Seána Kerslake – IFTA nominated for Best Actress this year for Kirsten Sheridan’s ‘Dollhouse - spoke to IFTN this week about her acting techniques, advice for budding actresses, and her experience of shooting her first big breakout role.
Ms Kerslake will next be seen in Pat Shortt’s new film ‘Life’s A Breeze’, directed by Lance Daly, which is currently being shopped to international distributers at the Cannes Film Festival, and John Connor’s ‘Cardboard Gangsters’, which will enter production later this year.
A veteran of The Factory’s actors’ studio, Ms Kerslake will also be performing Polish literature in English today, Wednesday 15th May, in the Iveagh house in Dublin.
Ms Kerslake, Can you tell us how you got your first big break in ‘Dollhouse’? I was studying in NUI Maynooth at the time and was attending weekly adult drama classes in Clondalkin with my agent Maureen V Ward of ‘Talented Kids & MVW Talent Agency’. That particular week we were told by Maureen to have monologues prepared as Nick McGinley the casting director was to sit in on our class. So I ended up messing up my monologue and decided to get back up after a few others had done their monologues. Nick though called me aside and asked me to do some improvisation with Johnny Ward who played ‘Eanna’ in the film. He had already begun his auditioning process for ‘Dollhouse’. So we did some improv and Nick asked me some questions on camera and sent my tape off to Maureen Hughes and Kirsten Sheridan. Then I was called into them and the long audition process began. The week before the cast were due to go to Brittas Bay to do a week of prep work, I was called and asked did I want the part of Jeannie.
What did you find most challenging about taking on the role? Keeping secrets from the other cast members was pretty hard to do, especially since we were becoming so close. I thought we all had a lot of secrets to keep but as the filming went on I realised my character had a lot more secrets than the others. The fact we knew nothing about the plot or what was to come next was extremely difficult also. You just had to forget about it and not get caught up anticipating the next event. Though some scenes were particularly challenging - you were not given time to prepare and just had to throw yourself in head first to the task at hand and experiment and improvise while you were there.
Did you receive formal training as an actress, and if so, where? I began speech and drama early on and did all my RIAM grades but after school I went on to a regular degree as I didn’t know much about the whole acting world and didn’t realise that it could be an everyday reality. During my second year ‘Dollhouse’ found me and I spent the majority of my time then, in and out of The Factory on Barrow Street working in the Actor’s Studio with Kirsten Sheridan, Shimmy Marcus, Lance Daly, Vico Nikci and John Carney. Since then our group of actors, directors and writers have widened further and it’s great to be constantly learning from and working with other people in our industry on a weekly basis.
What do you enjoy most about being an actress? I love being on set and rehearsing for a project. I love being in a room with a bunch of people who are excited about working toward a goal. I love the first reading of the script and how the character first appears to you and then you get under their skin. I enjoy watching and learning what makes people and characters tick - why the character is the way they are. I like learning how they move, what music they listen to, why they feel a certain way. It’s endless and can be very exciting.
What actors/actresses are you most influenced by? I love Shirley Temple, she was amazing - a real triple threat and at such a young age. Everyone was captivated by her. I love Angelina Jolie’s performance in ‘Girl Interrupted’ and Cillian Murphy in ‘Breakfast on Pluto’. I love Leonardo DiCaprio and Heath ledger. I think they are really strong performers and when you watch them you can feel their emotion in the room - It’s that powerful. This is a hard question though. You could ask me on another day and I’d give you a different answer.
How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd in auditions? The only way to stand out at auditions is to be yourself. I do try to be as prepared as possible, to know my lines and feel comfortable so I can be relaxed and really get into the part. I think being relaxed and being yourself shows what you are about and what vibe you can bring to the table.
Is there anything you can reveal about your forthcoming projects? I recently finished a play in the Pearse and Son’s centre and I’m part of this year’s UNESCO ‘Words on the Street. I’m reading a piece of Polish literature, ‘Lala’ by Jacek Dehnel, in English in the Iveagh house this Wednesday 15th May. I also have a role in John Connor’s ‘Cardboard Gangsters’ which will be in production later this year.
What advice would you give to anyone wishing to become an actress? I’d say get as much experience as possible. When you’re on set filming or rehearsing a play, pay attention to what people are saying, what words they are using for certain things, how shots are set up, different angles, etc. The more informed you are the better you will be in that type of situation. Initially, to get auditions without an agent, look up different casting websites where auditions are posted. Try to keep yourself informed as to what is happening in the industry. You should put yourself on good quality tape and email it to casting directors, they may look at it eventually and if not, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
A trailer for Dollhouse, which is now available on DVD, can be seen below:
