The United States-Ireland Alliance celebrated the 20th Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday night at the Ebell Theater in Los Angeles.
The award aims to recognize creators of Irish descent, and this year’s honors included Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson and director Lee Cronin, as well as Irish-American actress Maura Tierney.
“You’ve all heard about the British musical invasion. Well, now we have the Irish invasion in movies and on TV,” said that night’s host Matt Walsh.
Director Walsh gave a shoutout to Ireland’s nominees for the upcoming 98th Oscar Awards, several of whom were in attendance, including Avatar: Fire and Ash visual effects artist Richie Banneham. John Kelly and Andrew Friedman are the producers of the animated short film “Retirement Plan,” for which Gleason provided the voice. And Ken Wardrop, the producer of “Sanatorium,” which was submitted by Ireland as an international feature film.
Walsh’s mention of Jessie Buckley drew thunderous applause from the audience, with the Killarney native set to make history as the first Irish-born woman to win the Best Actress award on Sunday.
Blumhouse Productions CEO Jason Blum introduced Cronin, co-creator of the upcoming horror film reboot Hamunaptra. Director Blum thanked the “very bright and cheerful Irishman” and said, “Lee’s films feel like a dark mirror that he holds up to us so that we can laugh at the vile absurdity of this world.”
Cronin recalled the first time he attended the Oscar Wilde Awards 10 years ago: “It was my first time going to Los Angeles and I was so naive. I made business cards with my face drawn on WhatsApp.” Steven Spielberg (Cronin’s longtime hero) never used the business card he was given, but Cronin looks back on that night fondly.
“This was the beginning of a new business that I am very proud of. You have to be naive to continue this business and dream of transitioning. I strongly believe in that. So I will remain naive.”
Gleason, who currently stars in “The Paper,” was also introduced to him by one of his former co-creators, “Star Wars” director J.J. Abrams. The two met on The Force Awakens, and Gleason’s character was killed off at the beginning of the sequel, The Last Jedi, though Gleason joked that it was because he couldn’t get his lines right on the first day of filming with the director.
Gleason told Variety of Abrams, “He’s a great filmmaker and a wonderful person. I was very honored when he offered to give me the award.” Mr Gleeson added: “Many of the people who have won this award over the years have been very outstanding. Catherine O’Hara was one of them. Her clubs are all clubs that I am very proud to be a member of.”
“Hollywood and Ireland are very different places, and while they both tend to be overly romanticized, the truth is that there is something inherently romantic about both,” Gleason said. “I would like to thank all the Americans here, including JJ and my beloved ‘The Paper’ gang, for allowing me to work with them. And I would like to thank the filmmakers and performers from my home country who continue to inspire me and make me want to be a better actor.”
Mr Abrams began his speech by poking fun at a Vogue Australia article listing the world’s “70 most famous redheads”, claiming that Mr Gleeson should be number two after his father, Brendan Gleeson.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with many great actors over my career, but none as brilliant, kind, dedicated, considerate, funny, considerate, famous, and authentic as Domhnall Gleeson,” Abrams said.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” actress Monica Horan Rosenthal took to the stage to introduce Tierney, who currently plays Lt. Jessica Brady on “Law & Order.”
“I’m really, really happy to receive this honor tonight,” Tierney told Variety on the green carpet. “I’ve been in show business for a long time, and no one really talks about my Irish heritage.”
In her speech, Tierney spoke about her grandmother, Nan Costello, who immigrated to Boston from County Leitrim, Ireland, in 1926.
Tierney, who appeared in the 2011 production of God of Carnage in Dublin, said: “I’m lucky to be able to work as an actor in Ireland.” “Walking down that street, I felt part of the legacy, both artistically and personally. I don’t think my grandmother ever imagined that I would be performing in Ireland now, 80 years after she left. I would love to have that opportunity again.”
“I’m really proud of Trina Vargo, the visionary who started this American-Irish alliance in the late ’90s. It’s about bringing people together, and I think that’s what we all desperately need right now: an excuse to come together, and she gave us that,” Abrams told Variety.
The evening ended with musical performances by Dermot Kennedy and Dave Loft.
