Irish Film and Television Awards

People's Choice Award - BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR

Sacha Baron Cohen

Leonardo DiCaprio

Daniel Craig

Ian McKellen

Sacha Baron Cohen shot to fame in 1998 when his comic characters Ali G, Borat and Bruno appeared on Channel 4’s Eleven O’Clock Show. Da Ali G Show began in 2000 and won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Series the following year. In 2003, the series began broadcasting in the US on HBO. Baron Cohen’s debut feature was Ali G Indahouse. He later voiced the character of Julien in the CG animated feature Madagascarand appeared alongside Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The film opened number 1 in the US and has gone on to have over 20 number one openings as well as setting U.S. box office records.

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A star since the age of 15, Leonardo DiCaprio first appeared in the 1989 comedy TV series Parenthood. Displaying stunning ability and range in his craft, early performances in This Boy’s Life, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award) and The Basketball Diaries caught the attention of directors Baz Luhrmann and James Cameron, who cast DiCaprio in their multi award winning features Romeo + Juliet and Titanic respectively. In 2002, the actor starred in the first of three collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York, while 2004’s The Aviator earned him a Golden Globe win and a second Oscar nomination. Recently DiCaprio has received dual SAG and Golden Globe nominations for his performances in his latest features The Departed and Blood Diamond.

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In 2006 Daniel Craig silenced critics with his debut outing as the new 007 James Bond in the hit feature Casino Royale. The 38 year old actor began his career in the 1996 BBC serial Our Friends in the North before reaching an international audience as Angelina Jolie's rival and love interest in Lara Croft Tomb Raider. He stretched his acting chops in Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition and garnered praise for his gritty performance in the 2004 gangster flick Layer Cake. Daniel's other credits include Sword of Honour, Sylvia, Enduring Love and Stephen Spielberg's Munich. Daniel has recently received a BAFTA nomination for his role in Casino Royale and will next be seen in His Dark Materials: Northern Lights.

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Ian McKellen has been honored with more than 40 international awards for his performances on screen and stage, most recently a Lifetime Achievement Golden Bear from the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. McKellen has made more than 40 movies and, of late, has been discovered by a new generation of cinemagoers the X-Men films, as well as his Oscar nominated performance in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In 2000 he won his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of film director James Whale in Gods and Monsters. He voiced ‘Toad’ in Dreamworks' Flushed Away. McKellen recently delighted his fans by triumphantly playing Dame in the traditional pantomine Aladdin at Kevin Spacey's Old Vic Theatre. In 1989 he was knighted for his contribution to the performing arts.

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