Young Carlow actor has his sights set on winning an Oscar

“I WANT to win an Oscar,” nine-year-old Leighlinbridge boy Michael O’Mara confidently told The Nationalist after appearing in a new Netflix series.

Billed as a dark comedy, The Decameron is loosely inspired by the short story collection of the same name. First published in Italy in the mid-14th Century, Giovanni Boccaccio’s writings tell the story of a group of nobles and their servants sheltering in a villa outside Florence as the Black Death rages in 1348.

Michael plays the role of a hungry peasant in the opening scenes of the eight-episode series, released by the streaming service on 25 July. As the series has an 18s rating, Michael’s mum Jayme said he only got to watch himself and then it was switched off.

“This was his biggest production to date. He had a great time filming in Tuscany and Rome for a week and got to visit the Colosseum,” she said.

Michael and his seven-year-old sibling Max were cast as brothers last October in an Irish film called Froggie, which recently premiered at the Galway Film Festival. It has taken off from there for Michael, who spoke to The Nationalist from Co Antrim, where he is currently filming a “top secret, massive HBO series”.

An excited Michael said: “I absolutely love filming; when it’s over, I never want to leave. It’s really cool getting into character. I love transforming.” Michael said watching himself on screen is “really cool, really realistic”.

Jayme said that both of her sons have the acting bug, with Michael adding that it’s fun when Max acts with him, too. She says Michael always wanted to act and was involved in drama in Leighlinbridge National School, where his teacher commented on how good he was. This prompted a move to stage school and later a talent agency, where he “flourished”.

Michael is represented by local agency SRL Talent Management. Its owner, Shauna Ray Lacey, described him as “an absolute pleasure, a wonderful child with a great passion for performance. He has been a dream to work with, both as a client and student”.

Shauna says the commitment needed from young performers can be overwhelming, but that Michael has “real hunger, drive and just lives for the set”.

Budding acting enthusiasts can email Shauna at Srltheagency@gmail.com to find out more about upcoming camps and workshops to help hone their craft.