Irish star Domhnall Gleeson was among the big names celebrated in Los Angeles this week as the US-Ireland Alliance marked the 20th anniversary of its annual Oscar Wilde Awards.
Held at the Ebell of Los Angeles, the star-studded event recognises the contributions Irish talent continues to make to film, television and music.
This year, Domhnall was honoured alongside actor Maura Tierney and director Lee Cronin.
His award was presented by longtime collaborator J. J. Abrams, who worked with the Dublin actor on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In a heartfelt and humorous tribute, Abrams praised Domhnall’s talent and joked that the only way he could possibly be more famous would be “if he were friends with Taylor Swift… which he is!”
Reflecting on his career during his acceptance speech, Domhnall shared a full-circle moment tied to the awards’ milestone anniversary.
“It is cool that this is the 20th anniversary of these awards because on the same week in 2006 that Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan were receiving the first-ever Oscar Wilde Awards, that was my first week on my first acting job in America,” he recalled.
“I was 22 years old… and when I finished that job months later, I had made friends for life.”
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Director Lee Cronin, known for The Mummy and his work in horror, was presented with his award by producer Jason Blum. During his speech, Cronin spoke about the creative connection between Ireland and the United States.
“The US is a big landmass with a lot of money and Ireland has a lot of stories to tell,” he said.
“Let’s put them together and keep doing it.”
The evening, hosted by comedian Matt Walsh, also featured a performance from Irish singer Dermot Kennedy and celebrated the remarkable rise of Irish talent in Hollywood.
