Sir Kenneth Branagh has tested positive for COVID-19.
Sir Kenneth Branagh has COVID
The 61-year-old actor had originally planned to attend the Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday (24.03.22), but he'll now miss the event after testing positive for the virus.
The acclaimed filmmaker was set to be honoured at the show alongside 'Belfast' star Jamie Dornan, director Adam McKay and actor Donall O Healai.
Trina Vargo, who organises the show that honours Irish contributions to the American movie business, has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Branagh will record his acceptance speech rather than attend the event in person.
Branagh has also been nominated for three Academy Awards - including Directing, Original Screenplay and Best Picture - for 'Belfast'. But at the moment, it's not clear whether he'll be able to attend the glitzy awards ceremony on Sunday (27.03.22).
Meanwhile, Branagh recently discussed his approach to making 'Belfast', explaining that he found a "fresh perspective" on The Troubles in Northern Ireland amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
The filmmaker admitted to spending "about 50 years" agonising over how to approach the subject.
He shared: "Basically, I didn't want to just be staring at my own navel.
"It wasn't personal therapy, it was really to see whether the story of a family in a difficult situation - where humour and all the other coping mechanisms we come up with to try and deal with difficult times - could speak to other people.
"This lockdown promoted that, I think, because the introspection and the feeling unsettled that we've all shared really drove me back to that time."
Branagh chose to tell the story through the eyes of a child, as he didn't want the film to become a political piece of work.
He said: "We chose to have the point of view of a nine-year-old boy and, in so doing, we didn't cop out, I don't think, but we avoided trying to get into what you might call politics in the overt sense."
Tagged in Jamie Dornan Adam McKay