THE 66th ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS : Anglo-Irish Actors’ Year for Oscar Nods

The British film industry may be virtually dead, but the United Kingdom certainly made its impact felt when the Oscar acting nominations were announced Wednesday.

Half of the nominees for best actor or best supporting actor went to individuals from Britain or Ireland. Nominated for their lead roles were Britain’s Daniel Day-Lewis, who played the wrongly imprisoned Gerry Conlon in “In the Name of the Father”; Welshman Anthony Hopkins, who portrayed a repressed butler in “The Remains of the Day”; and Northern Ireland native Liam Neeson, who adopted a German accent to play the unlikely industrialist-hero in “Schindler’s List.”

Two British subjects were recognized in the supporting role category: Ralph Fiennes for his portrayal of Nazi commandant Amon Goeth and Peter Postlethwaite, who played Conlon’s father.

On the female side, the British influence was less pronounced, yet Emma Thompson was nominated in two categories for her work as a model housekeeper in “The Remains of the Day” and as a fiery lawyer in “In the Name of the Father.” Anna Paquin, from the Commonwealth nation of New Zealand, was nominated for her role in “The Piano” as the 10-year-old who serves as her mute mother’s mouthpiece.

Day-Lewis, Hopkins and Thompson are all previous Oscar winners.

What’s going on?

Speaking from his native Ireland, Jim Sheridan, a nominee himself in the directing category for “In the Name of the Father,” said the choices were a good reflection of the academy’s open-mindedness. He also attributed some of the actors’ success to the material they were given.

Ismail Merchant, producer of “The Remains of the Day,” said theater training is the key to getting an acting nomination.

“English actors have an extraordinary theater training,” he said. “British actors are very disciplined. They have a profound knowledge of the characters they are playing and exceptional acting ability.”