Limerick actress wins award for her role in powerful drama
LIMERICK actress Ruth Negga has picked up an Independent Spirit Award for her role in the powerful drama Passing.
The 40-year-old actress won Best Supporting Female, beating three others to the punch for her portrayal of Clare Bellew, in a film about race relations in 1920s Harlem.
“I am so proud of being part of such a beautiful film,” the Ethiopian-Irish actress said, upon receiving the award as part of the 37th annual Independent Spirit Awards, based on 2021 feature films.
Negga, who moved to Limerick at the age of four, was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in Passing and even received an Oscar Nomination for her role in Loving in 2016.
She has beaten Irish actress Jessie Buckley to the punch in the Best Supporting Female Category, after the Kerry woman received a nomination for Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Lost Daughter.
The pair will go up against each other in this year’s UK Bafta Awards, while Buckley will continue on with a nomination in this year’s Academy Awards.
Despite critical acclaim accumulating for the Limerick actress since Passing’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Negga was unexpectedly overlooked ahead of this year’s Academy Awards.
There were no feature films at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, which took place at Santa Monica, California, that are also due to be up for nomination at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Tuning into receive her award via video link due to ongoing play rehearsals, Ruth Negga admitted that she couldn’t stop smiling at the honour.
"I would like to express my solidarity with the peoples of Ukraine,” she concluded.