I was born and raised in Dublin in Ireland. I went to school with the St. Louis nuns from kindergarten through high school and graduation. I studied nutrition and dietetics at the Dublin Institute of Technology. When I later decided to act, I studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.
- What was your first acting role?
My first role was the changeling prince in a cousin’s production of "A Mid Summer Night’s Dream". I remember being on stage in the St. Louis concert hall (I had not yet started school) and remember thinking "I like it up here".
I acted in school and college. While I was in Baghdad working as a dietitian in the Irish hospital, I acted in our amateur productions, pre desert storm of course. My first professional role was Devilty Dunner in an Irish play, "Celebration". My first role in New York was Bricriu in the Yeat’s play "The Only Jealousy of Emer".
- Was it always your goal to be an actress?
I fell in love with the theatre when I was very young at the Christmas pantomime. I loved the villains who were always bathed in blue or green light. I loved the direct interaction between the actors and the audience.
However, my family was strictly middle class professional. A career in the arts was not an option. My career choices were the professions; medicine, law, accounting or architecture. If I could not manage the necessary grades for them, I could teach. If an arts degree was beyond me, it would have to be a secretarial course or, bottom of the barrel, "a job in Jacobs (a biscuit factory in Dublin). But I always loved being on stage. In Baghdad a love affair gone sour, gave me the needed impetus to audition for acting school.
- What other films have you worked on?
First film work was student films when I came to New York in 1992. There have been a number of independent features, that didn’t make theatrical release, since then. I had small roles in "The Emperor’s Club" and "Kinsey". To date, Nettie is my biggest role in a film with distribution.
- Tell me about your role of "Nettie" in "I'll Bury you tomorrow"?
It was fun playing Nettie in "I’ll Bury You Tomorrow".
Nettie
Poor Nettie was isolated in her own world. In a subplot that didn’t make the final cut, Nettie had murdered her own daughter, Sharon. In Nettie’s mind, Sharon had been exchanged for or possessed by a spawn of the devil. Although the subplot was lost in editing, it was a strong back-story to give Nettie her modus operandi.
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- What was your favorite scene in the film?
I enjoyed the shooting the scene where I murder Percy, my husband. There was a lot of sticky blood around.
Luckily it wasn’t on me. I had to wait most of the day while Zoe (Dolores) and Bill Corry (Percival) were working on the preceding scene. It seemed like shooting my scene took only five minutes.
Time goes quickly when working on camera. Again, Nettie thinks she has delivered Dolores from the evil Percival and is initially elated at her deliverance.
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Percival & Nettie
- How did you like working with Alan Rowe Kelly?
I met Alan Rowe Kelly when I first auditioned for the role of Nettie. While filming, Alan was always focused on what he wanted in the scene being shot. Maybe it was because "I’ll Bury You Tomorrow" was shot on different days over an extended period of time, the focus, when I was on set, was always to get the scenes. I got to know Alan and had more fun hanging out with him when we are not working. On the set of "The Blood Shed" it was hilarious to see Alan in costume and make up for Beeftina Bullion conferring with his crew on technical matters or making executive decisions on production questions.
- Are there any upcoming future projects?
Next up on film is Alan’s next project, "A Far Cry from Home", a part of the anthology, "Hung by a Thread". On stage, I am due to play in a production of Martin McDonagh’s "Beauty Queen of Leenane". I just participated in a reading of "Nora’s Bloke" – a play I produced as a showcase, off-off Broadway, in 2004. We are looking for producers for an off-Broadway run.
- Do you presently have a web site?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a website of my own, although I am listed on Actors Access and NY casting networks.
Thank you very much for talking with me Katherine. Keep up the great work.
