Hi everyone, and today on the blog I’m delighted to welcome actress Gillian Kearney to the blog. Gillian is from Liverpool and started her career on Brookside, a Liverpool soap. Read on for her road into the industry, how she found drama school and what happens after saying yes to a part.
Over to you, Gillian…
1) How did you find starting out on Brookside as Debbie McGrath? Do you have any fond memories from the role?
I was only 14 when I first started Brookside but then I went back to do the spin off with Simon O’Brien, who played Damon, in 1987. It was a very happy family on set with Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson, who played Bobby and Sheila Grant. One fond memory was when we were filming a very sad scene with the coffin after Damon had died. Ricky was meant to be acting sad and upset. Simon leapt up out of the coffin during the scene and we all started to laugh.
2) What was your experience like of drama school? How did the environment differ to working on Brookside?
I graduated in 1995 with a BA Hons after a three year theatre and performance degree at Rose Bruford College in south London. It was a very happy, enjoyable atmosphere and I made lots of friends. It was a very practical hands on degree so not that different to Brookside. We did a lot of theatre work which I enjoyed.
3) What techniques did you learn as a drama student? Do they come in useful for different roles throughout your career?
One technique I learned was the Stanislavski technique. The aim of the technique is to completely encapsulate a role to help you get into the character. For example we went to the zoo and were asked to impersonate an animal. We also had a term on the work of Mike Leigh, the director, and studied the films he had directed. We had to do a lot of body work and in one class we had a 90 minute massage. We were advised that your body is your tool and you need to keep it in the best condition.
We were also taught breathing exercises to help with stage fright and nerves. One teacher advised us all before every performance: on the night, don’t think about it. Just enjoy it. I suppose that you do have to have a certain amount of anxiety. One piece of advice is that the day you stop being nervous is the day to give up.
4) You played Gina Casper in Trial and Retribution: Curriculum Vitae. How did you find getting into the mindset of Gina, a mother who had lost her child?
It was a lovely team to work with on Trial and Retribution, despite the serious subject matter with the case of children being murdered. I worked alongside Victoria Hamilton and Victoria Smurfit who are both brilliant actresses and the courtroom scene with Sinead Matthews was outstanding. I approached the role of Gina’s mindset by thinking and imagining: It’s as if I’ve lost someone who was very close to me.
5) One of your stand out roles for me was when you played Emma Barton in Emmerdale. How did you find exploring the complexities of the character?
The backstory was that there had been a romance between Moira and James in which they had fathered Adam Barton, who grew up believing that Moira’s husband John was his father. I remember in the audition for Emma, it was: Okay, play her as nice. Then play her as the woman from hell.
The storyline with Adam was the reason Emma was insecure within her role as a mother to her three boys Pete, Ross and Finn. I enjoyed exploring the character of Emma, she was misunderstood and definitely had her reasons for leaving her husband and young children.
6) You recently narrated a documentary about the Walton Centre, Liverpool’s leading hospital for Neuroscience and spinal injuries. What was that experience like and do you enjoy voiceover work?
I really enjoyed it and I do enjoy voiceover work. The programme for Channel 5, Trauma Room One was a lovely atmosphere to be in. To have such specialist surgeons working in our city is amazing. Patients come from all over the UK to get the expert care that the Walton Centre provide to help their patients pre and post surgery. Although I didn’t get to meet the surgeons as I was only doing the narration, it was a fantastic experience.
7) When you have said yes to taking part in a project, what happens after? What is your planning process before you start filming?
I get the script and the production team contact me. I read the whole script through and gage the contribution that I need to make as an actress. If It’s a well written piece, my job is to follow it and make it as truthful as I can with my interpretation for the part.
8) When you are not acting, what do you enjoy in your spare time? How do you switch off, if a role has been particularly challenging?
In my spare time, I take my son to the pictures. I like to switch off by watching a good Netflix series and to relax, I do a lot of a self-care. I go to the gym or do a spin class which helps to wind down after a challenging role.
Thank you for your time Gillian, it has been a pleasure to interview you.
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