Film and TV editor John O’Connor notes how the so-called Irish wave in Hollywood may not be the tsunami Ireland wants it to be, and sits down with Dr. Anthony McIntyre, Assistant Professor in the School of English, Drama and Film at UCD to discuss why that is
They say Irish cinema is on the verge of becoming a leading force in the film industry, but is it truly reaching such a level of dominance ? In recent years, Irish actors have undeniably started to make their mark, with actors like Paul Mescal and Cillian Murphy becoming household names. Yet, could it just be that we're simply eager to see one of our own rise to prominence in the vast expanse of Hollywood? Is this new so-called “Irish wave” dominating the industry as we believe it is or is it merely a ripple caused by a stone we've thrown ourselves?
“The Irish do get a lot of traction, but I don’t know how in terms of the global cinema industry, just how much purchase or leverage Ireland might have yet,” Dr. Anthony McIntyre, a leading scholar in Irish cinema, tells the University Observer.
Despite our current lack of international leverage there is no doubt that Irish production companies are on the rise and gaining more traction at an impressive rate, think of Dublin-based Elemental Pictures film Poor Things (2023) which received a record setting 11 nominations for the Irish production company at the Academy Awards. The Apprentice (2024) one of last year's most controversial films documenting the rise of Donald Trump’s empire also received two nominations this year for the Irish company Tailored Films.
The UK often claim our actors as their own which shifts the focus from Ireland, diverting attention away from Irish talent and instead casting yet another spotlight on the already extensively covered movie industry and talent in England.
However, due to the absence of distinctly Irish subject matters at the core of these films, which is present in films such as The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) or Brooklyn (2015), other countries receive the credit for these Irish productions. Subsequently, when thinking of Irish films you “might think of Kneecap or Banshees of Inisherin, but on the whole, you couldn't make a solid list of 10 Irish films every year.” This is partly due to a lack of awareness regarding which productions are genuinely Irish, as well as the limited number of Irish-made films overall.
This trend extends beyond our production companies and reaches our finest cinematic exports—our actors. The UK often claim our actors as their own which shifts the focus from Ireland, diverting attention away from Irish talent and instead casting yet another spotlight on the already extensively covered movie industry and talent in England.
Academy Award winning actress Brenda Fricker once famously stated “When I’m lying drunk at an airport the press call me Irish…But when I win an Oscar, I’m classified as British.”
The mislabelling of Irish actors as British is also increased by our “proximity to the U.K as it means that a lot of our actors hop over the Irish Sea, developing their talent there instead” and get involved in British TV or theatre, blending into the British entertainment culture, which, admittedly, provides greater opportunities for actors.
There is no doubt that our actors are what will carry us to the forefront of the industry. A name can more often than not get a production off the ground and onto screens. [...] As Irish names gain traction in Hollywood, Irish stories will subsequently follow.
More often than not, when Irish entertainment companies interview Irish actors, the questions tend to be more nationally focused, in contrast to the broader, less region-specific questions posed to their American or British co-stars. Dr. McIntyre tells the University Observer that “Irish actors are almost compelled to don the green jersey whenever they’re abroad, and kind of [promote] their Irishness in certain ways, and are usually more than willing to do that [...] yet you do have a notable cohort of actors who tend not to be pigeonholed by their Irishness.”
There is no doubt that our actors are what will carry us to the forefront of the industry. A name can more often than not get a production off the ground and onto screens. Think of Cillian Murphy in last years’ Small Things Like These, based on the Irish novel of the same name by Claire Keegan and made by Murphy’s own production company Big Things Films. As Irish names gain traction in Hollywood, Irish stories will subsequently follow.
Ireland has often achieved its greatest success on the big and small screen through adaptations of literary works by Irish authors, telling stories that are distinctly Irish. “There tends to be an aspect of Irish artists, storytellers and novelists providing a lot of source material for successful cinema. There is a certain currency in the idea of Irish writers casting a long shadow [in the industry].” Recent examples include Sally Rooney’s Normal People (2020), Colm Toibín’s Brooklyn (2015), Emma Donoghue’s Room (2015), as well as more classic works by Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. This seems to be a winning formula for Irish cinema.
Once again, Ireland has a long way to go before it takes its rightful place in the cinematic ether - but it won't be long until this ripple of Irish influence in the industry transforms into the wave we all want it to become.