Latest news with #Angela'sAshes
Irish Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gerry Hannan from Late Late Frank McCourt video speaks out after fake obituary
Limerick's Gerry Hannan, who may be best known for accusing Frank McCourt of "peddling lies' in an iconic exchange on the Late Late Show in 1999, has set the record straight after a fake obituary was published about him one week ago. Mr Hannan, who became a nationwide name after a snippet of a now infamous Late Late Show interview with Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt and Pat Kenny. In the 1999 segment, Pat opens the floor up to questions, introducing a yellow-suit clad Gerry, who Pat says has been involved in an 'ongoing battle with Frank McCourt'. 'It must be one sided, I don't know anything about that', Frank quickly interjects. Speaking over host Pat Kenny, who was attempting to share a book about Limerick and Frank McCourt that Gerry had penned, exclaimed: 'Yes you do, you know everything about it Frank, you have been peddling lies about Limerick for the last two and a half years.' He continues: 'In every television station, in every newspaper, you have told lies, about Limerick, about your mother, about Theresa Carmody, about Willie Harold, you have done nothing but lied. 'You are a liar, you are a self confessed liar'. The Limerick man goes on to say that the Angela's Ashes character Theresa Carmody was 'three days away from her death' when McCourt penned that he had 'sexual intercourse' with her in the book - alleging that Frank never mentioned it was with her consent, before asking 'Was it with her consent Frank?'. Frank then calmly responds, 'there was Theresa Carmody, it was a made up name'. Before the pair engage in a back and forth about how factual Frank's famous book was. The iconic video became a part of Ireland's cultural fabric, with Hardy Buck's star Viper Higgins propelling it further with a parody of the exchange. But around one week ago, an obituary popped up for the 'Limerick‑born writer, broadcaster, historian and archivist' Gerry Hannan on EverLoved, reporting he had 'passed away peacefully on 5 July 2025 at University Hospital Limerick'. News spread like wildfire across social media that Gerry had passed, with tributes flooding Instagram stories and Facebook posts - but around two days after the obituary surfaced, Gerry went live on his YouTube channel to set the record straight and confirm the rumours of his 'early demise have been greatly exaggerated". In a video on YouTube titled I'm Not Dead Gerry shared: 'I know people are very disappointed to learn that I am actually still alive and I have no idea but I could make a highly educated guess as to who is behind posting my obituary notice'. He went on to say that he was struck that 'no one seemed to show any real remorse' at his 'demise', adding that a particular individual was still 'peddling lies' about them.
Extra.ie
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
A long way from Tipperary! The rise and rise of Kerry Condon
Actress Kerry Condon has certainly come a very long way from her hometown of Tipperary. A native of Thurles, Kerry's big screen career has gone into literal and metaphorical overdrive with her standout performance in Brad Pitt's new race car flick F1. While Hollywood hottie Brad may be in the driving seat in the film, which is proving a smash hit with movie goers, and Kerry's standout performance has helped steer the movie into pole position. Kerry Condon. Pic:F1 sees Kerry take on the role of Kate McKenna, a technical director on the Formula 1 race team, that sees Pitt come out of retirement to mentor a fledgling driver. Condon collaborated with Northern Irish F1 analyst Bernie Collins to ensure a thorough, authentic performance. And while Kerry is garnering stellar reviews for her role in the Hollywood film, her success is by no means overnight. Kerry Condon at the IFTA Awards 2024 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Pic: Brian McEvoy In fact, Kerry's love of acting began on her family farm in Thurles, which took her to the Royal Shakespearean Theatre and from there on to Hollywood. Kerry's love for acting first emerged whilst working alongside her father on the family farm in Thurles, surrounded by animals and open fields. Kerry's imagination ran rampant. It was amidst this backdrop that her passion for performance was nurtured and led her to the Dublin Theatre Arts School. Kerry Condon. Pic:Then, at just 16, Kerry landed her first role in Alan Parker's Angela's Ashes, marking the start of a glittering career. Her early television appearances saw her land roles in the BBC series Ballykissangel, but it was theatre that saw her true talents shine bright. Her groundbreaking role came in 2001 when she took on the part of Ophelia, making her the youngest actress to tackle this classic with the Royal Shakespeare Company. This, coupled with her stage work in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, marked Kerry out for true stardom. Through the years, Kerry Condon has played a diversity of different roles that run the gamut of genres. Her filmography charts her rise from stage to small screen to global movie theatres. In 2003, Kerry's first big screen break saw her delve into the realm of historical fiction when she played the part of Kate Kelly, the outlaw sister of Ned Kelly, alongside Heath Ledger, in the Hollywood-produced movie Ned Kelly. Her next big part came in 2005 when she starred in the HBO/BBC series Rom, taking on the supporting character Octavia of the Julii. And small screen success was to continue with aplomb when she was cast in the Breaking Bad spin-off seems Better Call Saul, where she appeared for seven seasons. Her next big screen standout role was to come in the smash hit Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which saw her once again work with acclaimed director Martin McDonagh. But it was in 2022 that Condon's true talents were globally recognised when she was nominated for an Oscar for her stellar performance in The Banshees of Inisherinwhere she appeared alongside Colin Farrell. While she didn't win the Oscar, Kerry did earn a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. But while her career is firmly on show in her personal life, Condon is far more low-key. But her love of animals has stayed with her from her childhood farm in Thurles as she runs an animal sanctuary in her adopted home of Washington State.
