NOTED THESPIAN MICHAEL Fassbender turns 36 today.

Not only is Fassbender rapidly becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest actors he’s also an Irishman. Well technically he’s half-German and was born there and his Mum is from Antrim but given that Michael grew up in Killarney and has an Irish accent we’re sticking with it.

Given his recent rise to success and his Irish ways it seems apt to point out just why we’re so glad Michael Fassbender is Irish.

1. His incredible body of work

And we don’t mean his nudity in Shame (Boom boom.)

Fassbender has had critically acclaimed roles in films like Hunger, Shame and Fish Tank. He’s also appeared in big budget Hollywood hits like X-Men: First Class, Prometheus, Inglorious Basterds and the Steven Soderbergh action flick Haywire, that filmed mainly in Dublin.

He’s keeping his CV varied too with a stint in the next X-Men movie Days of Future Past and the lead role in Dublin director Lenny Abrahamson’s new film Frank alongside Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

We’re proud of you Michael. Super proud.

Andrew Medichini/AP/Press Association Images

2. His accent

Fassbender doesn’t ever have to worry about pulling off a convincing Irish accent given his background (we’re still smarting over Julia Roberts in Michael Collins to this day) but sometimes it crops up at odd times.

Such as the infamous moment in X-Men: First Class when Michael’s fairly neutral accent turns very Irish all of a sudden for no real reason:

Image via YouTube / Quickmeme.com

3. His carry on with Charlize Theron

His co-star in Prometheus is quite possibly one of the most beautiful women in the world and they seem to get on really well.

We love how Irish he acts around her, particularly when she says how good an actor he is and he acts all embarassed (he might as well have said “Sure this? I got it in Penneys!”) and the fact that he takes the general mickey out of her and himself throughout.

wmagazinedotcom / YouTube

There was also the time they presented at the MTV Movie Awards and Michael declares his Irishness right from the start before letting Charlize make a total fool of him.

There’s nothing more Irish than telling people you’re Irish then letting someone make a mockery of you. Nothing at all.

Gazete cell / YouTube

4. When he appeared on that infamous Mark Wahlberg episode of Graham Norton

Remember when Mark Wahlberg was on The Graham Norton Show in February and he seemed a bit, shall we say, carefree?

Michael Fassbender was on that episode too and instead of trying to outdo Wahlberg as he was generally boorish, Fassbender just laughed it off and was charming in his own time.

Again, how Irish is that? Answer: very.

BBC / YouTube

5. The fact that some people think he looks like a shark

There is a whole Tumblr dedicated to pictures of Michael Fassbender looking like a shark. As an Irishman, could this be Fassbender’s greatest achievement yet? Quite possibly.

I mean when you see this:

and this:

It kind of makes sense. (Pictures via Is Michael Fassbender A Shark?)

6. He supports Irish things

There were reports last year that Fassbender was working on a movie based on the life of Cuchulainn, which would give us our very own screen take on an Irish myth. Imagine.

Not only that Fassbender has done the right thing as an Irish actor and attended the IFTAs.

For example, he attended in 2010 and made sure the photographers spotted him:

Julien Behal/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Then he brought his parents to the ceremony in 2012. Like any good Irish boy

Julien Behal/PA Archive/Press Association Images

He got to say hello to another Irish acting great Brenda Fricker

Julien Behal/PA Archive/Press Association Images

And then he got to meet the President who is the ultimate Irishman. The ultimate.

Julien Behal/PA Archive/Press Association Images

7. That Guinness ad he was in

Remember that amazing Guinness ad where one fella literally swims across the world to say sorry? It’s up there on our list of amazing Irish ads.

Who starred in it? Michael Fassbender.

Amazing

Faustine68 / YouTube

8. He just seems to be having a great time altogether

Sure as a nation we’re famous for just having a great time and the craic is at 90 and sure listen would you stop etc etc

Michael Fassbender is much the same, look at how much fun he’s finding this whole fame lark. He looks delighted:

Andrew Medichini/AP/Press Association Images

There he is having a right ol’ laugh with Antonio Banderas at a film festival.

Markus Schreiber/AP/Press Association Images

Ultimately he’s just having a grand time of it and can’t stop laughing

Markus Schreiber/AP/Press Association Images

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