Actor who returned to Starbucks after starring in An Irish Goodbye wins Oscar

Actor James Martin, who returned to his part-time job as a Starbucks barista after his starring role An Irish farewellis the first person with Down Syndrome to win an Oscar for his role in the live-action short film.

Martin directs the 23-minute drama short as Lorcan, a young man whose death reunites him with his estranged brother Turlough (Seamus O’Hara).

On Sunday (March 12), the 31-year-old took to the stage alongside his co-star O’Hara and directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White to accept the award for Best Live-Action Short Film.

At the end of Berkeley’s speech, he announced that it was Martin’s birthday and asked the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” with him.

Martin told dem about his barista role Daily Mail in a previous interview that he “has been doing this for a long time”.

“It’s nice,” he said, adding that he “helps out with all the customers.”

In addition to his work as a Starbucks clerk at the chain’s Belfast branch, Martin is also a chef at nearby Italian restaurant Scalini’s.

“I can make garlic bread, meatballs, salads and clams, fries and stuff like that,” he explained of his second job.

Elsewhere in the interview, he spoke about being an actor with Down syndrome, saying, “Anyone can act, it doesn’t matter if you have Down syndrome.

“Take Stephen Hawking [who had motor neurone disease] In The simpsons,” he said. “He was a fantastic actor, he knew what he was doing, but you just have to treat him like an adult.

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“I always tell people never judge a book by its cover.”

Later that evening, Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins hailed the Oscar win as a “remarkable” year for the Irish film industry.

“As a gesture of all that has been achieved and the important contribution of the film and related industries to Irish life, [wife] Sabina and I look forward to hosting a St. Patrick’s Day reception in celebration of the Irish film, audio-visual and performing arts communities this Friday in Aras an Uachtarain,” said Higgins.

Read all the talking points from Oscar night here and the full list of winners here.