Cillian Murphy pops into Irish-American film awards ahead of big night at the Oscars on Sunday

CILLIAN MURPHY SAYS he’s trying to enjoy the build-up to the Oscars, where he’s tipped to pick up yet another best actor award this Sunday.

“What will be will be,” he told RTÉ Radio this morning. 

But he also found time to pop into another Oscar celebration last night, the Oscar Wilde Awards in California, which celebrates Irish entertainment contributions in the US. 

Hosted at J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath’s Bad Robot production company in Santa Monica, the awards honoured actor Pierce Brosnan, animator and visual effects coordinator Richie Baneham and actor Molly Shannon. 

The awards ceremony has been running for 18 years since it was created by US-Ireland Alliance founder Trina Vargo and bills itself as a more casual event during the busy, glamorous awards show season. 

On receiving his honours, Pierce Brosnan – described as “a true joy and a shining light wherever he goes” – spoke about the importance of Ireland in his life and career. 

Molly Shannon spoke of her excitement about receiving her award and said she’s been learning a lot about her Irish ancestry. She spoke of the influences of her Irish Catholic upbringing, her childhood crush on her Irish priest, and how her first grade, Irish American dance teachers inspired her SNL character Sally O’Malley. 

Multi-Oscar-winning director James Cameron presented Richie Baneham with his award. The two worked together on the Avatar film series which won Baneham two Best Visual Effects Oscars of his own last year and in 2010. 

Baneham spoke of his years training in animation in Ireland, working with Cameron, and his life in LA where he has many friends and colleagues from Dublin.

On the radio this morning, Cillian Murphy was asked if he thought the Irish film industry was “having a moment”.

“I think so,” he said. “It seems to be for sure,” adding praise for “brilliant performances by Barry Keoghan, Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. There’s a good gang of us, and of course there’s Saoirse (Ronan) and Jessie Buckley. There seems to be a good crop around at the moment.”

He also mentioned the success of Irish production Poor Things, which has picking up awards this season alongside Murphy’s Oppenheimer. 

Murphy agreed with the suggestion that the current wave of success in the Irish film industry can be put down to foundations laid by directors Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan.

“I remember vividly, you know, back in the 90s when Jim and Neil were winning their Oscars and Daniel Day Lewis won and Brenda Fricker.

“They were huge moments in our cultural landscape as a country I think and they certainly inspired me as a young fella even though I wasn’t an actor then, but they were just inspiring to the country. And I think the work that Screen Ireland has done as well has been brilliant.”

Asked if the Oscars would be a benefit to him in his future career choices, he said:

“Honestly, I really don’t think about it in strategic terms. Everyone says this but it’s true no one makes films to win awards, we just make them because we enjoy making them.” 

He expressed admiration for Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, and credited him for challenging audiences and making films that “have to be seen in the cinema”. 

Finally, when it was put to him that he may now be the most famous Cork man, more famous than Graham Norton and Roy Keane, Murphy said, “To me, no one will be more famous than Roy Keane coming out of Cork.”

“I’m a big Roy Keane fan so he’s always number one for me… sorry Graham.”