Sunday World
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Thurles star Kerry Condon on being ‘in the moment' with Brad Pitt in new F1 film
Kerry Condon hits the fast lane in her new role as a woman in the male-dominated world of F1. By Deirdre Reynolds Kerry with Pitt in a scene from the movie Kerry was the first choice to play Kate McKenna in F1: The Movie Kerry Condon has spilled about being 'in the moment' with on-screen love interest Brad Pitt. The Tipperary star is currently living life in the fast lane in F1: The Movie opposite the Oscar winner. And she praised the Hollywood A-lister for his effortless turn as a never-was Formula 1 driver given one more shot at glory. 'Brad is just such a natural actor — it's crazy,' beams Kerry, best known for her Academy Award-nominated role in The Banshees of Inisherin. 'He's a very in-the-moment actor, and so am I. It's such a pleasure to act with him.' Thurles native Kerry got her big break in Angela's Ashes in 1996, before going on to appear in acclaimed films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and small screen hits including The Walking Dead. Now her movie career is revving up another gear as the race director of the fictional F1 team headed by Pitt's Sonny Hayes in the high-octane action flick. Kerry with Pitt in a scene from the movie 'Sonny is a wild card, rogue and unpredictable on track, but that's exactly what this team needs,' explains Kerry, who gets to use her own accent as Kate McKenna, whom viewers first meet at a low ebb. 'They have been a team for two-and-a-half seasons, and they have zero points. The vibe is not good, and she's lost confidence in herself. 'She's a little defensive with [Sonny] in the beginning, because he's criticising her car. But then, when he scores their very first point by playing these crazy games, there's an element of 'Huh, he's kind of smart, actually'. 'She realises that he's not being wild and crazy for the sake of it — there's a strategy here,' she continues. 'She sees a kindred spirit, in that she feels like he's smarter than he's letting on. They begin to work together as a team, which raises her confidence, and that begins their flirtation.' Kerry was the first choice to play Kate McKenna in F1: The Movie News in 90 Seconds - June 28th Also featuring Javier Bardem, as the old teammate who lures Sonny back into the sport, and Damson Idris, as the up-and-comer whom he mentors, Apple Original Films' hyper-realistic production was filmed using real race cars on actual F1 tracks during Grand Prix events. Director Joseph Kosinski revealed how Kerry's character also nods to the real-life heroines of the historically male-dominated pursuit — and why the 42-year-old was his first choice. 'I always liked the idea of a female technical director on this team,' he says. '[And] Kerry embodies all of the qualities I wanted Kate to have. 'There's a healthy tension between the engineers and the drivers — when things aren't working, maybe the engineers feel like the driver isn't driving the car correctly, and the driver feels the engineer hasn't set up the car correctly. 'When you make a movie that's as immersive as this one, it's fun to watch how the cast can become their characters — they start acting like a real Formula 1 team,' continues Kosinski, who enlisted F1 legend Lewis Hamilton as a producer on the film. 'We're travelling around the world together, going to all the races, shooting on the pit wall during real races. Kerry as Kate McKenna 'It's like we became a real team, and you can feel the camaraderie that we built behind the scenes on the screen as well.' 'There's a live aspect to it,' adds his leading lady of the compressed shooting schedule. 'You aren't getting 20 takes. 'You have to nail it. I found it really fun.' In-demand Kerry will next be seen in American indie film Train Dreams alongside Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, having recently wrapped on Pressure, the big screen adaptation of David Haig's thrilling 2014 play, with Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser. And she reflected on how the high-stakes world of racing seen in F1 isn't so different to movie-making. 'Kate must love racing, because it's exhausting,' she says of her trail-blazing . 'You're travelling nine months of the year. And there are not a lot of women in the sport, so there's an element of her that wants to prove the naysayers wrong — the people who think she can't do it. 'Ultimately, it's a gamble — you can do all the prep work and think about the tyres, the temperature, but after that, you just roll the dice and hope it works. 'I think the thrill of that is addictive and why people get into this environment and its gruelling schedule. They must love it.' F1: The Movie is currently in cinemas
Sydney Morning Herald
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Brad Pitt's a proper movie star. They don't make them like him any more': Kerry Condon
