Daryl McCormack
McCormack at the Berlinale 2022
Born (1993-01-22) 22 January 1993 (age 31)[1]
Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland
Education
OccupationActor
Years active2015–present

Daryl McCormack (born 22 January 1993) is an Irish actor. Trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, he made his acting debut in the soap opera Fair City (2015–2016). He appeared in the BBC series Peaky Blinders (2019–2022), the film Pixie (2020), and the Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters (2022). His portrayal of the title role in the sex comedy-drama Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In 2023, he won the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival.

Early life and education

McCormack was born on 22 January 1993.[1] He is the son of an Irish mother, Theresa McCormack, and an African-American father, Alfred Thomas, from Baltimore.[2] His parents met in California in 1992. His mother returned to Ireland upon getting pregnant, and raised McCormack in Nenagh, County Tipperary. He maintains a good relationship with the paternal side of his family, especially his grandfather Percy Thomas, who would visit McCormack and take him to the theatre.[3]

McCormack attended Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan and St. Joseph's CBS. He played basketball and participated in the Choral Society.[4][5] He went on to study at the Dublin Institute of Technology's Conservatory and the Gaiety School of Acting, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in drama 2014.[6][7][8][9]

Career

Upon graduating in 2014, McCormack was cast in his first professional role in the play The Grapes of Wrath at the Project Arts Centre.[citation needed] The following year, he made his television debut in the RTÉ One soap opera Fair City as Pierce Devlin, a character he would play until 2016.[citation needed] Also in 2015, he led Romeo and Juliet as Romeo at the Gate Theatre and starred as the titular Othello at the Theatre Royal Waterford.[citation needed]

He made his West End debut in 2018 as Brendan in The Lieutenant of Inishmore. In his early career, he was almost cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[10][2][11] In 2019, he starred alongside Olivia Cooke and Ben Hardy in Barnaby Thompson's comedy-thriller film Pixie and joined the cast of Peaky Blinders for its fifth series as Isaiah Jesus.[6][7][12]

In 2021 he was named as a Screen International star of tomorrow.[13] He had a recurring role as Aram in the first season of the Amazon Prime fantasy series The Wheel of Time in 2021. In 2022, he starred as Matthew Claffin in Sharon Horgan's Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters and opposite Emma Thompson as the titular character of Sophie Hyde's film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,[14][15][16] the latter of which earned him nominations for two British Academy Film Awards and a British Independent Film Award.

In 2023, he starred in Alice Troughton's thriller film The Lesson and the BBC thriller series The Woman in the Wall.[17][18]

McCormack has forthcoming roles[when?] in Lee Isaac Chung's Twisters sequel and the family thriller Anniversary,[19][20] and joined Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man.[21]

Filmography

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately.Find sources: "Daryl McCormack" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2016 The Randomer Ray
2017 Neon Jason Short film
2018 Inner Child Finn Short film
Lady Black Eyes Devon Short film
2019 How to Fake a War Matt
A Good Woman Is Hard to Find PC Reeves
2020 Pixie Harland McKenna
2022 Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Leo Grande
2023 The Lesson Liam Sommers
2024 Twisters Jeb Post-production
2025 Rogue Trooper Helm Post-production
Wake Up Dead Man TBA Filming
TBA Anniversary TBA Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2015–2016 Fair City Pierce Devlin 36 episodes
2016 Dawn Ukkanaak Television film
2017 Vikings Young Man Episode: "The Prisoner"
2018 Immortality Pio Miniseries
A Very English Scandal Luke Mackenzie 1 episode
2019 Cleaning Up Ryan 1 episode
2019–2022 Peaky Blinders Isaiah Jesus 11 episodes
2021 I Am... David 1 episode
The Wheel of Time Aram 3 episodes
2022 Bad Sisters Matthew Claffin 10 episodes
2023 The Woman in the Wall Colman Akande 6 episodes

Music videos

Year Song Artist Notes
2018 "Half a Life" Roisin El Cherif

Stage

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately.Find sources: "Daryl McCormack" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Grapes of Wrath Casey Project Arts Centre, Dublin
2015 Romeo and Juliet Romeo Gate Theatre, Dublin
Othello Othello Theatre Royal Waterford
Enjoy Project Arts Centre, Dublin
2017 A Whisper Anywhere Else Garda Peacock Stage, Abbey Theatre, Dublin
The Mouth of a Shark The Complex, Dublin
2018 The Lieutenant of Inishmore Brendan Noël Coward Theatre, London
2019 Citysong Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2022
 Peabody Awards Entertainment Bad Sisters Won [22]
British Independent Film Awards Best Joint Lead Performance (shared with Emma Thompson) Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Nominated [23]
Online Association of Female Film Critics Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated [24]
Women Film Critics Circle Best Screen Couple (shared with Emma Thompson) Nominated [25]
2023
 Cannes Film Festival Trophée Chopard Won [26]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Nominated [27]
Rising Star Award Nominated [28]
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Nominated [29]

