The Lovers is the show that is on everyone’s lips.
The show follows Foul-mouthed supermarket worker, Janet played by Roisin Gallagher meets urbane, political broadcaster Seamus who is played by Johnny Flynn.
We caught up with Belfast actor Roisin, who you might remember from The Dry, to chat all things about The Lovers.
Being cast in the show is a pinch-me moment for the actor, admitting that she never thought this day was going to happen.
“If I had been told when I graduated drama school all those years ago, you’re gonna be playing the lead in a Sky Atlantic show in Belfast and I would have been like, ‘There’s no way that’s ever gonna happen.’,” she tells VIP Magazine.
“It is happening and it’s happening more and more. You know obviously, we have a massive production like Game of Thrones.
After commuting from Belfast to Dublin for The Dry, she couldn’t have been more proud to showcase her native city.
“The crews are so experienced, they’re absolute experts in their field. But to have a writer from Belfast and the story really holds space for the city as it is today. And it was, it was a real privilege for me to play the part of Janet. I’m very proud of it,” she continues.
Roisin goes on to say that she knows how “incredibly lucky” she is to land the jobs that she has in a “precarious job”.
“I think there there there’s this idea that when we get to know someone on the screen that maybe this is their first time because it’s the first time someone saw me,” she admits.
“I’ve been working as an actress for 13 years before I went on The Dry, there’s a huge amount of consistent hard work that goes into that job and creating and honing your craft and the stories that you want to tell and then.”
As for what drew her to The Lovers, she admits that it was the character of Janet, the grumpy but good-natured woman she embodies. She admits that she hasn’t played anyone as “complex and full” as this character.
“I think she’s one-of-a-kind. It’s her sense of humour, really, but also. There was that, you know, there’s a lot of substance to get into here,” she says.
And of course, she was all praise for her co-star Johnny Flynn who she praised as a “gentleman”.
“We got on really well. We kind of headed off very comfortable with each other from the gecko. He’s super talented and it was just great to work with him. I really enjoyed working with him,” she gushes.
The Lovers kicked off on 7th September, with all episodes available to watch now on Sky Atlantic. Or you can watch weekly at 9pm every Thursday on Sky Atlantic.
