The BBC has apologised for claiming Paul Mescal as British.
The UK broadcaster wrongly claimed him as being a British actor on its 24-hour news channel, following the Academy Award nominations earlier this week.
It takes away from our Irish neighbours to pretend that the achievements of their actors are, actually, our achievements.
The BBC should know that Paul Mescal isn't British. It is one of the leading news organisations in the world, after all. pic.twitter.com/ie4dkBUHkx— Felicity 🏳️⚧️ ♀️ (@Tranarchic) January 24, 2023
Mescal, who is from Co Kildare, was nominated in the Leading Actor category for his performance in the drama 'Aftersun'.
The film follows a girl and her father on holiday in Turkey on the eve of his 31st birthday.
In a correction, the broadcaster said: "In text running across the screen we reported that Paul Mescal was one of two British actors who had been nominated for an Oscar for a leading role.
"The text should have said that Paul Mescal is Irish.
"We apologise for the mistake," the statement added.
Paul Mescal poses in Dublin city with an Irish Tricolour in April 2018 to publicise The Abbey Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith’s production of The Plough and the Stars by Sean O’Casey. Picture by: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie/Alamy Stock PhotoThis is not the first time British broadcasters have labelled Irish actors as being British during awards season.
Mescal himself has previously corrected broadcasters who mislabelled him as being from the UK.
I’m Irish.
— Paul Mescal (@mescal_paul) July 29, 2020
Sky News Ireland Correspondent Stephen Murphy went so far as to - mockingly - suggest that all Irish nominated stars were British.
Britain’s Colin Farrell and Paul Mescal nominated for Best Actor, with nods for fellow Brits Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Martin McDonagh! Sensational #OscarNominations2023 pic.twitter.com/9oepThIYSD
— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) January 24, 2023
