‘Awards Chatter’ Podcast [LIVE] — Martin McDonagh (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’)

Martin McDonagh, the British-Irish Tony-nominated playwright and Oscar-nominated filmmaker who often sets his work in Ireland, is the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which was recorded in front of an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February. The 52-year-old was being honored by the fest as one of its Outstanding Directors of the Year Award recipients in recognition of his work on 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin, for which he is currently nominated for producing, directing and writing Oscars.

McDonagh is equally revered by the theater and filmmaking communities.

For the plays that he has been writing since he was in his mid-20s — including 1996’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Cripple of Inishmaan, 1997’s The Lonesome West, 2001’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore, 2010’s A Behanding in Spokane and 2015’s Hangmen — he has won three Olivier Awards and been nominated for five Tony Awards.

Meanwhile, he has both written and directed five films: the 2004 short Six Shooter and four features, 2008’s In Bruges; 2012’s Seven Psychopaths; 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; and, most recently, Banshees, which tells the story of two men, whose close friendship comes to a sudden end. The film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who have each previously worked with McDonagh separately and together.

McDonagh’s films have brought him four Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTA Awards and one Academy Award, best live action short for Six Shooter. And he has also received six other Oscar nominations: best original screenplay for In Bruges, Three Billboards and Banshees; best picture for Three Billboards and Banshees; and best director for Banshees. All three of McDonagh’s noms for Banshees, plus six others for the film, are still pending.