One of Paddy Considine's earliest roles is playing Johnny in the 2002 movie In America, about a family of Irish immigrants who move to a seedy part of Hell's Kitchen. A mother, a father, and two young daughters struggle to survive in America as they grieve the loss of Frankie, the couple's five-year-old son who died from a brain tumor. Considine plays the father, a struggling actor whose faith is shaken as economic and emotional strain on the family gets worse and worse. It all comes to a head when Sarah (Samantha Morton), his wife, gets unexpectedly pregnant.
A spark of hope comes in the form of a neighbor named Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), a kind yet lonely man who others warn them away from because he is dying from AIDS. Mateo and the family help each other through tough times, and soon, the family is able to come together, grieve, and get back on their feet. The film was nominated for three Oscars, and the cast was praised for their portrayals of such a difficult and emotional story.
