Gerry O’Brien’s career now spans 5 decades having made his professional debut at the Gate theatre in 1970. He has worked on most of the stages in Ireland over the years appearing in productions of Shakespeare, Moliere, Yeats, O’Casey as well as Hugh Leonard, Neil Simon and Tom Murphy.
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Ann Russell (Trustee)
Ann Russell has worked in the industry for over 30 years as an actor, director and facilitator. She trained with the late Deirdre O’Connell at the Focus Stanislavski Studio and at the Lee Strasberg Institute in NYC. She has an MA in Modern Drama from UCD and a Licentiate Diploma from London College.
Ann began her career at Focus Theatre in the 1990s and has performed on stages throughout Ireland and the UK. Most recently she performed in The Tide by Tara Maria Lovett and Risk Everything by George F Walker. In 2025 she will perform in Michael Hartnett’s latest play Martyrs to Memory.
Ann has also performed on screen in both TV and film, notably in Roddy Doyle’s Family and Fair City and more recently in Harry Wild. She is a member of ReActorsCo-operative Agency: https://reactors.ie/actors/ann-russell/
Ann believes passionately in the value of the arts in society and that access to the arts is a human right, a quality-of-life issue for every citizen and deserves proper funding. The shortage of affordable venues and the cuts that have resulted in the closure of many theatre companies throughout Ireland, causing the reduction in opportunities for members of our community, are of particular concern. She is also a member of the Performing Arts Forum.
Actors to submit petition at Dáil tomorrow calling for an end to film industry exploitation
A petition calling for the recommendations of an Oireachtas report on the operation of the Section 481 tax credit for film makers will be handed to the Government at Leinster House tomorrow.
Irish Equity president, Gerry O’Brien, will submit the petition signed by 3,700 actors in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US, including a number of Oscar nominees and other award winners at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 3rd October.
The recommendations of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight ‘Report on Section 481 – Film Tax Credit’, were published in May 2023. They propose that Irish performers will not be subject to lesser terms and conditions regarding their intellectual property rights than international performers in similar roles when employed on the same project receiving Section 481 funding.
The Committee recommended that compliance with the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, as well as the EU Copyright Directive should be a specified requirement in order to avail of the Section 481 credit.
The Committee committed to writing to the EU commission requesting an examination of the use of ‘buy-out’ contracts in the Irish film production sector as a standard practice as it represents a breach of the rights of performers and artists under the EU copyright directive.
The petition, which is supported by British Equity, the International Federation of Actors (FIA) and US trade union SAG/AFRA, has been signed by actors, Cillian Murphy, Ruth Negga, Colin Farrell, Siobhán McSweeney, David Morrissey, Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan and Adrian Dunbar, among many more.
Gerry O’Brien said: “For decades, Irish actors living in Ireland have been offered contracts by Irish production companies with lesser terms and conditions than those offered to their international colleagues working on the same productions. These contracts have ignored the protections offered to Irish actors by national and international copyright law, denying them access to potential future earnings.
“These practices are unacceptable, particularly when these productions are financed by the public through Screen Ireland, the Section 481 tax credit, the licence fee and more. This petition and its signatories are evidence that this is more than a domestic issue. The eyes of the international audio-visual sector are on Ireland. Irish actors are part of an international community that has no desire to see their hard won rights undermined by these kinds of practices.”
Irish Equity solidarity rally
Irish Equity members held a solidarity rally on Saturday 19th August in support of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strike, it took place at the Wolfe Tone monument on St. Stephen’s Green.
Solidarity Rally with SAG-AFRA and Writers Guild of America
Irish Equity members will hold a solidarity rally at 2.00 p.m. this Saturday (19th August) in support of the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strike. It will take place at the Wolfe Tone monument on St. Stephen’s Green and will assemble from 1.30 p.m.
Our members stand in solidarity with the workers involved in the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strike.
We have reached a pivotal juncture within the industry worldwide and must act collectively to ensure that all crew, performers, writers and composers are truly valued and share in the success of the industry.
We would encourage all Irish Equity members to attend the rally on Saturday. This is also a call-out to non-union performers and creatives to attend and support the rally.
If you cannot attend the rally in person, you can support it online using the following hashtags: #SAGAFTRAstrike and #SAGAFTRAsolidarity
Irish Equity stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America
Dear Members
Please be advised that Irish Equity stands in solidarity with both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America.
We believe that, collectively, we have reached a pivotal juncture within the industry worldwide where we must collectively ensure that all Crew, Performers, Writers, and Composers, are truly valued and actually share in the success of the Industry.
This can only be achieved, we believe, by quality agreements, quality jobs, full compliance with legislation and full transparency and accountability within the Industry.
We say clearly to the AMPTP and their members that they need to move significantly and swiftly to meet the reasonable aspirations of SAG AFTRA’s members. The members in Irish Equity and Film & Entertainment, and all entertainment Unions across the globe, create the vast wealth within our industry. Therefore, it is both right and just that they have decent pay and conditions and full adherence to legislation.
Please be advised that whilst Irish Equity stands in total solidarity with our brothers and sisters, we cannot actively participate in their industrial action due to legal constraints. Please note that we are currently not in a dispute situation.
We will of course keep you updated.
Michelle Quinn
Sector Organiser
Irish Equity
Gerry O’Brien
President
Irish Equity
