Arts and Culture
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, John C. Reilly and Éanna Hardwicke honored with Oscar Wilde Awards
27 February 2025. The Ebell Los Angeles was the site of the US-Ireland Alliance’s Oscar Wilde Awards, an annual event created nearly 20 years ago by Alliance founder Trina Vargo.
Honored on the night were Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, John C. Reilly and Éanna Hardwicke. Presenters were Will Ferrell, Hylda Queally, and Macdara Kelleher.
Vargo, who emceed the program, noted that the event was the catalyst for director JJ Abrams filming STAR WARS on Skellig Michael in Ireland, with the obvious support of Lucasfilm President Kathy Kennedy. Referring to plans for an upcoming STAR WARS film focused on the Daisy Ridley character, Vargo said, “we’re all hoping that Rey will have to return to the planet Ahch-To.”
Macdara Kelleher, a founder of Wild Atlantic Pictures presented the Wilde Card Award to Éanna Hardwicke. Kelleher produced the upcoming film SAIPAN in which Hardwicke plays Irish soccer legend, Roy Keane. Kelleher described Hardwicke as a brilliant and fearless actor. Hardwicke addressed Reilly and Ferrell from the stage, noting that he grew up watching them in Step Brothers, and joked that quoting the movie was how he and his brother communicated with each other. Hardwicke said he’d coveted this Wilde Card award for a very long time, noting that he was honored to be in the company of others who’d receive the award like Saoirse Ronan, Eve Houston, and Barry Keoghan.
In presenting to Kathleen Kennedy, Hylda Queally recounted how they first met in 1989, when Hylda had just arrived from Ireland. She said there was a booklet called the Hollywood Directory, it was the who's who of everyone in Hollywood: “I figured it might be a really good idea to scan it, come up with someone with an Irish name, preferably a woman, and then decide that person was going to create the map for me to navigate Hollywood. And look who I happened to find.” Queally noted that, “Kathy is a producer who for over four decades has made extraordinary contributions to storytelling, shaping the way we experience film. She has produced some of the most iconic and beloved stories of our time, producing or executive producing more than 70 feature films, which collectively have garnered 120 Academy Award nominations.
Kathy spoke of her many connections from filming STAR WARS with J.J. Abrams in Dingle and on Skellig Micheal, to collaborating with Daniel Day Lewis on LINCOLN, and she said “working with Liam Neeson on SCHINDLER’S LIST was a highlight of my career.” Referencing Vargo’s previous work as Senator Ted Kennedy’s adviser, Kennedy said that “around the same time Trina was helping bring Gerry Adams to Washington, I worked with Jim Sheridan and Terry George on a project that unfortunately never made it to the screen. But the friendships that came from that collaboration are ones I've always treasured. Whether a movie is made or not, the experience is always an education. Before working with Jim and Terry, I knew little about the Troubles and Ireland's complex history. They gave me a perspective that stayed with me ever since.” She also spoke of the history of Irish animation and said she would soon embark on a project with Cartoon Saloon. In closing she noted that there is “something about the Irish spirit. It's the resilience, creativity, and love of storytelling that has left a lasting impression on me. So tonight, let's celebrate the power of collaboration, the friendships we continue to build, and the incredible contributions of Irish artists, filmmakers, and visionaries. The stories we tell matter and the connections we make will shape the future of storytelling in ways we can't yet imagine.”
Kennedy introduced her husband and accomplished producer and director Frank Marshall, now an honorary Irishman. Frank recounted the saying that “if you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough.”
Will Ferrell presented to his good friend John C. Reilly, saying that “all the gifts that historically have come out of Irish society radiate from John.” He spoke of Reilly’s incredible body of work including BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, THE AVIATOR, CHICAGO and THE HOURS. He also spoke of their years of working together, and joked about their near misses of working together, such as when John did THE GANGS OF NEW YORK instead of ANCHORMAN.
In an emotional and moving acceptance speech, Reilly spoke of his love of Ireland and growing up in the very Irish south side of Chicago and his connections to Ireland saying that “while you give me this award tonight, you've already given me so much.” He spoke of how much he’s learned from the Irish, and “what really stands out to me at this moment is their love of democracy and their common decency.… Someone more eloquent than me once said, a nation's greatness is measured by the care they give to the most vulnerable. That's how you make a country great. You put your beliefs to work. That's what the Irish do.
Speaking of Oscar Wilde and his vulnerability saying that “those in power who were not confident enough to trust the truth of love sought to destroy him. Oscar dying penniless in a cheap French hotel may make it appear to some that the Establishment succeeded in destroying him. But his work lives on and tells another story of resilience, survival and brilliance. It lives on and it continues to inspire us…. And I doubt anyone today is receiving an award named after one of those who tried to break him.”
On hand for the event were Northern Ireland editor, Nick Emerson, who is nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Film Editing for CONCLAVE. Also present were Irish producers of the film THE APPRENTICE, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Ford, of Tailored Films. The film had Screen Ireland support and Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong have garnered Oscar nominations for their portrayals of Trump and Roy Cohn.
Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen execs Desiree Finnegan, Andrew Reid, and Steven Davenport were seen speaking with a number of film executives in the room about opportunities for production on the island.
Irish singers Lenii and Eiza Murphy performed. Among those on hand to hear them were several Disney Music Group execs, including Ken Bunt; Spotify’s Global Head of Editorial, Sulinna Ong; John and Patrick Houlihan, Colin Devlin, Brian Scally, Marianne Goode, Kurtis Wade of VNXI, and composers James O’Ceallaigh, Jeff Cardoni, and Bear McCreary.
Also on hand were the writers of the FX series, Say Nothing -- Joshua Zetumer, Kirsten Sheridan and Clare Barron.
Among the those hitting the “green carpet” were former Oscar Wilde Award honorees Richie Baneham and Sarah Bolger. Frankie Shaw, just back from Ireland, having directed Liam Neeson in 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK was there, as were Thaddea Graham of Bad Sisters, Eoin Macken, Matt Walsh, Aisha Tyler & Emmett Hughes, Kevin Ryan, Alice Eve, Samantha Mumba, Nick McCarthy, and Glen Keogh.
Execs at the event included numerous producers including producers Pat Crowley, Joanne Lee of Jackson Pictures; producer Jenifer Westphal of Wavelength Productions; well as execs from Bad Robot, Lucasfilm, The Kennedy Marshall Company, Warner Bros, Amazon, Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Disney, Apple TV+, Mattel Films, Max, MBS, Black Bear, Legendary, AMC Studios, NBC Universal, 20th Century Studios, Bassett Vance Productions, Artists Equity, and Wild Atlantic Pictures.
Guests enjoyed Irish favorites like Wilde Irish Gin’s signature cocktail – a Wilde Irish Coffee, mini mugs of Irish stew, fish & chips, the mashed potato bar, Taytos, Five Farms Irish Cream, Writers Tears Whiskey, Guinness, Irish coffees, cheeses and breads. The iconic Beverly Hills Hotel was the hotel sponsor for the event, and The Hollywood Reporter was the Media sponsor.