First leading actor with Down syndrome in an Oscar-winning film

Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s dark comedy An Irish Goodbye (UK, 2022) – starring James Martin as Lorcan, the estranged brother of Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) – won Best Live Action Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards on 12 March 2023. Set on a rural farm in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the 23-minute film explores the relationship between the siblings, who are reunited following the death of their mother. Martin, who had previously starred in the movie Ups and Downs (2017) and the TV series Marcella (2020), was the first actor with Down syndrome to be awarded an Oscars statuette, marking his 31st birthday in style at the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Reportedly, Martin went back to his part-time job working as a barista at the Belfast branch of coffee-house chain Starbucks after he had finished filming An Irish Goodbye. He is also a chef at an Italian restaurant. Martin was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” after picking up the award for Best Live Action Short Film, standing on stage in awe as some of Hollywood’s biggest names – including “Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Brendan Fraser, I could name a lot” – marked the occasion.