Tom Kerrisk
| Tom Kerrisk | |
|---|---|
| Born | County Clare |
| 💼 Occupation | Actor |
| 📆 Years active | 2010s to present |
| Known for | An Taibhse, The Sleep Experiment |
Tom Kerrisk is an Irish actor. He is known for playing Éamon in the Irish language folk horror feature An Taibhse (also titled The Ghost).[1][2]
Early life
Kerrisk was born and raised in County Clare, Ireland.[3]
Career
An Taibhse (The Ghost)
Kerrisk plays Éamon in An Taibhse, a period ghost story written and directed by John Farrelly and set shortly after the Great Famine. The film follows a father and his daughter who accept winter caretaker duties in a remote Georgian house where disturbing events unfold.[4] The film premiered in Ireland at the Galway Film Fleadh in July 2024 and later screened internationally at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest in London.[5][6]
Several outlets described the production as the first feature length horror film made entirely in the Irish language.[7][8] At the 2024 Pigeon International Film Festival in Iceland, the film received a special honorary award for language preservation.[9] Kerrisk won a Best Actor award for the role at South African HorrorFest in 2025.[10]
The Sleep Experiment
Kerrisk played Christopher in John Farrelly's thriller The Sleep Experiment, released in 2022.[11] He received Best Actor at the ninth Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival for this performance.[12]
Acting style and reception
Commentary on Kerrisk's preparation for An Taibhse has highlighted a method approach that combined physical transformation with language immersion. Writer director John Farrelly stated that Kerrisk immersed himself in the Irish language and took a construction job to achieve the look of a working man, getting lean and growing out his hair and beard for the role, almost like a method actor preparing for the part. In a separate interview, Farrelly said that Kerrisk had to master Ulster Irish for the production.[13]
Critics[which?] have described Kerrisk's screen acting as restrained and closely focused, with an emphasis on stillness and measured shifts in tone.[citation needed] The Irish Times credited the leads with sustaining tension across the running time of An Taibhse.[14][not in citation given] Writing on johnnyalucard.com, Kim Newman noted that the film's final movement is supported by "excellent, nuanced lead performances".[15] A review in Film in Dublin notes that the "[lead] performances pay off" as both lead actors "go for broke in a disturbing, unrelenting ending".[16]
Filmography
Awards
- Best Actor for The Sleep Experiment at the LA Crime and Horror Film Festival 2022[18][12]
- Best Actor for An Taibhse at South African Horrorfest 2025[18]
References
- ↑ Clarke, Donald (27 March 2025). "An Taibhse review: Queasy atmosphere and good performances drive this taut Irish language horror". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "FrightFest review: An Taibhse (The Ghost)". Kim Newman. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "Five FrightFest Facts with Tom Kerrisk of 'An Taibhse'". Love Horror. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "An Taibhse (The Ghost)". Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "Irish language horror film 'An Taibhse' to premiere at Galway Film Fleadh". IrishCentral. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "FrightFest review: An Taibhse (The Ghost)". Kim Newman. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "An Taibhse, the first Irish language horror film, heads to FrightFest". Fangoria. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "Samhain: Roots of Halloween Film Series". Government of Ireland, Ireland.ie. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "2024 award winners". Pigeon International Film Festival. 13 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "Bhuel, an bhfuil eagla ort?". Cork Independent. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Tom Kerrisk". tomkerrisk.com.
About Tom [..] His role as Christopher Sampson in The Sleep Experiment (2022) won him the Best Actor Award at the LA Crime & Horror Film Festival
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "9th LACHFF Award Winners". Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "Exclusive: Interview with An Taibhse Writer/Director John Farrelly". The Fright Club NI. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ Clarke, Donald (27 March 2025). "An Taibhse review: Queasy atmosphere and good performances drive this taut Irish language horror". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "FrightFest review: An Taibhse (The Ghost)". Kim Newman. 23 August 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "The feverish fearlessness of An Taibhse". Film in Dublin. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ "An Taibhse (The Ghost)". Vancouver International Film Festival. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Bhuel, an bhfuil eagla ort?". Cork Independent. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
External links
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