Irish Film Industry Brings Home Two Emmy Awards
The Irish film industry has received major international acclaim last night as Irish star Brendan Gleeson and Irish director Dearbhla Walsh scooped an Emmy Award at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards which took place in Los Angeles.
The award winning actor Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter, In Bruges) won his first Emmy award in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie category for his performance as Winston Churchill in the UK drama INTO THE STORM.
Irish director Dearbhla Walsh was awarded the prize for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special category for her work on the BBC drama LITTLE DORRIT. Two out of the six nominations in this category were for Irish directors. Walsh was nominated alongside fellow Irish director Thaddeus O’Sullivan who was nominated for his work on the HBO drama INTO THE STORM. Walsh has just finished directing episodes of The Tudors the final series which is currently filming in Wicklow.
Simon Perry, Chief Executive of the IFB said “It’s great to see, amid the gloom of such a recession, that the flames of Irish talent burns as brightly as ever. Irish directors, actors, writers and film crew are a great asset to Ireland, and these awards will ensure that we continue to retain our international reputation for creativity and innovation.”
Ireland received ten Emmy award nominations in total between the Emmy Creative Arts awards and the Primetime awards. Irish actor star Gabriel Byrne (Jindabyne, Vanity Fair) was nominated for the second year running and previously scooped the Golden Globe award last year for his performance in IN TREATMENT.
Costume Designer Consolata Boyle was also nominated for her work on the HBO drama INTO THE STORM which followed the post-war life of Winston Churchill in the Outstanding Costumes for a Mini-Series, Movie or a Special.
Production Designer Tom Conroy, Costume Designer Joan Bergin and Wardrobe Supervisor Susan O'Connor Cave, Casting Directors Frank and Nuala Moiselle and Head Hairstylist Dee Corcoran were all nominated for their work on THE TUDORS series. Bergin has previously brought home two Emmy awards for The Tudors.
THE TUDORS, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII, focuses on the turbulent years of his near 40 year reign as the King of England. While the third series is currently being aired on BBC2, filming of the fourth series is currently underway in various locations throughout Dublin and Wicklow. The series is an official Irish/Canadian co-production and is co-financed by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB). The series is produced by TM Productions and PA Tudors, with the support of Morgan O'Sullivan's production company World 2000 Entertainment, for the Showtime US TV channel.
The Emmy Awards are considered one of the most prestigious international awards for television entertainment and are regarded as the television equivalent to the Academy Awards for film.