BRITS MADE A MES-TAKE And Paul’s not first Irish star they’ve tried to claim..
THE BBC has issued a correction and apology after labelling Paul Mescal British following this week’s Oscar nominations.
Kildare man Paul is up for Best Actor for his role in Aftersun. This is one of a record 14 Irish nominations for the 2023 awards show.
Reporting on this, the BBC wrongly said: “British actors Paul Mescal and Bill Nighy are nominated for leading role.”
They later apologised, saying: “In text running across the screen we reported that Paul Mescal was one of two British actors who had been nominated for an Oscar for a leading role.
“The text should have said that Paul Mescal is Irish. We apologise for the mistake.”
It isn’t the first time Paul has had to clarify his nationality. Following his rise to fame starring in Normal People, various outlets said he was British, which led him to bluntly tweet “I’m Irish”.
This went on to become the most liked Irish tweet of 2020.
The latest blunder follows a history of Irish artists and sports people having their success claimed by British broadcasters and journalists, as we detail here...
Greene, and Eve Hewson and Sharon Horgan...“
Hewson, the daughter of U2 front man Bono, tweeted: “OH DEAR @nytimesarts. WE ARE IRISH, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.”
She added, “P.S. Anne Marie is Irish/English but... still.”
Birthistle added: “I’ll just speak for myself here but I’m definitely really an IRISH actor @nytimesarts.”
The article has since been amended.
In the wake of her 2016 Bafta nomination for her performance in Brooklyn, journalist Richard Suchet remarked on Sky News that the UK could regard Saoirse Ronan as “one of our own.”
After being called out for the statement Suchet only dug himself into a deeper hole.
In response to a piece written about him on the RTE website he wrote: “She’s from the British Isles, whether you like it or not, Brits will be willing her to win. Glad you got an article out of it tho.”
After much backlash he later apologised.
In 2015 UFC president Dana White got Ireland and the UK confused when conducting a pre-fight interview.
While speaking to McGregor he said: “All of Brazil will be watching him defend his title, all of the UK will be watching. You’ll have Canada, United States, Australia..”
McGregor responded: “Ireland will be watching.”
Not helping his case White responded: “Ireland, Ireland. I thought that was the same thing, apparently not.”
An unimpressed McGregor then stated: “It is most certainly not.”
White later claimed he made the statement deliberately to
wind the fighter up.
When his SWAT co-star Colin Farrell was called British during an interview Jackson decided to speak up. English journalist and television presenter Kate Thornton called “him one of our own.”
An unimpressed Jackson took matters into his own hands stating: “See that’s your problem right there.
“People in the UK have a big problem claiming people who aren’t theirs. We had that problem here in America too, it was called slavery.”
Cillian Murphy has repeatedly told people he is in fact Irish and not British but perhaps most famously during an interview ahead of the release of Inception back in 2010.
While sitting next to Tom Hardy, the interviewer claimed the pair were both British. Murphy firmly replies, “No, I’m Irish”.
Not taking the hint the interviewer continues, “Yeah I know, British”. Murphy doesn’t back down again replying, “No, no, no, I’m Irish”.