Michael Fassbender.Getty Images
The most successful Irish stars of 2025 have been revealed - with Michael Fassbender taking the top spot.
In new research from Betway, the study measured the success of stars looking at the number of films and TV shows they’ve appeared in, award wins and nominations, Reddit comments and sentiment scores as well as IMDb ratings.
Michael Fassbender was named the most successful, starring in 78 films and TV shows and winning 79 awards overall. The star - known for his roles in Alien, Kneecap and the 2025 release of Black Bag - holds a total score of 91 after receiving 159 nominations, while his IMDb rating average was a strong 6.7.
While Saoirse Ronan didn’t take the top spot, she was named the second most successful star on the list and holds the highest number of award nominations at 204 - surpassing Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, and Andrew Scott. Known for her roles in Blitz and Ladybird, Saoirse has also won a total of 75 awards and received a high 6.7 IMDb average rating.
Colin Farrell, Andrew Scott and Cillian Murphy followed behind, all making the top five. Colin led in the number of award nominations, receiving a total score of 87, while Fleabag and Ripley star Andrew received a score of 86 and has starred in more films and TV shows overall.
Oppenheimer actor Cillian placed fifth on the list with a score of 85 - receiving a total of 6,076 Reddit comments, 54 award wins and an IMDb score of seven.
Brendan Gleeson and Pierce Brosnan followed closely behind, while Sharon Horgan was named the second most successful female actress overall. Known for her roles in Bad Sisters, Catastrophe and Motherland, the star has starred in 133 films and TV shows, as well as 17 award wins and 41 nominations.
Good Grief actress Ruth Negga and The Banshees of Inisherin star Kerry Condon also made the list, as Kerry received the highest number of Reddit comments out of all the stars mentioned in the research. Meanwhile, Paul Mescall, Domhnall Gleeson and Liam Cunningham just made the top 10.
Most successful Irish stars in 2025:
1. Michael Fassbender
Getty Images
Michael is known for his roles in Alien, Inglourious Basterds and Kneecap. He is set to star in the 2025 release of Black Bag.
2. Saoirse Ronan
RollingNews.ie
Saoirse is known for roles in Ladybird, The Lovely Bones, Little Women and her most recent film, Blitz.
3. Colin Farrell
Getty Images
Colin is known for his roles in The Batman, The Gentlemen, In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin and HBO 2024 series of The Penguin.
4. Andrew Scott
Getty Images
Andrew is known for his roles in Fleabag, Sherlock, Ripley and All of Us Strangers - which saw him receiving a Golden Globe nomination.
5. Cillian Murphy
Getty Images
Cillian is known for his roles in Oppenheimer as well as Peaky Blinders, and starred in the 2024 release of Small Things Like These - which won Best Film at the Irish Film and TV Awards.
6. Brendan Gleeson
Getty Images
Brendan is known for starring alongside Farrell in In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin - to which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
7. Pierce Brosnan
Getty Images
Pierce is well known for playing James Bond within the franchise and winning two Golden Globe Awards for Nancy Astor and The Matador.
Sharon Horgan
Apple TV Plus
Sharon is known for her roles in Catastrophe, Bad Sisters and Motherland.
8. Ruth Negga
Getty Images
Actress and producer Ruth is known well for her roles in Passing, Preacher and Good Grief.
Kerry Condon
Courtesy Searchlight Pictures, 20th Century Studios
Irish star Kerry is well known for starring alongside Colin Farrell in her role as Siobhán in The Banshees of Inisherin.
9. Paul Mescal
RollingNews.ie
Paul Mescal is known for his recent performance in Gladiator II after rising to fame in BBC drama Normal People. He has also starred in Aftersun, Foe, and All Of Us Strangers.
10. Domhnall Gleeson
Getty Images
Domhnall, son of Brendan Gleeson, is known for his role in About Time alongside Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, and Margot Robbie.
Liam Cunningham
Tourism Ireland
Liam Cunningham is known for starring in Game of Thrones and his roles in The Crooked Man and The Escapist.