CARINA BIRRELL
“I always wanted to act, since I was very young, and I realised it was an available and possible occupation!”
Scottish actress Carina Birrell, star of the new psychological thriller, WANDERING ROSE, gave an interview with Film and TV Now from Los Angeles to discuss her recent film and offered an insight into her acting background.
In the film, WANDERING ROSE, Carina stars as the titular character in the feature length thriller, which also stars Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, WATERLOO ROAD actor Cameron Jack. The movie has already gained a cult following and premiered at the Electric Cinema in London’s trendy Notting Hill.
In WANDERING ROSE – Rose and her fiancé Theo (Cameron Jack) escape the city for a weekend away to the idyllic Scottish Highlands. Theo sees it as a last chance to have some romantic alone time with Rose before she gives birth to their first child. The couple’s peace disintegrates as Rose is confronted with chilling memories of her secret past. The weekend descends into a living nightmare as Rose is forced to confront her demons. WANDERING ROSE is directed by Corrie Greenop and working with him, was an exciting experience for the actress:
1) For those who are unfamiliar with Wandering Rose, what is the film about?
Wandering Rose is a psychological thriller about a young couple, Rose and Theo, who escape for a weekend to the remote Scottish highlands to celebrate their anniversary together, before the anticipated arrival of their first baby some months down the line. Whilst Theo is hoping for a romantic getaway, Rose battles with keeping some dark secrets from him. The tension in their relationship escalates and Rose faces the mental and emotional turmoil of a young woman on the brink of losing her mind through trauma.Â
2) What was it that particularly drew you to the script and that role?
I was excited to film in Scotland, and work on an intimate production with a small team that required everyone to be collaborative and work closely. And it was an opportunity to take on a role that was complex, and a character with many layers, anxieties and neurosis… yet somehow you still feel empathy and compassion for her having got herself into such a vulnerable and confused place being a young woman going though trauma and on the brink of madness.
3) The film already had a good following, why do you think that is?
There is a growing love for independent and ambitious filmmaking, and a large market for psychological thrillers and horrors. The film presents a lot of questions and enigmas in the characters and the plot, and I think you see this in the trailer, which has fortunately drawn lots of people to want to see it.
4) Did you face any challenges in preparing for your role or during filming?
I think it’s always a challenge if you have to go to quite a dark place with a character, and Rose certainly does that. The main concern as an actor is knowing that some viewers may be very familiar with the circumstances the character is facing, and they will relate to them closely. Therefore you need to develop such a detailed understanding of the real implications of what your character is going through, and find a way to connect and give in entirely to that – even if it starts off as uncomfortable or far removed from your own life.
5) What was it like working with Corrie Greenop?
Corrie was amazing to work with. He had a clear vision and understanding of what was needed and what he set out to create, and was respectful and encouraging to everyone on set, always keeping the energy up. He gave myself and David, and Cameron a chance to bring our own ideas or instincts into a scene. He was also very supportive during and in between shooting. He made sure we were all very well looked after, and was always happy to discuss the character and allow ‘time’ never to be a pressure or a strain at any point, even though we had a tight schedule to meet.
6) You are also starring in upcoming drama film One. Can you tell us a bit about that?
‘One’ is a very exciting and unique project, comprised of ten different stories, eight writers and ten directors all exploring one question, and collaborating to form one narrative. The stories, whilst independent from one another, interconnect in subtle ways. It is a film about one city and the people who live there, and about relationships of all sorts – family /romantic /friendships. It is told through the character of Grace, a writer researching a new project about love, and inspired by the ‘I Saw You’ column in a magazine. It is Funny, heart-warming and sometimes harrowing, and explores whether love is about nature, nurture, or in fact just science. The production company are an amazing and inspiring collective of very talented people and I am really excited about the final product.Â
7) What is your acting background? How did you become involved?
I always wanted to act, since I was very young, and I realised it was an available and possible occupation! There is nothing more exciting to me than getting to explore characters and different lives of all sorts, and to tell stories. My grandfather was an amateur filmmaker with a passion for cinema, and made over four hundred films (of all sorts, and subjects) in his lifetime, and lived an incredible life. He was definitely an inspiration as I was growing up, as were my whole family. I trained with amateur theatre groups outside of school when I was a child and a teenager, and then auditioned for drama school and moved to London to pursue this.
8) If you had a dream role or if you could choose an actor/director to work with, who would that be?
A dream role would be the character of Amy (played by Rosamund Pike) in the recent adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s ‘Gone Girl’; and David Fincher would be amongst the directors I would love to work with, as well as Lone Scherfig, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Lynn Shelton, Drake Doremus and Jean-Marc Vallée. (to name one or two!)
Carina will next be starring in the forthcoming feature ONE, playing the narcissistic paranoid girlfriend to a famous soap star (Oliver Park).
You can keep up-to-date with all of Carina’s latest news by following her on twitter @carinabirrell.
