Four Stars to Applaud This St. Patrick’s Day
Brilliant performances that prove these actors have much more than the luck of the Irish
From parades and shamrock displays to corned beef and cabbage dinners, St. Patrick’s Day invites everyone to toast, “Erin go Bragh.” We’re celebrating Ireland this year by showcasing some of the incredible cinematic talents that have come from the Emerald Isle.
From masters like Ciarán Hinds to breakout stars like Jessie Buckley, these artists capture the magic of being Irish.
Jessie Buckley
Jessie Buckley in Hamnet
Having won the Academy Award® for Best Actress—as well as a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice award—for Hamnet, Jessie Buckley is one of the most acclaimed actresses of our time. Indeed, when the film first premiered, Rolling Stone wrote that people “will be talking about Jessie Buckley’s performance for years.” Born in Killarney, County Kerry, Jessie Buckley demonstrated her dramatic bent in high school—both for acting on stage and playing in the local orchestra—before honing her talent at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). After appearing in various theatrical and television productions, Buckley gained international prominence as a struggling country-western singer 2018’s Wild Rose, for which she received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In 2021, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Lost Daughter. “Buckley is nothing less than magical. Her ability to tap into the raw anger, frustration and fear alongside elation and relief is a sight to behold,” writes The Wrap.
The official trailer for Hamnet
Ciarán Hinds
Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville in Midwinter Break
In Midwinter Break, Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville appear in “a lovely late-in-life relationship drama,” which stars, according to Next Best Picture, “two of our finest actors.” Born in Belfast in 1953, Hinds was awarded this year the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award for his legacy of remarkable performances. After honing his dramatic skills on stage, Hinds began appearing in films, often making an indelible impression in supporting performances. Hinds showed his versatility in comedies like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and In Bruges, and thrillers like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to Closed Circuit. Hinds was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Belfast for playing a grandfather “delivering life lessons and homespun wisdom with real warmth and charm,” writes IGN.
The official trailer for Midwinter Break
Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal in Hamnet
In Hamnet, Paul Mescal plays Will Shakespeare, a young man with a dream to write who falls in love with a bewitching local woman (Jessie Buckley). Their love and losses ultimately stir the emotions that created his greatest drama. Deadline writes, “the actor brings deep unleashed power to his performance, especially in the staging of Hamlet.” Born in Dublin in 1996, Mescal started acting at 16 in a high school production. Mescal told Rolling Stone, “With the acting thing, I loved doing it, but I didn’t know if I was good.” After his performance in the TV series, Normal People, critics and audiences agreed how good he really was. Mescal continued to affirm his talent in films like All of Us Strangers, Aftersun—for which he received an Academy Award® nomination—and Hamnet.
Caitríona Balfe
Caitríona Balfe in Belfast
In Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s award-winning film about growing up in Northern Ireland, Caitríona Balfe stands out in an extraordinary ensemble cast. The Playlist writes, “She’s a powerful screen presence who adds another emotional element to the story as a long-suffering wife trying to keep her family together.” Born in Dublin and having grown up in a small Irish village, Balfe was launched into international fame at age 18 as a fashion model. Moving into film and television, she gained attention for her role in the TV series Outlander. For her performance in Belfast, Balfe was nominated for a BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe award. Balfe told Harper’s Bazaar, “I wanted to honor the amazing Irish women that I know and love, who love very fiercely and are quick to laugh and quick to enjoy life.” This fall, Balfe appears in Georgia Oakley’s new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.
The official trailer for Belfast