While it wasn’t good news for Kneecap, Irish eyes were still smiling as the Irish co-funded The Apprentice earned two nominations for its two stars Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan.

Sebastian recently spoke about how he’d been disappointed people were too afraid to publicly laud his performance as President Donald Trump in the film, but we’d assume all is forgiven now his peers have voted for him in the Best Actor category.

Now, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde from Tailored Films have spoken out after the 97th Oscar nominations were revealed, sharing their joy at The Apprentice earning two Academy Award nods on top of its three BAFTA and four IFTA award nods.

Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice.

They shared: ‘It’s a huge honour to have our film recognised by our peers in the film industry across the world with multiple nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs and IFTAs. 

‘It’s a massive testament to the strength of the Irish film industry and the talent available here that the film is receiving acclaim not only from audiences and critics, but from the wider filmmaking industry. 

‘We’re delighted to be able to be a part of the film and to spread the word about the wealth of talent available in Ireland to international production partners.’

Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump in The Apprentice.

Directed by Ali Abassi and written by Gabe Sherman, The Apprentice dives into the underbelly of the American empire, and charts Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.

The nominations for Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong mark both of their first Academy Award nods, with the latter going up against his Succession co-star (and fellow first-time nominee) Kieran Culkin for Best Supporting Actor.