TEENAGE Irish actress Alisha Weir has been included on Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Europe list, which recognises the continent's brightest young talents.
Weir, 14, is the second youngest person ever included on the list, which is made up of 10 categories, each comprising 30 people.
Her inclusion in the Entertainment category caps a remarkable rise to fame for the Dubliner following her breakthrough role as the title character in the 2022 film, Matilda the Musical.
Weir's entry on the Forbes list references her turn as Matilda, praising the youngster for 'holding her own against acting royalty like Emma Thompson and Andrea Riseborough'.
Rise to fame
Weir first wowed audiences when she performed True Colours on the Late Late Toy Show in 2017 at the age of seven.
That same year, she appeared in the musical Once at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and went on to appear in other stage productions including Annie, The Wizard of Oz and Oliver.
After featuring in the 2018 Netflix thriller Don't Leave Home and 2019 Dublin drama Darklands, Weir landed the role of Matilda Wormwood in the 2022 adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved novel.
She will next be seen in the horror film Abigail, helmed by Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and set for release in Ireland and Britain on April 19.
Irish talent
Weir wasn't the only Irish person to appear on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Europe Entertainment list.
Belfast-based filmmaking duo Ross White and Tom Berkeley, who directed the Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye, also featured.
So too did Dublin singer-songwriter Yasmine Bryne, better known as Jazzy, who became the first female artist in 14 years to have a no. 1 in Ireland with her 2023 hit, Giving Me.
Also included is English singer-songwriter Tom Grennan, whose father hails from Co. Offaly.
To compile the list, Forbes writers and editors combed through thousands of online submissions and also tapped industry sources and list alumni for recommendations.
Candidates were evaluated by Forbes staff and a panel of independent, expert judges including Diesel owner Renzo Rosso, actor Simona Tabasco and Olympian Mo Farah.
The nominees were judged on a variety of factors, including funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential.