References

  1. ^ a b Good Luck To You, Leo Grande Interview: Daryl McCormack | Searchlight Pictures (video). Hollywood Critics Association. 29 July 2022. Event occurs at 0:40. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022. The film released on my birthday. I turned 29 on the 22nd of January, and that was the date of our Sundance premier, so it was all a bit surreal.
  2. ^ a b Milton, Stephen (29 November 2020). "Pixie offers Daryl McCormack a fairy tale beginning". The Sunday Times.
  3. ^ Harrington, Patrice (6 June 2021). ""We are very close now" – Tipperary's Daryl McCormack on getting intimate with Emma Thompson for a new film role". Independent.ie. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Big part for Nenagh actor Daryl". Nenagh Guardian. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Past pupil Daryl Mc Cormack stars in Season 5 of Peaky Blinders". St. Joseph’s C.B.S. Nenagh. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b Dillon, Niamh (22 August 2019). "First glimpse of Tipperary actor Daryl McCormack in new season of Peaky Blinders".
  7. ^ a b Dillon, Niamh (9 November 2018). "Tipperary actor Daryl McCormack added to cast of Bafta-winning Peaky Blinders". Tipperary Live.
  8. ^ "Daryl McCormack". Spotlight.
  9. ^ "Daryl McCormack". The Lisa Richards Agency. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  10. ^ "'If I got that role I don't think I'd be the person I am now' - Daryl McCormack talks Star Wars, Peaky Blinders and The Abbey". Independent.ie. 25 May 2019.
  11. ^ Butler, Laura (24 February 2014). "Irish actor Daryl McCormack has Star Wars hopes dashed...but JJ Abrams tips him as one to watch". Independent.ie.
  12. ^ Wells, Jonathan. "The young Peaky Blinders want a word". The Gentleman's Journal.
  13. ^ "Stars of Tomorrow 2021: Daryl McCormack (Actor)".
  14. ^ Hyde, Sophie (11 August 2022). "The Screen Show" (Audio). ABC Radio National (Interview). Interviewed by Di Rosso, Jason. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Emma Thompson stars in stripped back film Good Luck to you, Leo Grande" (Audio). ABC Radio National. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Emma Thompson Wants Women Of All Ages To Enjoy Sexual Pleasure In Good Luck To You, Leo Grande". Marie Claire. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  17. ^ Ravindran, Manori (19 May 2022). "Julie Delpy, Richard E. Grant, Daryl McCormack Lead Thriller 'The Tutor,' Bleecker Street Buys U.S. Rights". Variety. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  18. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (17 August 2022). "Ruth Wilson & 'Peaky Blinders' Star Daryl McCormack Lead BBC & Showtime Thriller Series 'The Woman In The Wall' Inspired By Ireland's Magdalene Laundries Scandal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  19. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (17 May 2023). "Bad Sisters, Leo Grande Actor Daryl McCormack to Feature Alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in Twisters (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  20. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (12 May 2023). "Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor, Mckenna Grace & Daryl McCormack Lead Thriller 'Anniversary' For Lionsgate & Fifth Season — Cannes Market". Deadline. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  21. ^ "'Knives Out 3' Adds 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' Star Daryl McCormack to Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  22. ^ Voyles, Blake (13 September 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners". Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  23. ^ Ntim, Zac (4 November 2022). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Aftersun,' 'Blue Jean' & 'The Wonder' Lead Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  24. ^ Anderson, Erik (16 December 2022). "2022 Online Association of Female Film Critics nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' leads with 11". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  25. ^ Neglia, Matt (19 December 2022). "The 2022 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". NextBestPicture. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Naomi Ackie and Daryl McCormack set to receive 2023 Chopard Trophy in Cannes". Harper's BAZAAR. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  27. ^ "2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  28. ^ Dalton, Ben (16 January 2023). "Naomi Ackie, Emma Mackey, Daryl McCormack among Bafta Rising Star 2023 nominees". Screen International. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  29. ^ Complex, Valerie (15 December 2022). "Black Reel Awards Nominations Announced For 23rd Annual Ceremony; 'The Woman King' And 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Lead With 14 Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 22 December 2022.

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