This story is part of the June 22 edition of Sunday Life. See all 15 stories. Acting was not a seemingly plausible career path for Tipperary girls when Kerry Condon was growing up. 'There were a lot of horses, lovely farming and beautiful countryside, but there weren't a lot of movies being made,' says the 42-year-old actor, laughing. Her 'carefree, innocent' childhood was spent mostly on horseback, surrounded by animals. Nevertheless, Condon cannot remember a time when she didn't know she would be an actor. 'It was always forever something I wanted to do,' she explains. 'I felt sorry for other people who were good at lots of things but didn't know what they were going to do with their lives. For me, it was advantageous to know very early on, because then I could go about getting there. And I just went after it.' She was laser-focused. When The Man in the Iron Mask came to Dublin for a charity movie premiere, a 15-year-old Condon had business cards printed up with 'dancer, singer, actress' and her mother's phone number, hoping to introduce herself to a Hollywood fixer. She cheekily pushed her card into the director's hand as he walked to his limousine after the screening. He didn't call. But Condon wasn't disheartened. Her parents were supportive while also being a bit flummoxed. She was the only one of their four children with a dramatic calling. 'They liked that I liked something, but I think they didn't understand how it was going to work: how I would get from A to B.' In the end, it was raw talent that got her there – a natural gift that was evident in her 1999 big screen debut, when Alan Parker chose her from public auditions for a part in his powerful film Angela's Ashe s. Condon was just 16. 'I didn't have the money to go to drama school and there was an open casting,' she recalls. 'So this was a big chance for me, and I got the part.' 'There have been a lot of moments in my career where I've felt, 'Oh my god, wow, this is incredible!' ' KERRY CONDON That wide-eyed self-belief has been the secret sauce in a stellar career which has taken her from Ireland, to treading the boards as the Royal Shakespeare Company's youngest ever Ophelia in more than 200 performances of Hamlet, to landing a Hollywood agent – all while still in her teens. As her career burgeoned, making dreams reality was the result of hard graft and bucketloads of courage. It certainly hasn't been easy, but Condon's fire comes from an overriding sense of optimism. You can hear it in her voice. 'There have been a lot of moments in my career where I've felt, 'Oh my god, wow, this is incredible!' ' she enthuses. 'After doing Hamlet, I actually went to Australia and filmed [ Ned Kelly ] with Heath Ledger [who tragically died at age 28 in 2008]. Even back then, Heath was quite a big star and there I was flying all the way to Australia as an actress, barely 20.' Condon made good use of her trip, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, trying her first oyster – 'I'm a fan' – all while Ledger became a mate. 'I can't go on about how much of a lovely person he was – so generous. At the time, I knew it, but now, having worked more, I am even more aware. We stayed in touch after the movie, and I would see him all the time at his house [in Los Angeles], which was like an open house. He let anybody stay. 'It's sad to say, because he's gone, but he was very special. There are not a lot of people who are that kind at that level in show business.' Condon's early theatre projects with Irish writer and director Martin McDonagh led to him writing a film role especially for her. In 2023, her towering performance as Siobhán in McDonagh's film The Banshees of Inisherin won her the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Condon is talking to me on a Zoom call from Los Angeles, her base (alongside London) for more than a decade. She's dressed in a casual soft grey V-neck jumper, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. We're here to discuss her latest project F1: The Movie, a big-budget action movie set in the adrenaline-fuelled world of Formula 1 directed by Top Gun: Maverick 's Joseph Kosinski. Condon admits she's still pinching herself. 'I grew up watching those massive American movies with the music and the special effects. So the idea of being a female lead in one of those movies would have been like a massive dream back when I was a kid in Tipperary – and still is.' Condon plays Kate, the super-smart director of a struggling racing team on the verge of collapse. The only hope is to coax former star driver Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt – 'the greatest that never was' – out of retirement. Condon had never worked with Pitt but she'd met him socially. When I ask if that means they met at a bar or a Hollywood party, Condon starts to chuckle. 