Chris Walley Wins Olivier Award For Best Supporting Actor

Chris Walley, a 24-year-old Cork-born actor known for his role as Jock Murphy in The Young Offenders, received the Olivier award for Best Supporting Actor at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night. Walley was honoured with the award for his role as Davey in Martin McDonagh's play, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, which ran in the West End last year.

Walley said playing Davey in the black comedy was "a bit overwhelming and mad".

The play centres on Padraic, the 'mad' leader of an Irish National Liberation Army splinter group who returns home to Inishmore to seek revenge for his cat Wee Thomas' death. It has been produced twice in the West End and on Broadway, where it received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play.

The Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to… @ChrisWalley95 for @LieutenantPlay! #OlivierAwards pic.twitter.com/Y6hZIup5VA

— Olivier Awards (@OlivierAwards) April 7, 2019

After finishing his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, Walley appeared in The Lieutenant of Inishmore opposite Aidan Turner, Charlie Murphy and Denis Conway.

He told the Press Association: "That was my first job out of drama school and I couldn't have really asked for a better first job.

"I love Martin McDonagh's stuff. I grew up reading his work and I always dreamed of getting cast in one, and for Michael Grandage to be directing it, it was kind of bit overwhelming and mad.

"To play the part of Davey is just such a treat as well, I had the best summer. The cast were just such a lovely group of people, and that's rare, or at least I have been told it is."

Walley was joined in the best supporting actor category at the Olivier awards by Keir Charles for Quiz, Adam Gillen for Killer Joe, Adrian Lukis for The Price and Malcolm Sinclair for Pressure.