Mícheál Óg Lane

Mícheál Óg Lane, straight outta Galway, is pretty much one to watch if you’re into film or TV that’s a little left of mainstream. The guy’s got range—he first caught everyone’s attention as Eugene in The Guard (2011). If you haven’t seen it, Brendan Gleeson is in it too, and honestly, that’s already a pretty solid stamp of quality. But Lane held his own, really brought something raw to the screen. Then he popped up again as Micheál in Calvary (2014)—another Gleeson gig, and another showcase for Lane’s knack for slipping into complicated roles. He’s not just riding on early success, either. Lane’s a Bow Street Academy grad, class of 2022, so he’s got the training chops to back up the talent. After school, he took the lead in Fairview Park, a short film that got funding from the BFI Network. That one premiered at the Galway Film Festival—kind of a full-circle moment, considering where he’s from. Lately, Lane’s been moving into darker, more twisted stuff. He’s got a role in The Damned (2024), which is one of those psychological horrors that gets under your skin. Thordur Palsson directed it, and Lane’s sharing the screen with Odessa Young and Joe Cole. The movie debuted at Tribeca Festival in NYC, so it’s not just flying under the radar. Plus, he’s in Fréwaka, an Irish-language horror flick directed by Aislinn Clarke, which had its big premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. Clearly, Lane’s not afraid to take risks or push into new territory, and honestly, it’s working for him.