Northern Ireland

Frances McDormand: From the troubled streets of Belfast to queen of the Oscars

Frances McDormand accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the Oscars. Picture by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Frances McDormand accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the Oscars. Picture by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Frances McDormand accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the Oscars. Picture by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

FROM the troubled streets of Belfast to queen of the Oscars, Frances McDormand's rise to the pinnacle of the acting profession included an unlikely stop-off for a Troubles movie.

McDormand's rousing acceptance speech stole the show at the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday night.

The 60-year-old American had beaten Meryl Streep and Sally Hawkins to be named best actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

But her portrayal in London-Irish director Michael McDonagh's film of a mother who rents billboards to call attention to her daughter's unsolved murder is a long way from her days filming in Northern Ireland.

In what is regarded as "one of the surprises in her film CV", one of McDormand first films was the 1990 political crime thriller Hidden Agenda.

Filmed on location in the north, the movie was set against the backdrop of the Troubles and told the story of the fictional assassination of an American civil rights lawyer and political activist.

McDormand starred as Ingrid Jessner, who helps investigate the killing of her partner Paul Sullivan in Belfast whilst he was accompanied by an IRA sympathiser.

Attempts to uncover the truth meet resistance from the RUC and British intelligence and suggest a wider conspiracy at the heart of the British establishment, in a plot which attracted criticism in some quarters for being too sympathetic to republicans.

Director Ken Loach has told how he was impressed by how easily McDormand adapted to the "unrehearsed, semi-improvised shooting style" he used.

"McDormand’s shocked reaction during a sequence when someone is abducted is genuine; she hadn’t been told the other actor would be hustled away by thugs," he said.

While she also won an Oscar in 1997 for her role in Fargo, McDormond's delight at winning the accolade again was evident at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.

She championed female nominees across all categories, asking them to stand to honour their work over the past year, while also praising McDonagh.

"Okay, so I'm hyperventilating a little bit. If I fall over, pick me up cause I've got some things to say," she said.

"I want to thank Martin McDonagh, look what you did.

"We are a bunch of hooligans and anarchists but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building."

Fresh from Bafta and Golden Globe success, McDonagh's own high hopes of Oscar glory were dashed after he failed to take home the top honours at the biggest showbiz night of the year.

But the 47-year-old, a son of Irish parents who was brought up in London, did see Sam Rockwell win the best supporting actor award for Three Billboards.

"I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you," he told McDonagh.

"I want to do 10 other movies with you. I love you."

There was also disappointment for Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who went home empty-handed for a third time after the Lady Bird star lost out on the best actress category to McDormand.

Irish film The Breadwinner also lost out on best animated feature, while Dublin costume designer Consolata Boyle, who had been short-listed for her work on Victoria and Abdul, also failed to grab an statuette when she lost out to Phantom Thread's Mark Bridges.

The Shape of Water, about a mute cleaning lady who falls in love with a mysterious sea creature, took the most honours at the Oscars, including best film.

Englishman Gary Oldman was named best actor for his role as Winston Churchill in World War Two epic Darkest Hour.

Meanwhile, McDormand was also involved in drama after the awards show when her Oscar was allegedly stolen during the glitzy Governors Ball after-party.

A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony grand theft.

McDormand's publicist told the Associated Press: "After some brief time apart, Frances and her Oscar were happily reunited. They celebrated the reunion with a double cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger."