The issue of immigration has been raised at a US-Ireland Alliance awards ceremony in California.

Actors Chris O'Dowd, Glenn Close and Aidan Gillen were honoured at the 14th Annual Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The event was hosted by director JJ Abrams, Melissa McCarthy and Allen Leech - while Irish band Vinci performed.

Chris O'Dowd and Dawn O'Porter attend Oscar Wilde Awards 2019 in Los Angeles, California | Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for the US-Ireland Alliance

In presenting O'Dowd with his award, Abrams highlighted O'Dowd's career and joked that he was "delighted to live out a life dream" of his to present an Oscar Wilde Award to the "painfully affable" O'Dowd.

Accepting, O'Dowd said he was "painfully aware that my journey from home to here has been immeasurably smoothed by the colour of my skin and the contents of my purse.

"To witness the bombardment of terms like border wall, caravan and separation camps breaks my heart.

"I'm reminded of Oscar's words - 'the world's a stage, but the play is badly cast.'

"My humble advice to those in the lead roles, to paraphrase our friend JJ - 'Please, I beg you, act better.'

"Your children are watching. And for those with names like Hannity, O'Reilly, Mulvaney, Pence, Bannon and Conway, I'd like to remind you that your immigrant ancestors are listening and you're making their ears bleed.

"Well-chosen words can garnish your life with immortality. Remember where you came from or you'll be long forgotten. Choose better words or choose different roles."

Chris O'Dowd, Glenn Close and Aidan Gillen attend Oscar Wilde Awards 2019 in Los Angeles, California | Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for the US-Ireland Alliance

Gillen, known for his roles in 'The Wire' and 'Game of Thrones', is currently starring in BBC's 'Peaky Blinders' and the History Channel's UFO show, 'Project Blue Book'.

In accepting his award, Gillen spoke of the importance of America, and particularly HBO, in his career.

He said: "This is as exciting to me as getting an Oscar Oscar."

He spoke of the US-Ireland Alliance's George J Mitchell Scholarship program, and praised the US Senator's role in the Northern Ireland peace process.

"It was, to me and to a lot of us, the most important thing to happen, socially and politically in Ireland in our lifetime."

Previous Oscar Wilde Award honoree Melissa McCarthy presented Glenn Close with her award, jokingly casting doubt on Close's "sketchy" Irish heritage.

Melissa McCarthy attends Oscar Wilde Awards 2019 in Los Angeles, California | Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for the US-Ireland Alliance

McCarthy recalled her "Glenn moment… when I was 18, and it was 'Dangerous Liaision' and there's a scene when everyone had turned on her and I watched her go pale, I watched her weirdly blush through all that white makeup and white powder and I didn't know what it took to get there, and I remember I knew I was watching someone do something that you're not supposed to be able to do… it was magic."

Close, in accepting her award, said she is Irish in her heart.

She spoke of how she adored her time in Ireland making 'Albert Nobbs': "It was one of the greatest experiences of my career."

She joked that she and co-star Janet McTeer used to love to go into the Shelbourne Hotel, dressed in character, and got a big kick out of "being so repellent."

Glenn Close and Chris O'Dowd attend Oscar Wilde Awards 2019 in Los Angeles, California | Image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for the US-Ireland Alliance

Other previous honourees on hand for the event included Paula Malcomsom, Lionsgate vice chairman, Michael Burns, Sarah Bolger, and US-Ireland Alliance Advisory Board member, Hylda Queally.

Academy Award nominees Ed Guiney, Robbie Ryan and Peter Devlin were also there, as were Nicole Holofcener, Kathy Griffin, Kerry Condon, Eoin Macken, Jason O'Mara, Victoria Smurfit, Simon Quarterman, Nora-Jane Noone, Victor Burke, Tara Flynn, Wunmi Musaku, Rick Famuyiwa, and John Cho.