The 25-year-old star shares her thoughts on awards, perfectionism and working with British acting royalty
Congratulations on your first ever BAFTA nomination for Extraordinary! What was it like to be at that event as a nominee?
Thank you! It was a really special night – I feel so proud of the show and everyone involved in it, so to see it being recognised by the BAFTAs was incredible. I think if you’d have told us when we started filming Extraordinary that we’d be getting all dressed up for the BAFTAs two years later we would’ve laughed. I was looking around the room that night in shock, seeing actors and directors who I have looked up to and quote in interviews like this as being my greatest inspirations – it was mad. Plus being nominated alongside one of my best friends Sofia [Oxenham, who plays Carrie], as well as the other women in the category, was a compliment of the highest degree. But the most special thing about the night was the fact that my Mom and Dad were able to come along.
It’s available to watch on Disney+ and also stars our recent Irish Country Magazine cover star, Siobhán McSweeney. How did you find out that you had got the lead role?
I did a self-tape to begin with, and then multiple recalls before getting to the chemistry read stage, then finally and luckily hearing the yes. This was all around the time of the London Film Festival in 2021 and anytime I came out of any of the meetings for Extraordinary, if I didn’t have to go back to work, I would go straight into whatever film was on, just to try and take my mind off it. When I found out I was cast, I was having dinner with a friend and didn’t have service in the restaurant, but I came outside to multiple missed calls and texts from my agent thankfully with good news.
It is such a fun set to work on – when you’ve got comedy icons like Siobhán McSweeney onset there’s no doubt about it! We all got on so well and the crew particularly were brilliant in creating a fun and playful environment. We did lots of laughing when we probably shouldn’t have been.
Congratulations on your new show My Lady Jane – it looks absolutely incredible! Who do you play and what can people expect from you in this role?
Thank you – I play Susannah who is Jane’s best friend and maid. She’s been working at Jane’s house since she was a child, so Jane and her have grown up together and are very close. She’s had a difficult past and is hiding a secret from Jane, that once it’s revealed changes their relationship forever. She’s a brilliant character and I adored playing her – she’s fiery, front-footed, principled, brave and funny. She evolves so much throughout the series, as her safety and relationship with Jane are put in jeopardy – she was a joy to play.
What was it like working with British icons like Rob Brydon, Anna Chancellor and Jim Broadbent?
Amazing. I learned so much from watching them work – from their professionalism on set, how they interact and collaborate with everyone, improvising. But what’s lovely is that upon meeting them, they were just as excited to be there as I was and felt passionately about the series.
You’ve already worked with incredible actors and actresses – has there been any standout moment or particular person that left you starstruck?
I’m a huge fan of Kate O’Flynn, I think she’s an incredible actor, and over the years her work has been so inspiring to me both onstage and onscreen. I was only in one scene with her in My Lady Jane but it was one of my favourite days onset – Mary, Kate’s character, is completely unhinged and stubborn, and in this scene she’s not happy about who has been crowned queen and basically throws a tantrum and lets out a tormented scream. Every time she did it, I had goosebumps – she’s a top class actor and I can’t wait for everyone to see her harrowing but hilarious performance.
What’s the best piece of advice you received as a young actress?
When I was in youth theatre at the Gaiety School of Acting in Cork, we travelled to Dublin for a few days of workshops with some of the teachers from their actor training course, and one of them spoke to us about the importance of Samuel Beckett’s quote about failure: “Ever tried, ever failed. No matter. Try again, fail again, fail better.” He told us it needed to remain at the centre of our work forever and to never grow scared of failing, rather to embrace it. I still struggle with the idea of doing something ‘badly’ and being a bit of a perfectionist, but it was also the most comforting thing I could’ve heard at that age, and it still has a huge influence on me now. To know that failure is inevitable so there is no point in trying to avoid it, and the act of failing opens up the possibility of leading you to something better.
Who would you love to work with some day – be it actor or director?
I’d love to work with Chloé Zhao after seeing her first film Past Lives. I thought it was remarkable, beautiful storytelling and the performances were perfect. There have been so many incredible directorial debuts in the last year from female directors that have been greatly celebrated and rightly so – I find it really encouraging and exciting.
Quickfire round
When you’re working abroad, what do you miss most about Ireland?
I miss the sea and having a nice walk on the beach, whatever the weather.
Where is your favourite place to visit/go for a holiday in Ireland?
Ballyferriter in Kerry. I’ve lots of fond childhood memories from down there, it’s beautiful and calm.
What is the food that reminds you most of your childhood?
A packet of Koka noodles, chicken flavour. I would’ve eaten them every day as a kid if I was allowed.
If you weren’t an actress, what would you like to do instead?
I really haven’t a clue – maybe something to do with kids, like a teacher. But a fun one like drama or art.
What is your favourite Irish expression or saying?
Saying ‘I amn’t’ instead of ‘I’m not’. Not sure if it’s just a Cork expression but I love it either way!
Extraordinary is available to watch on Disney+ while My Lady Jane is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
