Irish Talent 2012: Michael Fassbender, 'Fearless'

All eyes are on Michael Fassbender. Now that the awards season has kicked off, the film industry is celebrating cinema in 2011. But we're also thinking about the year a head. And top of the list is Fassbender, who is tipped to be the leading man of 2012.

At 34, Fassbender has already enjoyed some career-shaping roles, which include the Byronic hero Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre and evolution of the villain Magneto in X-Men: First Class. He's already gone global, but the coming year will see Fassbender proving he's worth his salt by stepping into some challenging roles. 

Shame

Fassbender re-teams with Director Steve McQueen (who he worked with in Hunger) and plays a sex addict struggling with his condition in New York City. This throws up a role which is sure to toy with his sanity, as his character's lifestyle is far from glamourous. He's caught in a cycle of sin and redemption but doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. Fassbender literally bears all - both physically and emotionally - and takes the audience to new depths. 

His co-star, Carey Mulligan (who star is also rising in 2012) praises him:

'A lot of actors, especially when they are as talented and as good-looking as Michael, only want to play parts that show them in a good light. If I learned anything from working with Michael, it's that he is utterly fearless'

(From an interview in the British GQ Magazine)

Haywire

In this government conspiracy action thriller, Fassbender takes a supporting role in a cast of 'the thinking man's Expendables', proving he can rub shoulders with Hollywood A-List. Next to the likes of Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum and Ewan McGregor, all eyes are still on Fassbender.

A Dangerous Method

Fassbender plays Carl Jung opposite Viggo Mortensen, who plays Sigmund Freud. The film explores the complex relationships between the two paragons of psychiatry. Biopics always get people talking, but this role plummets Fassbender into a darker look at the human mind, which crosses over with his performance in Shame. 

Fassbender is certainly mastering his craft. But he's not just a leading man. He's a story-teller, and is able to deploy the strengths and weaknesses of the characters he plays, manipulating the audiences' empathy and encouraging them to see worlds they rarely know and experience things they never experience. as we head deeper into awards season and kick off 2012, all eyes are on Michael Fassbender.