Kilbeggan actors star on the rise in canada
A Kilbeggan actress is one of the stars of a new film shot in her adopted home of Canada.
Natasha Quirke plays the role of Serena in Charlotte’s Song, a film by Vancouver based production company Done Fore Productions. Created by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin and Lindsey Mann, directed by Nicholas Humphries, Charlotte’s Song is a dark reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and is set in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in the 1930s and the height of the Great Depression.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner from Vancouver, her home for the past four years, Natasha, who was first bitten by the acting bug while treading the boards with the Kilbeggan Players as a teenager, was limited in what she could say about her new role but admitted to being very excited about what will be arguably her biggest role to date.
“I play the role of Serena in 'Charlotte’s Song’ . I acted in the film with Iwan Rheon from Game of Thrones and my character sings and dances. I can’t release any other information on my role . You will have the watch the trailer (laughs).”
Natasha was working as a social worker with the HSE when she decided to take the plunge and pursue her passion for acting. The catalyst for her life changing decision occurred in 2009 when she landed a role in the hit HBO drame The Tudors, which was shot in Ireland.
“Something triggered when I was on set. I didn’t want the day to end. I was so mesmerized watching the others actors act, watching the crew behind the scene making it all flow. I had to find a way to make it happen. Within a year I had my visa for Canada and off I jetted to Vancouver.
“This is a beautiful city and I’m one very lucky woman to be here in a place full of opportunity. When I’m not on set I work at 'The Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts’ , a Film and TV school as the office manager. It’s the perfect setting, as I get to be among creative people and I get all the training I need.”
Most Irish actors heading across the Atlantic to further there careers make a bee line for either New York or Los Angeles but Natasha decided to move to Vancouver, a decision she doesn’t regret.
“I wanted to go somewhere different and many people had said go to Vancouver, Its the Hollywood North and its more difficult obtaining visa papers for the states. Six months turned into four years very quickly. I fell in love with Vancouver and I quickly closed the door on working in the social care realm to focus on my acting career.”
While she has spent a lot of time mastering an American accent (most of the productions filmed in Vancouver are projects originating in the US), in Charlotte’s Song the makers wanted Natasha to use her Irish accent. With her long red hair she is the quintessential Irish cailín, something which she sees as an asset. She is currently writing a one woman stage show about Ireland’s most famous acting redhead, the great Maureen O’Hara.
“I believe peoples perception of redheads is changing and writers are not afraid to add the fiery redhead in a script. Maureen O’Hara took hollywood by storm, she left Ireland and followed her passion. Her roles were strong, grounded and always had life. If I could follow in one woman’s footsteps , Maureen is the lady I look up to,” she said.
Happily settled in Vancouver, Natasha says that in an “ideal world” she would be able to spend an equal amount of time in Ireland and Canada.
“Ireland will always be my home. It would be an honour to come home and work on such great productions like, Love/ Hate, Vikings or Game of Thrones. Every actor wants to keep acting and my goal is to be a continuous working actor that gets to travel from country to country making great Films and working on TV. It’s really important to have a good attitude in this business, work hard and train and be grateful and you would be surprised what can happen then."