In an another impressive day for Irish film, Cillian Murphy, Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have all been nominated for acting awards at the upcoming British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards (Bafta).
There was more success for Element Pictures with Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, produced by the Dublin company, picking up 11 nominations, including those for best film, best director and, honouring Emma Stone’s electric lead turn, best actress.
Poor Things was just behind Oppenheimer, which landed 13. Robbie Ryan, one of Ireland’s most celebrated film professionals, lands a nomination in best cinematography for the Lanthimos film.
Murphy, still a marginal Oscar favourite, competes in the best actor category for his performance as J Robert Oppenheimer, in Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer.
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Keoghan, winner of last year’s best supporting actor Bafta, is up against Murphy in the main race for his turn as a disrupter to the upper classes in Emerald Fennell’s much-discussed Saltburn.
Mescal lands a best supporting nod for playing Andrew Scott’s lover in Andrew Haigh’s highly praised All of Us Strangers. Scott was hotly tipped for a nomination and it counts as a major upset that he was left out of the best actor selection.
Both Irish actors received huge praise when All of Us Strangers premiered at the Telluride film festival in late August.
Murphy seems certain to gain a shortlisting with the American Academy. Despite the disappointment, Scott still competes hopeful for his own spot at the Oscars.
Mescal was seen as an outsider, but now looks to have a chance. His nomination here was a minor surprise.
By far the biggest shock overall was the exclusion of Lily Gladstone, star of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, in the best actress category. The Native American performer was seen as a strong favourite to win the corresponding Oscar. The surprise inclusion there was Vivian Oparah for the British comedy Rye Lane.
Oppenheimer was the most nominated title with 13 mentions. The Nolan film looks like the juggernaut to beat.
Naomi Ackie and Kingsley Ben-Adir made the announcement from Bafta headquarters at 195 Piccadilly in central London.
The awards ceremony, hosted by David Tennant, will take place on February 18th at the Royal Festival Hall.
