Previous Irish recipients include Ruth Negga, Domhnall Gleeson and Andrew Scott.
Every year at the Berlin Film Festival, the jury select a number of up-and-coming actors from around Europe, to be listed among the European Shooting Stars, a prestigious initiative to promote acting talent from all across the continent.
This year, Dublin-born actor Fionn O'Shea has been named among those Shooting Stars. Viewers will likely know him best from his role as Jamie in Normal People, but over the last handful of years, O'Shea has also appeared in some fantastic Irish productions such as Handsome Devil, Dating Amber, and The Siege Of Jadotville, and will next be seen in Cherry, starring alongside Tom Holland in the latest movie from the directors of Avengers: Infinity War.
When it came to selecting O'Shea, the jury had this to say about why they chose him, speaking of his performance in Dating Amber:
"[He] has an ebullience and winsome charm yet, at the same time, misery and rage are always bubbling just below the surface."
Fionn himself had this to say about the nomination:
"It’s such a huge honour to be named as one of this year’s European Shooting Stars and I’m over the moon! I feel so lucky to be in the company of all the brilliant actors this year, and to follow in the footsteps of heroes of mine from previous years. I am extremely grateful to Screen Ireland and to EFP [European Film Promotion] for giving me such an amazing opportunity."
Outside of Negga, Gleeson, and Scott, other previous recipients of the honour include Matilda de Angelis (The Undoing), Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and George MacKay (1917).
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