The IFTA Film & Drama Awards are now just four days away (Sunday May 24) and IFTN is continuing their coverage with a look at the nominees of the Best Supporting Actress in film category.
The nominees this year are Kerry Condon (‘Gold’), Sinéad Cusack (‘Queen & Country’), Sarah Greene (‘Noble’) and Catherine Walker (‘Patrick’s Day’).
Recognised for her performance as plucky mother Alice in Niall Heery’s offbeat drama ‘Gold’, Kerry Condon’s nomination caps off a very fruitful year for the Tipperary actress.
The past 12 months alone have seen her star in the globally-renowned ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff ‘Better Call Saul’ as well as the blockbuster film ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ which is in cinemas now. She has also just been cast in David Fincher’s new HBO drama ‘Video Synchronicity’ which will air next year.
Her role in ‘Gold’ has been acclaimed by publications such as The Irish Times and Film Ireland and this is her second nomination in this category – she was also nominated in 2011 for Ian Power’s ‘The Runway’.
Hoping to repeat the success of last year which saw her win the award in this category for ‘The Sea’ is Sineád Cusack. Nominated this year for John Boorman’s ‘Queen & Country’, this nomination represents Cusack’s third at the IFTA’s after also being nominated in 2007 for ‘The Tiger’s Tail’, another John Boorman picture.
Aside from ‘Queen and Country’, the past year has seen Cusack star in the film ‘Stonehearst Asylum’ opposite Kate Beckinsale and Jim Sturgess. She has also appeared in three episodes of the British television mini-series ’37 Days’.
In ‘Queen and Country’, Cusack plays the protagonist’s mother with her role and that of the entire cast being praised by publications such as Variety, The New York Times and The Telegraph.
Picking up her first nomination this year is ‘Noble’ actress Sarah Greene. Her performance in the film as a young Christina Noble has been widely praised with The Irish Times commenting, “Sarah Greene is nothing less than magnificent as Christina in late adolescence and young adulthood.” It has also garnered an IFTA Rising Star nomination this year.
Greene can currently be seen in the second series of Penny Dreadful on Sky Atlantic playing Hecate Poole and will also be seen in the John Wells helmed comedy Adam Jones alongside Bradley Cooper and fellow Irish actor Jamie Dornan - which will be released next year.
Also picking up her first nomination this year is Catherine Walker.
Walker won acclaim for her role as an existentially distressed flight attendant in Terry McMahon’s ‘Patrick’s Day’ with RTÉ commenting that “Catherine Walker is strong as the suicidal air hostess”.
The actress, who has previously starred in ‘Leap Year’, ‘The Clinic’ and ‘The Silence’, has seen her stock rise over the past year landing a major supporting role in Sky One’s medical drama ‘Critical’ opposite Lennie James – which is airing now.
The IFTA Film & Drama Awards takes place on Sunday, May 24 with TV3 airing a one hour special on the ceremony on Monday, June 1st.