In Pictures: Cork star Éanna Hardwicke among creatives honoured at Oscar Wilde Awards
Éanna Hardwicke and John C. Reilly are honored at the US-Ireland Alliance's 19th annual Oscar Wilde Awards at Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.
Cork actor and filmmaker Éanna Hardwicke was among the creative minds honoured at the US-Ireland Alliance’s 19th annual Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday.
The Ebell Los Angeles was the site of the awards, an annual event created nearly 20 years ago by Alliance founder Trina Vargo.
Also honoured on the night were actor John C. Reilly and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
Presenters of the awards were Will Ferrell, Hylda Queally, and Macdara Kelleher, and Cork singers Lenii and Eiza Murphy performed on the night.
Macdara Kelleher, a founder of Wild Atlantic Pictures and producer of the upcoming film , presented the Wilde Card Award to Éanna Hardwicke, who plays Irish soccer legend Roy Keane in the film, describing him as a brilliant and fearless actor.
Hardwicke addressed Reilly and Ferrell from the stage, noting that he grew up watching them in , and joked that quoting the movie was how he and his brother communicated with each other.
He said he was honored to be in the company of others who’d receive the award, such as Saoirse Ronan, Eve Houston, and Barry Keoghan.
In presenting to Kathleen Kennedy, Hylda Queally recounted how they first met in 1989, when Queally had just arrived from Ireland, describing a booklet called the Hollywood Directory - the who's who of everyone in Hollywood.
“I figured it might be a really good idea to scan it, come up with someone with an Irish name, preferably a woman, and then decide that person was going to create the map for me to navigate Hollywood. And look who I happened to find,” she said.
Queally noted Kennedy as a producer who, for over four decades, has made extraordinary contributions to storytelling, shaping the way we experience film.
Kennedy, who has produced some of the most iconic and beloved stories of our time, producing or executive producing more than 70 feature films, which collectively have garnered 120 Academy Award nominations, spoke of her many connections from filming with J.J. Abrams in Dingle and on Skellig Michael, collaborating with Daniel Day Lewis on
“Working with Liam Neeson on Schindler’s List was a highlight of my career,” she said.
Kennedy also spoke of the history of Irish animation and said she would soon embark on a project with Cartoon Saloon. In closing, she noted that there is “something about the Irish spirit. It's the resilience, creativity, and love of storytelling that has left a lasting impression on me.”
Will Ferrell presented to his good friend John C. Reilly, saying: “All the gifts that historically have come out of Irish society radiate from John.” He spoke of Reilly’s incredible body of work, including , , , and
In a moving acceptance speech, Reilly spoke of his love of Ireland and growing up in the very Irish south side of Chicago and his connections to Ireland.
“While you give me this award tonight, you've already given me so much,” he said.
He spoke of how much he has learned from the Irish, including the Irish people’s love of democracy and common decency.
Speaking about Oscar Wilde and his vulnerability, Reilly noted how “those in power who were not confident enough to trust the truth of love sought to destroy him” and said that Oscar dying penniless in a cheap French hotel may make it appear to some that the Establishment succeeded in destroying him but that his work lives on and tells another story of “resilience, survival and brilliance”.
Also present at the event was Northern Ireland editor Nick Emerson who is nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Film Editing for , Irish producers of the film , Ruth Treacy and Julianne Ford of Tailored Films, and writers of the FX series , Joshua Zetumer, Kirsten Sheridan and Clare Barron.
Among the those hitting the green carpet were former Oscar Wilde Award honorees Richie Baneham and Sarah Bolger; Frankie Shaw who was just back from Ireland, having directed Liam Neeson in ; Thaddea Graham of ; as well as Eoin Macken, Matt Walsh, Aisha Tyler & Emmett Hughes, Kevin Ryan, Alice Eve, Samantha Mumba, Nick McCarthy, and Glen Keogh.
The programme was MC’d by Alliance founder Trina Vargo, who noted that the event was the catalyst for director JJ Abrams filming on Skellig Michael in Ireland, with the obvious support of Lucasfilm President Kathy Kennedy.
Referring to plans for an upcoming film focused on the Daisy Ridley character, Vargo said: “We’re all hoping that Rey will have to return to the planet Ahch-To.”
