CinÉireann / January 2018 23
The Dig
And after all that I went home and didn't think I'd have another gig before Christmas. So I shaved my head. Then I got the call for The Dig. And let me tell you shaving my head was a terrible idea. It's the coldest thing I've ever done! [laughs]
I had to learn a couple of things for that role. I had to do a bit of hurling. You'd think a Waterford man would know how to do that! But I'm a terrible hurler. Myself, Lorcan Cranitch, Francis Magee, and Emily Taaffe are principally the four in it. It is pretty much all set up a hill in County Antrim. No weather cover. We were hugging each other up on the top of the hill trying to keep warm! But we took it as the script is great.
It's the first feature for the directors Ryan and Andy Tohill. As cold as it was and as tough as it was that crew up there were fantastic. I loved that experience .The whole lot really looked after us, especially Brian Falconer the producer. We were staying in Ballygally on the coast in Antrim. The character, the backdrop, it was all such a memorable experience.
"The films that they have been making in Northern Ireland are really interesting."
What I loved about that was how welcoming everyone was up there. And the two guys would give you the time, especially for myself and Lorcan and Emily, to go through the scenes. It was a really tight shoot, only 17 days, but it never felt rushed. We were allowed to play out the beats. We got to problem solve, tease out the puzzles and figure out how to make it better. It was a real collaborative process. I loved it.
The films that they have been making in Northern Ireland are really interesting. I loved The Survivalist, and these guys made a prequel for that. They've backgrounds in editing and the art department, but they then go out and make these shorts that are connected to The Survivalist. They're a small gang and they're all connected. And the made the outsiders like me feel included.
I'm starting of 2018 strongly too. I'm working with Paddy Breathnach on his new film, which has a script from Roddy Doyle. Element Pictures are producing it. It's set in Dublin and it's very topical about the homelessness crisis. It's the type of part that I like to play. And I'm also working with Tim Palmer and Michael Lavelle, who I worked with on Patrick's Day, on a piece for RTÉ's storyland, which Michael is directing. It's a small part but I'm looking forward to working with them again.
INTERVIEW
The Dig