It’s been a phenomenal run for the British and Irish actors in Hollywood as they’ve dominated this year’s awards season.
Yet Barry Keoghan’s luck came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as he was snubbed from the Best Actor category when the Academy Awards nominations were announced.
The Dublin-born star, 31, was not recognised for his role in Saltburn, despite being nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe.
Conversely, Cork native Cillian, 47, continued his clean sweep of nominations as he received a Best Actor nod for his titular role in Oppenheimer.
He is currently the 4/5 bookies’ frontrunner to win the award and will compete against Bradley Cooper – Maestro; Colman Domingo – Rustin; Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers and Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction.
Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy (left) Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan in the dust with a Best Actor Oscar nod after his fellow Irishman was snubbed after going head-to-head in awards season
Oppenheimer came away with a leading 13 nominations, receiving nods for Best Picture; Best Director for Christopher Nolan and Best Supporting Actor and Actress for Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt respectively.
In contrast Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn received no nominations in a shock snub.
Christopher has been nominated for five Oscars for his films Momento, Inception, Dunkirk in the past – but has never won.
He’ll be hoping to change his luck with his three-hour epic about the creation of the atomic bomb, which has been an awards season favourite so far.
He will compete against Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall; Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon; Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things and Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest in the directing category.
Robert will be hoping his portrayal of United States Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss will earn him Best Supporting Actor.
He will compete against Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction; Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon; Ryan Gosling – Barbie; Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things.
Meanwhile, Emily – who played Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty – will compete against Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple; America Ferrera – Barbie; Jodie Foster – Nyad; Da’vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers.
Oppenheimer came away with a leading 13 nominations, receiving nods for Best Picture; Best Director for Christopher Nolan and Best Supporting Actor and Actress
Oppenheimer’s box office rival Barbie received eight nominations including nods for Best Picture; Ryan Gosling for Best Supporting Actor; and two Best Song candidates
Oppenheimer’s box office rival Barbie received eight nominations including nods for Best Picture; Ryan Gosling for Best Supporting Actor; and two Best Song candidates.
However, Greta Gerwig was left out of the Best Director category.
Greta was nominated for Best Director in 2018 for her solo directorial debut, Lady Bird.
Only three women have won Oscars for Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow, Chloe Zhao and Jane Campion.
The 96th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 10 at 7pm, hosted for a fourth time by Jimmy Kimmel.
