Hot for 2015 - Ireland's Film & TV Stars

Dave Rudden

We would tell you to remember the name Dave Rudden, but realistically, you won’t have a choice. The Cavan native is set to become a major star after writing a brilliant, sophisticated and lyrical YA trilogy called The Borrowed Darkness, which is set to put him in the ranks of writers like JK Rowling and Philip Pullman. A fantastical, stunning and searingly intelligent work which introduces orphan Denizen Hardwick to a beautiful and terrible world of magic, The Borrowed Dark sent the publishing world into a frenzied bidding war – and a film adaptation is already in the works. A-List names are being considered, and Rudden is already working on the exciting and emotionally devastating sequels. We’re dying to see how Rudden’s inspiring and enthralling world unfolds both on the page and the screen.

Barry Keoghan

At just 22, Keoghan is rapidly becoming one of Ireland’s brightest new stars. Gaining infamy on Love/Hate as the cat-killing Wayne, the young actor is now being courted by Hollywood and bringing his mixture of youthful vulnerability, intuitive intelligence and compelling hint of volatility to numerous upcoming projects. Impressing in Yann Demange’s emotionally gripping drama ’71 and the Dublin-based romantic comedy Standby, Keoghan has now landed parts alongside Brendan Gleeson and Michael Fassbender in Trespass Against Us, the Rachel Griffiths-starring drama Mammal and the upcoming thriller Norfolk – to name but a few. The ambitious young actor has also written a script called Quick Smart which is loosely based on his experiences growing up in foster care. We can’t wait to see this multi-talented actor soar.

Jonas Armstrong

The Dublin-born actor has been making waves on both the small and big screen for quite some time, and 2015 may be the year he becomes a household name. The actor is best-known for playing the title role in the BBC One’s Robin Hood and his recurring role on comedy series Teachers, and now he’s breaking into the film industry. He was incredible in Walking With The Enemy, a true story of a young man who used a stolen Nazi uniform to free hundreds of Jews. The drama also starred Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley, and Armstrong’s performance earned him a Stars On The Horizon award at the Ford Lauderdale International Film Festival. Last year he also beat a host of young hopefuls to act alongside Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in the hugely successful action film Edge Of Tomorrow, marking him as both a fantastic dramatic actor and an action star in the making.

Killian Scott

Having shocked, thrilled and devastated us with his role as Tommy, the reluctant gang member on RTÉ’s brilliant Love/Hate, Dublin-born Scott is now taking the film industry by storm, and is set to become one of the country’s most prolific and diverse actors. He showed his versatilty last year, starring as a punk singer in Good Vibrations and a funny but vulnerable young man with Asperger syndrome in John Michael McDonagh’s critically acclaimed Calvary, starring Brendan Gleeson. Scott also impressed in the brutal and thrilling ’71, and has several exciting projects in the pipeline. He’ll be exercising his comedic chops in Get Up And Go, a dramedy about a close-knit group of twenty-somethings navigating love and life; and the black comedy Traders starring David McSavage, Moe Dunford and Love/Hate co-star Barry Keoghan.

Annie Atkins

It’s been an incredible month for the Dublin-based graphic designer. Early this January, acclaimed Dublin band We Cut Corners released Atkins’ stunning video for their new song, ‘Mammal’. The beautiful, quirky and subtly existential promo used playful animation, highlighting her striking blend of idiosyncratic aesthetics and thoughtful philosophies. It’s a striking combination – one that’s just received a particularly special endorsement. Atkins worked as the lead graphic designer for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, where she created a dizzying amount of gorgeous and intricate props, which became a vital part of the film’s incredible visuals. Among the nine – yes, nine – Academy Award nominations, Annie and her team received a well-deserved nomination for Production Design. And that’s only one of two Oscar-nominated films Atkins worked on – she also contributed to the brilliant stop-motion animation feature The Boxtrolls, where she texturised a world of misunderstood creatures who live underground and wear cardboard packaging for clothes. The film has received a nomination for Best Animated Feature, and cemented Atkins’ reputation as a good-luck charm for anyone looking for an Academy Award.