With actors like Cillian Murphy and Siobhán McSweeney making waves in the TV and film industry over the last decade, Cork is certainly no stranger to big-name stars, and now another big name in Hollywood has revealed her Irish roots. Olivia Wilde and Edward Norton sat down for an interview with Sky ahead of the release of The Invite, a comedy that follows a bickering couple as they prepare for a dinner party with their less-than-perfect neighbours. While the film explores the couple’s relationship, Sky
entertainment reporter and Waterford native Debbie Ridgard quizzed the pair on their Irish roots and was delighted to learn that Wilde grew up in Ardmore – only a stone’s throw from Debbie’s hometown of Tramore. Olivia also revealed that her father, Andrew Myles Cockburn, grew up in Youghal before moving to Waterford later in his life. Norton also threw in a quip about his own Irish heritage, noting that his family has historic connections to Limerick city. However, Norton’s comments won’t please many in the
Treaty County, having referred to Limerick as ‘stab city.’ Wilde said: “My dad grew up in Youghal and now they’re in Ardmore. The film is coming out in Dungarvan this weekend, and everyone is going.” “The Irish Nortons are all from Limerick – stab city,” Ed Norton added. Olivia’s father is no stranger to the spotlight either. Andrew is a well-known journalist who gained international recognition for his reporting on the Soviet Union, the US military and national security. He also produced a number of
documentaries that covered everything from war to the 2008 financial crisis, reports Cork Beo. There are a surprising number of Hollywood stars who have ties to Cork. In recent years, one of America’s most well-known late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon, discovered he had ties to the Rebel County. Fallon has been a stalwart of the chat show scene for over a decade and is also one of the stars of Saturday Night Live. During that time, he has regularly brought up his Irish ancestry when interviewing
Irish guests, such as Saoirse Ronan, whom he famously asked to pronounce Irish names in a rather cringy clip. American genealogist Megan Smolenyak took a deep dive into the host’s past and revealed he has ancestors from Cork, Galway, Leitrim, and Longford. Some of the surnames that appear in his family tree include Daly, Devaney, Driscoll, Feeley, Graham, Kenny, Monahan, O’Brien, O’Neill, and Riordan. Want to see more of the stories you love from RSVP ? To add RSVP as a preferred source of news
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Olivia Wilde, Ed Norton, The Invite, Cork roots, Ardmore, Tramore, Waterford, Youghal, Limerick, stab city, Debbie Ridgard, Andrew Myles Cockburn