When James Martin was born, his parents were told he would probably never speak.
On Sunday night, the Belfast actor stood on the Dolby Theatre stage in Los Angeles wearing his father’s leopard print suit jacket and clutched an Oscar as the audience serenaded him on his 31st birthday – and fellow actor Colin Farrell gave him a thumbs up.
Martin is the first person with Down syndrome to win an Academy Award after the Northern Ireland short in which he starred, An Irish Goodbye, won best live action short film.
Following the ceremony, he and his costar Seamus O’Hara, along with the film’s writers and directors, sang the Belfast song I’ll Tell My Ma to reporters before heading to the Elton John after-show party.
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“It doesn’t matter if you have Down syndrome, as long as you’re doing what you do,” Martin told the BBC.
“I do what I can to be funny.”
[ An Irish Goodbye: how a short Northern Irish film ended up nominated for an OscarOpens in new window ]
Just six days earlier, Martin went to his Monday evening Babosh drama group at the Belvoir Players Theatre in Belfast where he was presented with a plastic Oscar as part of his send-off.
“I was convinced he was going to win, I felt it in my waters,” said Frances Nelson of Babosh.
“But the dream and reality are two different things. My phone has been going all morning and seeing the pictures of James holding the Oscar was unbelievable.
“Last week at drama we gave him a plastic Oscar which cost about £2 and sang him Happy Birthday. But just watching it – he went from Belfast to Hollywood.”
Nelson teaches the drama group for adults with learning disabilities but said she prefers to describe it as a class for “an amazing bunch of adults who have ability and do drama and come to socialise”.
Martin has been attending the group for almost 20 years and recently brought in the BAFTA award after the black comedy last month won best British short film.
He plans to bring the Oscar back to Belvoir. He also wants to return to his day jobs as a barista at Starbucks and chef at an Italian restaurant in Belfast.
As an ambassador for the North’s learning disability charity, Mencap – which he thanked in his post-Oscar interviews – Martin has campaigned against EU funding cuts and potential job losses.
He is also a keen runner and has taken part in community ‘park runs’ with The Falcons, a group of young adults with learning difficulties.
Among his acting credits are lead roles in the BBC drama Ups and Downs, alongside actor Susan Lynch, and a part in the ITV and Netflix drama Marcella.
“James is an amazing independent person with dreams,” added Nelson.
When you’re the first to do anything, it’s there for life and that’s how it is with him. All I ever wanted for James was that he’d be happy and, I tell you what, he’s happy now
— Ivan Martin
“When we presented him last week, he was gracious in his acceptance speech. He is grounded by his family and friends and that’s important for anyone to go through anything like this.
“He also told us he was wearing his daddy’s jacket to the Oscars. I loved that. I sent him a birthday message from our group yesterday, saying I couldn’t wait to see him on the champagne carpet wearing leopard print.
“He brought the Bafta to drama last Monday, seeing that was wonderful. But seeing the Oscar… my God, it will be amazing.
“There’s a story in all of this; all of these adults have an incredible work ethic. James listens and wants to do better, he wants to learn his craft. He seizes the opportunity and gets great support from his parents.”
Since childhood, Martin has been a regular fixture in the press box at Irish League soccer matches in Northern Ireland, accompanying his father, Ivan Martin, a sports reporter.
Harry McConkey, a manager with the Co Fermanagh team, Ballinamallard United FC, vividly remembers his first meeting Martin after a last-second defeat in a cup final in 2019.
“After the game, James came over to interview me with his Dictaphone as he was working with his daddy,” McConkey said.
“I was a teacher and had taught a lot of children with Down’s. I was blown away by the fact this young man had the confidence to come over and interview me with brilliant questions. He and [his] dad were a team.
“We lost the game in the dying seconds and James said to me, ‘Harry I can’t believe you lost, you’re too good to be at the bottom of the championship’. It was probably one of the most uplifting experiences in my time in football, and in life. When I went into the changing room I told them, the players, all about him.”
Over the past four years, the pair have become friends and McConkey recently did a Q&A night which he remembers for Martin’s attire.
“He came in wearing a leopard print jacket – I saw him, his father, wearing a similar one,” McConkey recalled.
“James and Ivan made such an impression on me and during Covid. I set up an online boot room for kids linked to the club, James became part of that and played his guitar from his bedroom. He’s a valuable member and still connects very strongly with others.”
The win is a total joy, and nobody deserves it more than James. I’ve watched him grow, I’ve watched him blossom and boy, this is only the beginning. He is now flying
— Paul Clark, UTV journalist and broadcaster
Martin’s father watched the Oscars ceremony at home with their family in Belfast as his mother was his guest on the night.
He described the accolade as an “amazing feat” and reflected on the challenges they faced when his son was born.
“I feel that ultimately, the person who said to me, ‘Look Mr Martin, you’re going to have to realise that James will probably never speak… And here we are. James not only speaks, once he started speaking he hasn’t shut up since,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
[ Oscars 2023: Full list of winners at the 95th Academy AwardsOpens in new window ]
He said the historic achievement is “something that nobody can ever take away from him”.
“When you’re the first to do anything, it’s there for life and that’s how it is with him. All I ever wanted for James was that he’d be happy and, I tell you what, he’s happy now.”
UTV journalist and broadcaster Paul Clark has known Martin all his life, as his son David, who also has Down syndrome, is his best friend.
He paid tribute to the film’s codirector Tom Berkeley, who told the Hollywood A-list audience it was Martin’s birthday and announced he would be using the rest of his allotted time on stage singing Happy Birthday.
“They forewent the opportunity to speak so that everybody would have the time to sing Happy Birthday to James. They said winning the Oscar was the second most important thing to happen and they wanted to celebrate his birthday. You see Colin Farrell and other luminaries singing,” said Clark.
“Here’s the reality: people with Down syndrome tend to have more normalities than abnormalities and what James Martin has done has proved that.
“We were all told different things about our children when they were born and it tended to revolve around what they wouldn’t achieve rather than what they would achieve.
“I slept very badly last night and I kept waking up to look at the Oscar Twitter feed. The win is a total joy, and nobody deserves it more than James. I’ve watched him grow, I’ve watched him blossom and boy, this is only the beginning. He is now flying.”
