DECEMBER 2021
“What seems to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise. ”
I cannot believe it has been 3 years since I last posted a news update. 3 years!!! My how time flys…even when you’re not having fun.
Not wishing to depress you all with the painful details, suffice to say that due to circumstances beyond my control, in December 2018 I was robbed of my life as I knew it.
This led to a very difficult and challenging 2019 for me, and meant that my fledgling career as an actress had to take a back seat.
And then, just as things started to look up again, Covid 19 happened.
However, I am very grateful to be sitting here with my health intact, the love of my two precious children, and the support of my fabulous friends. I am truly blessed in all the things that really matter in this world.
Plus, as things started opening up again towards the end of last year, I have been extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work on some amazing feature films and television series.
So, without further ado, here is a recap of (dare I say it)…THE PAST 3 YEARS!!!
February 2019…brought a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Queen Palm Awards for my role as the chillingly evil Emily Moore in the Scottish short film Sheltered, written and directed by the humble genius Ross Kelly. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when I was announced as the Bronze Winner.
March 2019…I decided to embrace my new “working from home” status and add another string to my bow by enrolling at Voice Over Training Scotland’s courses led by one of Scotland’s most successful voice artists, Donald Pirie, along with one of the country’s top sound engineers, Borja Alcalde.
This led to some great projects including a voiceover for Macmillan Cancer Support and a fun project for Signal CX called Service Animals.
And the best thing about voiceover work is that, provided you have the correct equipment, a suitable sound-proof space, and the ability to Zoom chat with the client during the recording session, you can work from the comfort of your own home!
November 2019…saw the success of Convergence (a Scottish feature film written and directed by multi-award winning director, Steve Johnson, and starring the talented Nicolette McKeown and Jeremy Theobold) culminate in a cinematic release at Cineworld in Glasgow. To sit in a cinema surrounded by people who have paid to watch a film that I am in was such an incredible and surreal experience for me, let’s hope I get to do it again.
📸: ©Steve Johnson
November 2019…also brought to life the character Holly Christmas. A singing, dancing, guitar-playing, story-telling magical Christmas character I created to raise funds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
I will be forever grateful to the good people at Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre for giving Holly Christmas her first home in Santa’s Grotto during the festive months, and to the wonderful support of the staff and volunteers from Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Special mention is also due to the amazing children’s authors who gave me permission to read their Christmas Stories. In no particular order: Helen Baugh and Harper Collins UK Rudey’s Windy Christmas; Nicholas Allan Father Christmas Needs A Wee; Ian Whybrow and United Agents The Christmas Bear; Rod Campbell and Simon and Schuster Dear Santa.
December 2020 through to November 2021…lockdowns notwithstanding, has brought many opportunities to be involved in some fantastic feature films and gripping television dramas including:
Vigil; A Castle for Christmas; Tetris; A True Mismatch; The Princess Switch 3; A Very British Scandal; Crime; and The Rig.
Whilst my roles have all been small background roles (and for some of the roles I played you would actually need x-ray vision to be able to see me!), the opportunity to work on a professional set, be directed by world-famous directors, and work alongside some of the biggest names in the film and entertainment industry has been nothing short of fabulous!
I am aware that some people consider background roles as unimportant roles, and roles that should be avoided at all costs if you want to be taken seriously as an actor.
However, I disagree. I would much rather be working on set as a background actor as not be working at all.
Also, I don’t agree that background roles are not important. Picture if you will that epic scene in 1917 when George MacKay’s character, Lance Corporal Schofield, runs the full length of the trenches. I’ve read that this scene involved 450 background actors plus 50 stuntmen running amongst them ensuring they avoided the high-explosive charges that were going off all around them. Now picture that scene without those 500 actors. See what I mean?
As Konstantin Stanislavski says, “there are no small parts, only small actors”. Accordingly, I give as much depth and commitment to a background role as I give to a major role.
So with any luck 2022 will be just as busy, and I will continue to do what I love to do most in this world.
On that note, I wish you and yours all the very best for a fabulous festive season and hope that 2022 is filled with love, health and happiness for all of us.
Slàinte Mhath!