'It happened when, after 25 years in the business, I finally got some recognition and was at the Golden Globes – and there I met Brad,' she says with a grin. 'I don't think one meets Brad Pitt at a bar in Hollywood, no. I don't think he goes to bars any more!' The opportunity to act opposite Pitt was a major drawcard for Condon, and even though she knew 'not a thing' about Formula 1, she was all in. 'Brad's like a movie star, and movie stars aren't made any more. It's a different time now. So just to get to work with him was one of those things that I would like to tick off in my career – an achievement.' In the flesh Pitt was everything she hoped he would be – 'relaxed, fun, in the moment'. Without giving too much away, she reveals there's on-screen romance – and to prove it, the trailer teases with a steamy kiss between the pair. 'It's a real feel-good movie,' says Condon. 'I think people will love it.' On set, Condon met up-and-coming British actor Callie Cook and became a mentor to the 31-year-old. 'She really reminded me of me and I felt this major need to be available and generous and kind; to tell her how good she is and that she could call me if she ever wanted to. Because nobody did that for me, and I would have appreciated that.' Not that Condon's complaining. 'It's cool that they didn't … learning the hard way has made me who I am. But I didn't want Callie feeling uncomfortable. She's such a lovely girl.' At 42, Condon is fully ensconced in Hollywood, but it's not home. 'I've never felt anywhere is home to me. I've always felt like a woman of the world. I don't want to keep fluttering, but I don't know if I'll stay in LA or anywhere forever.' Condon's happy place is a little farm she has bought in Washington state. Here she indulges her other passion, horses. 'I like being around animals and it was important to me when I moved to LA to have that. My life doesn't really follow a regular structure, but I try to go to the farm once a month for five days at a stretch.' Loading She has four horses and is horrified when I ask her to pick a favourite. 'You're crazy – that's like asking a mother who's her favourite kid. I couldn't possibly,' she gasps. On her farm she can kick back and connect with her roots. 'I do feel far away from Tipperary, but Washington is quite similar and reminds me of Ireland. I don't really hang out with anyone except my horses. I like to be alone if I'm not working. I like being quiet and in nature.'
The Age
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Brad Pitt's a proper movie star. They don't make them like him any more': Kerry Condon
This story is part of the June 22 edition of Sunday Life. See all 4 stories. Acting was not a seemingly plausible career path for Tipperary girls when Kerry Condon was growing up. 'There were a lot of horses, lovely farming and beautiful countryside, but there weren't a lot of movies being made,' says the 42-year-old actor, laughing. Her 'carefree, innocent' childhood was spent mostly on horseback, surrounded by animals. Nevertheless, Condon cannot remember a time when she didn't know she would be an actor. 'It was always forever something I wanted to do,' she explains. 'I felt sorry for other people who were good at lots of things but didn't know what they were going to do with their lives. For me, it was advantageous to know very early on, because then I could go about getting there. And I just went after it.' She was laser-focused. When The Man in the Iron Mask came to Dublin for a charity movie premiere, a 15-year-old Condon had business cards printed up with 'dancer, singer, actress' and her mother's phone number, hoping to introduce herself to a Hollywood fixer. She cheekily pushed her card into the director's hand as he walked to his limousine after the screening. He didn't call. But Condon wasn't disheartened. Her parents were supportive while also being a bit flummoxed. She was the only one of their four children with a dramatic calling. 'They liked that I liked something, but I think they didn't understand how it was going to work: how I would get from A to B.' In the end, it was raw talent that got her there – a natural gift that was evident in her 1999 big screen debut, when Alan Parker chose her from public auditions for a part in his powerful film Angela's Ashe s. Condon was just 16. 'I didn't have the money to go to drama school and there was an open casting,' she recalls. 'So this was a big chance for me, and I got the part.' 'There have been a lot of moments in my career where I've felt, 'Oh my god, wow, this is incredible!' ' KERRY CONDON That wide-eyed self-belief has been the secret sauce in a stellar career which has taken her from Ireland, to treading the boards as the Royal Shakespeare Company's youngest ever Ophelia in more than 200 performances of Hamlet, to landing a Hollywood agent – all while still in her teens. As her career burgeoned, making dreams reality was the result of hard graft and bucketloads of courage. It certainly hasn't been easy, but Condon's fire comes from an overriding sense of optimism. You can hear it in her voice. 