Irishmen dominate Golden Globe actor nominations in quiet year for Britons

The Irish are coming – the trio of Andrew Scott, Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan all received Golden Globe nominations

Irish actors have dominated the nominations for leading men at the Golden Globes.

It was announced on Monday that Andrew Scott, Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan are all in contention in the category of best actor in a dramatic role.

It marks the best-ever year of nominations for Ireland’s leading men, while no British actors were picked for the main film categories.

Past nomination lists for best actor have only included lone Irishmen, including Michael Fassbender and Richard Harris.

Andrew Scott, best known for his role as the priest in Fleabag, has been nominated for his role in the romantic fantasy film All of Us Strangers.

Andrew Scott, better known as the ‘Hot Priest’ in Fleabag, has received a nomination for his role in All Of Us Strangers – Parisa Taghizadeh

Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy has been nominated for his leading role as the eponymous scientist in Oppenheimer, and relative newcomer Barry Keoghan has been given the nod for his performance in Saltburn.

Keoghan, 31, is a rising star and was nominated in 2022 for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his supporting role in The Banshees of Inisherin. The actor recently explained that he went “method” for his latest role, retaining the accent of his character Oliver Quick and staying “in the clothes he wears”.

Murphy (seen here on the right with Matt Damon) has been nominated for his leading role as the eponymous scientist in Oppenheimer

They are up against Bradley Cooper, nominated for his turn as conductor Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, Leonardo DiCaprio for his performance as a greedy war veteran in Killers of the Flower Moon, and Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin, an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr in Rustin.

Keoghan’s English co-star Rosamund Pike has earned a best actress in a drama nomination for her part in the black comedy, but fellow Britons have not fared as well as previous years.

Keoghan said he went all ‘method’ for his role in Saltburn

This year has seen the fewest Britons nominated for film acting awards since 2011. Alongside Pike the only other British nominees are Emily Blunt, for her supporting role in Oppenheimer, and Carey Mulligan for her performance alongside Cooper in Maestro.

Possibility for British television triumphs 

While no male British stars were nominated for the film awards, they fared better in the Globes’ television categories.

Brian Cox got a nod for his role in the hit family drama Succession, while co-star Matthew Macfadyen earned a nomination for his supporting role. Meanwhile Gary Oldman was recognised for his performance in the spy thriller Slow Horses, while Helen Mirren earned a best television actress nod for the Western drama 1923.

The Crown fared well, with Dominic West nominated for his portrayal of Prince Charles, as well as Imelda Staunton, who played Queen Elizabeth II.

West recently revealed that he was struggling to rid himself of the mannerisms he had copied from Charles, saying: “It’s a very hard part to shake off. I found myself doing it the other day, fiddling with my ring finger, and all the little things he does, and the way he points.”

The Crown, which will air its final episodes on Netflix this week, helped the streaming platform garner 13 nominations.

Warner Bros scored 35 thanks to the hit release Barbie, which became the highest-grossing film of 2023. The comedy starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling has earned nine nominations, including those for best picture, for best director in Greta Gerwig, and best actress and best supporting actor for Robbie and Gosling respectively.

Barbie will go head-to-head against its rival Oppenheimer for several awards, including best director for Christopher Nolan, after the “Barbenheimer” frenzy gave cinemas across the world a boost over the summer.

Winners in the 81st edition of the awards will be announced on January 7, live from a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

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