Evanna Lynch on Acting and ‘My Name is Emily’
Mar 19, 2016
HP Cast, Lynch, Lynch Interviews, News
This week, My Name is Emily screened at the Victoria Texas Independent Film Festival, where starring actress Evanna Lynch answered questions from The Victoria Advocate and continued training for her upcoming half marathon!
Evanna spoke to Victoria Advocate about acting, Irish culture and her recent film, discussing her future endeavours (which hope to include far more Irish movies), her experience on set of the film, and advice for aspiring actors. Some snippets from the interview are below:
What kind of film projects or non-film projects would you like to see yourself involved in over the next five years?
I would love to do a lot more Irish movies. I’d never done an Irish movie before. They’re stories with heart. They have to come through a lot because we have a small industry. I’m sure they hear ‘no’ a lot of times, so every story there (in Ireland) is really loved. I’d love to do that. I’d love to do historical dramas. I did that once in a play. I played Houdini’s wife. I loved the fact that I could read somebody’s diaries and try to get more in their mind rather than just creating it. I like history. I like biographies.
What was the most exciting part of working on “My Name is Emily”?
I think all the challenges. For one thing, swimming. I can’t swim. I got some lessons on the film because she’s in water a lot and even though she’s not swimming, I knew I’d have to be able to stay afloat. (Some people say) because you’re a fire sign, because you’re a Leo, you’re not meant to be in water. I really feel like it’s unnatural. I get water up to here (she holds her hand to neck), and I physically panic. It was like mind over matter. That kind of thing. And I love being pushed. I never want to do a job where I’m not challenged and turned into a better person.
What advice do you have for young, aspiring actors?
Stay connected to the passion of it, why you do it. When you’re young, actors – they do it because they love to express themselves, and they love that creativity in exploring story and character. As you get older, the business becomes your career, and there’s more pressure on it. I think it’s very easy to get disconnected to what you originally loved about it: the purity, the artistry, the spark. I think you can get jaded. Always follow your heart. I know that sounds corny. But I have done that with movies. I only really take movies that really move me. That has just led me to amazing experiences.
Evanna was also asked if she speaks her native country’s language, Gaelic, to which she replied:
‘I do a little bit. We all learn it up until the age of 18. You don’t really appreciate it at the time, and you go to other countries that don’t have second languages, and it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a really special thing to have’.
Read the full interview here. My Name is Emily has also been nominated for awards in the 2016 Irish Film and Television Academy Awards, where Evanna has been nominated as Best Actress. Read more here, and watch the trailer below.