THE LONDON Film Critics Circle landed itself in hot water yesterday when it claimed three major Irish screen stars as British.
Saoirse Ronan, Michael Fassbender and Colin Farrell were all shortlisted for the organisation’s 2015 as “British” actors.
Fassbender and Farrell appeared on the shortlist for British Actor of the Year, while Brooklyn star Ronan was up for British Actress of the Year.
Irish filmmaker Emma Donoghue was also nominated for Breakthrough British Filmmaker of the Year.
Twitter was chock-a-block with people complaining about the London Film Critics Circle naming the Irish stars as British until the awards names were changed last night.
Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell are British now? 😂 What part of Britain has those accents? @londoncritics https://t.co/4F2lFlCiDe
— Roisin Ingle (@roisiningle) December 15, 2015
@MrPaulDuane @DonaldClarke63 in fairness, dubbing Saoirse Ronan or Colin Farrell British smacks of desperation on @londoncritics part.
— John Maguire (@JMaguireCritic) December 15, 2015
Dear @londoncritics. Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender and Saoirse Ronan are not British. 800 jaysus years, lads. 800 years.
— Peter Kavanagh (@TheKavOfficial) December 15, 2015
The massive backlash on social media saw the London Film Critics Circle backtrack on its British claims.
Yesterday saw the names of the awards changed on the website – to be inclusive of Irish films, actors and writers.
Ronan is now up for ‘Actress of the Year’, while Fassbender and Farrell are nominated for ‘Actor of the Year.
Donoghue’s award was renamed ‘Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year’.
The winners of the awards will be announced on January 17.
