressive screen performances since 'Angel' (1982), and he continues to make his mark on stage and TV. His latest movies is the western, 'Blackthorn', co-starring Sam Shepard, a playwright who considers the actor a talismanic figure, having written some stage works specifically for the Belfast man.
Gabriel Byrne
To say that Gabriel Byrne paved the way for his fellow Irish actors is an understatement. Brendan Gleeson told the RTÉ Guide that because Byrne was a fellow teacher and fellow Dub, he felt there was no reason why he, too, couldn't forge a major acting career. From 'Bracken' to 'Madigan Men' to 'In Treatment', Gabriel's career has incorporated many memorable TV roles, but he is one of the few Irish actors to consistently top-line Hollywood productions such as 'End of Days' (1996) and 'The Usual Suspects' (1995). We particularly salute him for 'Miller's Crossing' (1990), since he personally persuaded the Coen Brothers to make the main crime faction of Irish rather than Jewish persuasion, giving the actor the opportunity to retain his accent and deliver the immortal rejoinder to his moll, Marcia Gay Harden, ‘Where's me ha’?’
Brendan Gleeson
We first noticed Brendan Gleeson many moons ago courtesy of his stunning performance in 'Double Bass' at Andrew's Lane Theatre. At the time, the actor was making his mark with Passion Machine but few realised that the former teacher would go on to have such a glittering career that would involve Steven Spielberg, Winston Churchill and Harry Potter.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
From Michael Collins’ shooter in Neil Jordan's biopic to his Golden Globe winning Elvis turn to his unforgettable performance as King Henry VIII in 'The Tudors', Rhys Meyers has established himself as one of his generation’s brightest talents. He is also joining the long list of Irish A-listers starring in Brendan Gleeson’s much anticipated 'At Swim-Two-Birds'.
Cillian Murphy
The Cork-born, London living, actors' actor is renowned for his diverse roles and distinctive peepers. Whether it's his breakthrough performance in 'Disco Pigs', his big break role in '28 Days Later', or gender-crossing turn in 'Breakfast on Pluto', Murphy continuously surprises. As well as an upcoming role as Richard Neville in 'Hippie Hippie Shakes', the Frank Zappa fan is also on board for Brendan Gleeson's adaptation of Flann O'Brien's 'At Swim-Two-Birds'.
Michael Fassbender
Joining Murphy, Byrne, Meyers and Farrell on Brendan Gleeson’s 'At Swim-Two-Birds' bench is Fassbender. He blew film fans away with his shocking portrayal of Bobby Sands in 'Hunger', in which he and Liam Cunningham delivered the longest one-sequence scene in cinematic history. The Heidelberg-born, Kerry-raised, star continued to shine alongside Hollywood's elite in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.
Aidan Gillen
The 42-year-old 'Queer as Folk' star put Ireland on the map in Baltimore with his turn as a ruthlessly ambitious Mayor Tommy Carcetti in the hugely successful TV series 'The Wire'. The Tony Award nominee was born Aidan Murphy but chose his mother's maiden name because there was already an Aidan Murphy registered in the American Actors' Guild. The Dubliner will next appear on the big screen alongside Jason Statham in the thriller 'Blitz'.
Pierce Brosnan
The Navan man may have lost his accent but he gained two Golden Globe nominations and became the fifth actor to play James Bond since moving to Hollywood. He rose to fame as Remington Steele and in films such as 'Dante's Peak', 'The Thomas Crown Affair' and 'Seraphim Falls' in which he starred alongside fellow Irish man Liam Neeson (above). The 57-year-old will soon take on one of his most important roles to date, as ambassador for The Lir, the new National Academy of Dramatic Art in Ireland.
Daniel Day-Lewis
OK, he wasn’t born here, but he’s an Irish citizen, he lives here and he’s become more Irish than the Irish themselves. Day-Lewis is our Brando; the Method man whom other actors can only look on with envy. Those Oscars for 'My Left Foot' and 'There Will Be Blood' are just highlights of a career that includes such gems as 'My Beautiful Laundrette', 'The Crucible', 'In The Name of the Father' and 'Gangs of New York'. We await his next move with interest.
Maureen O'Hara
It’s a long way from Beechwood Avenue in Ranelagh to the top of the Hollywood tree but Maureen FitzSimons managed to make that journey with aplomb. Maureen O’Hara wasn’t just the Queen of Technicolor, she was arguably, at one time, the most famous Irish person in the world. Long may she reign.
Peter O’Toole
If Maureen is Ireland’s Queen of Hollywood, Peter O’Toole must be the king. The Galway man made the biggest splash of any Irish actor when he landed the lead role in David Lean’s magnificent epic 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962). That was the first of eight Oscar nods, none of which (infamously) he managed to convert, but his body of work is immense and there’s still time.
