The Oscar nominee whose acting jobs ‘pay the bills’ on her ranch for rescued horses: Banshees of Inisherin star who once said she’s ’embarrassed’ by Hollywood ‘decadence’ grew up on a farm and ‘got drunk’ with Colin Farrell in her early acting years
- Tipperary-born Condon, 40, is up for a BAFTA and an Oscar in awards season
- The Banshees star owns a ranch for rescued horses in Los Angeles
- Read more: How Banshees of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan lost his heroin addict mother aged 12, was kicked out of school plays for ‘messing about’ and is now tipped for an Oscar
After playing the forthright sister of Colin Farrell’s Padraic, Siobhan, in The Banshees of Inisherin, Kerry Condon has been nominated for an Oscar.
As she prepares appear on the read carpet for the star-studded ceremony, which also sees Farrell and Brendan Gleeson nominated for the same film, many may consider Condon a rising star, however she has been acting on screen for more than 24 years and has previously revealed how, in her younger years, she would often ‘get drunk’ with Farrell..
In fact, the 40-year-old Irish actress from Tipperary (who now lives in LA) recently revealed that after more than two decades in the industry she has reached a point where she ‘stops thinking’ about films she has starred in once production has wrapped, which meant the buzz around Banshees has felt ‘very new’ to her.
Speaking to Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast, the actress, who made her movie debut in Angela’s Ashes in 1999, also revealed her acting jobs help her maintain a ranch she owns, where she rescues horses.
Kerry Condon, 40, is tipped for Oscars glory for her role as Siobhan in The Banshees of Inisherin, but the Tipperary-born actress comes from humble beginnings after being raised on her father Gary’s farm where she learnt to ride horses – and she now runs a horse sanctuary in LA which she spends much of her income on maintaining the farm
Condon’s passion for horses comes from growing up on her father Gary’s farm with her mother Chiari, two sisters Laura and Marie and brother Roddy, where her father taught her to ride from a young age.
Although she has described herself as a ‘pretty shy’ person from childhood, Condon used to perform with friends and family at a young age, before she left home at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career in the Irish capital.
Condon (pictured with Banshees co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell and director Martin McDonagh) has been nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA for her role in the film
The actress (pictured in 2004), who has been on screens for 24 years, has admitted there is an ‘element of luck’ to achieving success in Hollywood
Condon (pictured on set of The Banshees of Inisherin) is an animal lover who has had pet dogs and looks after rescued horses
She attended Dublin Theatre Arts School, before landing herself a role in the quintessentially Irish TV series Ballykissangel.
After going on to star as Theresa, a young girl suffering from tuberculosis who loses her virginity to Frank in Angela’s Ashes, Condon’s career kicked off at the age of 18 when she first teamed up with Martin McDonagh, the director of Banshees, in an onstage production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway in New York.
From there she went on to star in films with other world-famous Irish actors including Banshees co-star Colin Farrell and Cillian Murphy.
How Colin Farrell shook off his Hollywood bad boy image: His transformation from a hard-partying lothario to an acclaimed film star who has marked 16 years sober and picked up his second Golden Globe
She continued to partner with McDonagh in productions throughout her career, including a role as Pamela in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017. On TV, she has roles in Ray Donovan and Better Call Saul.
Reflecting on her career on the VF podcast, she admitted she thinks there is an ‘element of luck’ to finding success in the movie industry, after reaching dizzying heights of popularity 24 years after she starred in her first film.
Speaking about the 2022 film nominated for nine Academy Awards, she revealed she knew the film would be somewhat popular due to McDonagh’s success as a director on films such as Three Billboards.
However, she added she had no idea the movie would blow up to the successes it has achieved.
‘It’s almost like there’s an element of luck, I think we have to admit. It’s like the stars align and it’s timing and it’s just so many things,’ she said.
She added: ‘I didn’t know that the general public were going to like it.’
During the interview Condon also revealed she owns a ranch for rescued horses, and explained the paycheque she received for Banshees was partly splashed on resources for the ranch.
She said: ‘Over Christmas, I spent a grand on hay. ‘I was like, “Oh man.” It felt great.’
As the success of her latest film became apparent, the actress remained humble with an Instagram post of photos from the Banshees set of her feeding the donkeys – and fans could have been forgiven for mistaking the scenes with Condon on her ranch.
She wrote: ‘All these nominations and awards, I can’t believe it. Thanks so much.’
Off screen, Condon appears to have close relationships with her co-stars, sharing a selfie taken by Brendan Gleeson and also featuring Farrell and McDonagh at a film festival.
Next to the photo of the beaming foursome, she wrote: ‘Thank you so much Venice and Toronto. We had such a magical time. Thanks to everyone who helped make it so special for me.’
She has also known co-star Colin Farrell for most of her acting career, and joked in 2004 that she was ‘always drunk’ when she happened to see him.
‘I always regret the next morning how drunk I got with him. I’m terrible, I only need one person to say, “Ah, come on,” and suddenly it’s three o’clock in the morning,’ she told the Irish Independent.
In the same interview, she revealed that, during her earliest years onscreen, she asked her agent for advice on what dresses to wear to attend premieres.
More than two decades on, Condon thinks one of the main downsides of her job is the things she leaves behind when she travels for work.
Posting on her Instagram page, she shared photos of herself with her Jack Russell dog Peggy, who passed away on 2021, and two of the horses on her ranch.
She wrote: ‘I miss my babies!! That’s the downside of being an actress, you’re always travelling for work and alone a lot.’
Despite being the name on everyone’s lips amid award season, the actress is unlikely to let the attention go to her head and has previously spoken out about the bizarre nature of the entertainment industry.
The actress has revealed the element of her job she dislikes is being away from her animals (pictured with her Jack Russell Peggy who died in 2021)
In an interview with Irish Tatler in 2018, she spoke about the lavish Hollywood parties she had been invited to as a TV star.
‘I’m aware of how decadent it all is. People think I’m crazy because it looks like I’m constantly overwhelmed when you’re supposed to act nonchalant,’ she said.
Later in the interview she revealed she’d snuck $20 into her clutch bag before one party in case she had any trouble getting home.
She recalled pulling a cigarette out of her purse at one point during the night and was almost instantly met with a waiter who was holding a lighter ready for her. She took the $20 from her purse and offered it to him as a tip.
‘He told me no one had tipped him – not a single person,’ she said. ‘I was embarrassed to be a part of that night and mortified to be associated with that group of people.’
The actress joked that, after giving away the cash as a tip, she was left with ‘no ride home’.
She has also revealed that, despite working in an industry where she may well be recognised on the street, she has never ‘given a s***’ about being famous.
Speaking with RTE in 2018, as reported in the Irish Mirror, the actress said: ‘If I’m going to a party I don’t want people to know who I am. I really always just wanted to be an actress and get paid for it.’
Although Condon keeps her personal and love life relatively private, she offered a glimpse into her ‘type’ when it comes to men.
‘I grew up around fellas whose hands were dirty,’ she said. ‘That’s a man to me, I’m attracted to that… not an actor who’s going around in loafers with a face mask on.’
As for her date to the big event at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 13 March, she might already have someone in mind.
Condon posted an Instagram photo a few years back of herself with her brother Roderick at the ceremony, as she dazzled in a red gown and he looked dapper in a tuxedo.
She wrote: ‘Bring your brother to the Oscars – he’s disappointed there’s no potatoes with the main course!’
As for family life, the actress told RTE: ‘I don’t really care if I never get married. I don’t really care if I never have kids.
‘There’s loads of things I’ve planned for my life. So I’ve gone on and made plans for my life regardless of those things happening to me.’
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