One talented Laois man is set to fly over to America to take his place among the global television industry’s best and brightest at the 71st Primetime Emmy awards.
Barrowhouse native Seamus Malone received the prestigious Emmy nod for his work on the BBC and Netflix animated series Watership Down.
Seamus and co-director Alan Short were nominated for ‘Outstanding Directing for an Animated Programme’ for the acclaimed Emmy awards, which honour the best in American prime time television programming.
The renowned Barrowhouse man spoke to LaoisToday about receiving the Emmy nod.
“It’s great so it is, I’m completely shocked. It’s a real honour and a surprise. We’ve been nominated across six categories so hopefully we win something, but even if we don’t it’s still amazing to get the nomination,” said Seamus.
The humble Laois man was also quick to praise his ‘great’ team and the efforts of all involved in Watership Down.
“There’s a great team here, if we win that’s great but if we don’t it’s great too!”
However awards for his merited work are nothing new to Seamus. In 2010 he received an Emmy for his direction of the much-loved children’s show ‘Shaun the Sheep’.
Among other highly-acclaimed titles he can add to his CV include; Shrek 2, Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit and Flushed Away.
The remarkable director, animator and writer is the son of Jim and Mary Malone from Barrowhouse and attended Athy Community College.
His remarkable talentvwas noticed from a very young age. Indeed while he was in second year of secondary school he designed the Barrowhouse GAA crest – which remains the crest of his home club today.
Speaking to LaoisToday, his mother Mary expressed her joy at Seamus receiving the second Emmy nod, but insists that her son will not be treated any differently in Barrowhouse.
“It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s no more than he deserves. I feel emotional today seeing all the comments and well-wishes but we see Seamus as being no-different here, we don’t make much fuss.”
From there, he went on to study animation at Ballyfermot Senior College, Dublin.
In 1996 his incredible talent was noticed by international animation company Aardman, which holds more than 400 awards, including four Oscars, to its name.
Along Seamus’s remarkable career, he has worked with Dreamworks and Sony Pictures, but to name a few.
Seamus now lives in the UK but the proud Barrowhouse man returns home every Christmas.
Seamus will be making his way down the red carpet on May 5, and is currently working on a 20th Century Fox feature film, ‘Rom’s Gone Wrong’.
Here’s hoping he makes a splash at the Emmy awards.
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