'There have been a lot of moments in my career where I've felt, 'Oh my god, wow, this is incredible!' ' she enthuses. 'After doing Hamlet, I actually went to Australia and filmed [ Ned Kelly ] with Heath Ledger [who tragically died at age 28 in 2008]. Even back then, Heath was quite a big star and there I was flying all the way to Australia as an actress, barely 20.' Condon made good use of her trip, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, trying her first oyster – 'I'm a fan' – all while Ledger became a mate. 'I can't go on about how much of a lovely person he was – so generous. At the time, I knew it, but now, having worked more, I am even more aware. We stayed in touch after the movie, and I would see him all the time at his house [in Los Angeles], which was like an open house. He let anybody stay. 'It's sad to say, because he's gone, but he was very special. There are not a lot of people who are that kind at that level in show business.' Condon's early theatre projects with Irish writer and director Martin McDonagh led to him writing a film role especially for her. In 2023, her towering performance as Siobhán in McDonagh's film The Banshees of Inisherin won her the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Condon is talking to me on a Zoom call from Los Angeles, her base (alongside London) for more than a decade. She's dressed in a casual soft grey V-neck jumper, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. We're here to discuss her latest project F1: The Movie, a big-budget action movie set in the adrenaline-fuelled world of Formula 1 directed by Top Gun: Maverick 's Joseph Kosinski. Condon admits she's still pinching herself. 'I grew up watching those massive American movies with the music and the special effects. So the idea of being a female lead in one of those movies would have been like a massive dream back when I was a kid in Tipperary – and still is.' Condon plays Kate, the super-smart director of a struggling racing team on the verge of collapse. The only hope is to coax former star driver Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt – 'the greatest that never was' – out of retirement. Condon had never worked with Pitt but she'd met him socially. When I ask if that means they met at a bar or a Hollywood party, Condon starts to chuckle. 'It happened when, after 25 years in the business, I finally got some recognition and was at the Golden Globes – and there I met Brad,' she says with a grin. 'I don't think one meets Brad Pitt at a bar in Hollywood, no. I don't think he goes to bars any more!' The opportunity to act opposite Pitt was a major drawcard for Condon, and even though she knew 'not a thing' about Formula 1, she was all in. 'Brad's like a movie star, and movie stars aren't made any more. It's a different time now. So just to get to work with him was one of those things that I would like to tick off in my career – an achievement.' In the flesh Pitt was everything she hoped he would be – 'relaxed, fun, in the moment'. Without giving too much away, she reveals there's on-screen romance – and to prove it, the trailer teases with a steamy kiss between the pair. 'It's a real feel-good movie,' says Condon. 'I think people will love it.' On set, Condon met up-and-coming British actor Callie Cook and became a mentor to the 31-year-old. 'She really reminded me of me and I felt this major need to be available and generous and kind; to tell her how good she is and that she could call me if she ever wanted to. Because nobody did that for me, and I would have appreciated that.' Not that Condon's complaining. 'It's cool that they didn't … learning the hard way has made me who I am. But I didn't want Callie feeling uncomfortable. She's such a lovely girl.' At 42, Condon is fully ensconced in Hollywood, but it's not home. 'I've never felt anywhere is home to me. I've always felt like a woman of the world. I don't want to keep fluttering, but I don't know if I'll stay in LA or anywhere forever.' Condon's happy place is a little farm she has bought in Washington state. Here she indulges her other passion, horses. 'I like being around animals and it was important to me when I moved to LA to have that. My life doesn't really follow a regular structure, but I try to go to the farm once a month for five days at a stretch.' Loading She has four horses and is horrified when I ask her to pick a favourite. 'You're crazy – that's like asking a mother who's her favourite kid. I couldn't possibly,' she gasps. On her farm she can kick back and connect with her roots. 'I do feel far away from Tipperary, but Washington is quite similar and reminds me of Ireland. I don't really hang out with anyone except my horses. I like to be alone if I'm not working. I like being quiet and in nature.'
