'Banshees' stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson get COVID-19

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson bow out of awards show after contracting COVID-19

A man with short black hair and a man with short blond hair posing in matching black tuxedos and bowties

Jan. 15, 2023 11:21 AM PT

“The Banshees of Inisherin” co-stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson have tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be attending the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Representatives for Farrell and Gleeson did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Last month, the Irish actors each received Critics Choice Award nominations for their acclaimed turns as feuding best friends in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Farrell, who plays sensitive nice-guy Pádraic Súilleabháin, is nominated this year for lead actor; while Gleeson, who plays gruff fiddler Colm Doherty, is up for supporting actor.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” — a dark comedy set on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland during the Irish Civil War — is nominated for a total of nine Critics Choice Awards, including best comedy and best picture. Rounding out the film’s individual acting nominees are Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, while the entire cast is in the running for best ensemble. Writer-director Martin McDonagh is also nominated for director and original screenplay.

On Tuesday, Farrell won the Golden Globe Award for lead actor in a musical or comedy for his work in “Banshees.” Gleeson was also nominated for supporting actor but lost to Ke Huy Quan of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The following day, Farrell and Gleeson each picked up Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for their “Banshees” performances.

Farrell, 46, and Gleeson, 67, are not the only Hollywood stars caught in the latest wave of coronavirus cases. On Friday, Jamie Lee Curtis announced that she too would be skipping the Critics Choice Awards this year after testing positive for COVID-19. Curtis, 64, is nominated opposite Condon in the supporting actress category for her work in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She, Farrell and Gleeson all attended the Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday.

“I was SO looking forward to going to the ... @criticschoice awards as a nominee and member of a motley crew!” Curtis wrote on Instagram. “I’m so proud of these people, and I look forward to cheering them on through my TV set. Stay safe out there people.”

On Sunday, Michelle Pfeiffer shared that she also would be missing the Critics Choice Awards after contracting COVID-19. The actor added that she was “especially disappointed not to witness” her “Fabulous Baker Boys” co-star Jeff Bridges receive a lifetime achievement award at the show.

“Congratulations Jeff and to all the nominees!” Pfeiffer, 64, wrote on Instagram.

Recent reports of celebrity COVID-19 cases surfaced shortly after the number of coronavirus deaths reported weekly in Los Angeles County hit a season-high of 164 — the worst tally in 10 months.

Though the number of reported cases in L.A. County was declining as of Friday, officials have warned that might soon change now that the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 — perhaps the most infectious strain yet — has started spreading in California. Officials have also urged Angelenos to wear masks again to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory illnesses during the winter season.

“I think the question on just about everyone’s mind is how concerned should we be about XBB.1.5,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.

“I suggest we should be cautious. It’s a new strain. It spreads rapidly and it can evade prior immunity. However, I don’t think anyone has a clear picture yet of what the impacts will be.”

The 28th annual Critics Choice Awards will take place Sunday at Fairmont Century Plaza in L.A. The ceremony will air on the CW from 7 to 10 p.m. Eastern time, while the West Coast broadcast will be delayed according to local listings.

Times staff writers Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.