IN CONVERSATION WITH EOIN MACKEN
interview by JANA LETONJA
photography BILLIE SCHEEPERS
Eoin Macken is one of Ireland’s most versatile and magnetic actors, seamlessly balancing work across television, film, and literature. He currently stars in Netflix’s global hit ‘Ransom Canyon’ and will soon return to screens in ITV’s anticipated series ‘Borderline’, premiering on 3rd October. Known for leading roles in projects like NBC’s ‘La Brea’, ‘The Night Shift’, and ‘Merlin’, Eoin has also carved out a reputation as a filmmaker and novelist, with projects like ‘Here Are the Young Men’ and ‘Kingdom of Scars’ showcasing his creative depth beyond acting. With a career that spans from Sundance premieres to global blockbusters, Eoin continues to expand his artistic reach while remaining deeply connected to his Irish roots.
‘Ransom Canyon’ is Netflix’s #1 show right now, with season 2 also on the horizon. What first drew you to this project, and how has the response felt?
I loved the shades of grey within Davis Collins. He cares deeply about his family, and his son, and is infatuated with Quinn, but he also has no compunction with doing whatever he needs to get what he wants, even if that might cross the line. Davis is highly ambitious, and competitive with Staten and will never bow down.
Your character in ‘Ransom Canyon’ has to navigate some morally ambiguous situations. How did you prepare to bring authenticity to those moments?
It was all in the writing, and then following up with the truth of the moment for the character. The writers decide on the direction of the character and where he is driving next, and it was up to me to believe in it completely so that Davis also did.
Next up, you’ll be starring in ITV’s ‘Borderline’. Can you share what can the audiences expect from this series and your role in it?
‘Borderline’ is a wonderful show, the likes of which aren’t made so much recently in Ireland, where we deal with cross border issues between the North and South which still exist. It’s a fun, but layered and dark buddy cop drama that not just focuses on these two conflicted characters in Boyd and Regan, but also looks at how the differences across the border still have an impact on day to day lives and behaviors, whilst trying to solve crimes and important issues like immigration, loyalty and family, and how the past makes prisoners of us all.
The tone of ‘Borderline’ feels intense and character-driven. Can you talk about how you balanced vulnerability and strength in your portrayal?
John Forte is an exceptional writer, and he gave the characters a great shape that allowed me to find what I needed to make Boyd real. The show is about these characters, their inner demons, and facing their pasts, who also want to do the right thing. Growing up in Ireland in the 80s and 90s when these issues were far more visible than perhaps they are now, gave me a strong understanding of where Boyd sits emotionally, and morally.
How do you think ‘Borderline’ will shift people’s perception of you, especially those who have known you mainly for genre work or earlier roles?
Well, if that happens, it means that the show has worked and connected with people because I haven’t played a character quite like this before, so it was a nice arc from fantasy and cowboy, to delve deep in the mindset of a Northern Irish policeman suffering from the mistakes of his family.
You’ve taken on everything from medical dramas to sci-fi to fantasy. How do you choose roles across such different genres?
It’s all about the character, and the writing. I’ve found some great projects that are complex, but also primarily fun, and that’s what I like. It’s always got to be fun.
How do you prepare differently for a psychological role in a film like ‘The Hole in the Ground’ versus an action-driven project like ‘Close’?
I like to watch films in the same tone and listen to music that fits the character. Each character always has their own playlist which I curate ,and this allows me to find them emotionally.
You’ve written, directed, and produced your own films like ‘Here Are the Young Men’. What drives you to create your own projects?
Honestly, I like making films and writing stories. I have been doing it since I was 21 and got into acting and filmmaking, and have been writing stories since I was a kid, so I just want to learn and be involved in great storytelling. Directing is a blast because you get to work closely with really talented people in all the different areas of a film and I love being a part of that tapestry.
Do you find that being a filmmaker changes the way you approach acting on someone else’s set?
Yes and no. I always trust the director on any project I am acting in implicitly because that is how I want actors to work with me, but equally it’s given me a greater understanding of anticipating what they may need and what they’re looking for. But when I’m acting, I don’t think about anything else on set apart from that character. It’s like a different part of the brain.
You’re also a published novelist. How does writing fiction compare to writing for screen?
Time. Novels take a huge amount of time. But with fiction, you spend more of that time with your characters and get into their heads more, so writing books has given me a deeper understanding of character nuance in my screen writing. It’s a constant evolution and learning experience.
What kind of stories you’re still dreaming of telling, either as a writer or director, that you haven’t yet tackled?
I am writing a book right now about Cu Chulainn, with my lit agency OWN IT!, and I’m almost finished. Cu Chulainn is the most famous Irish mythological character, similar in a way to Heracles in Greek mythology, and I have wanted to explore an angle on his stories and similarly in the immortal realm of Tir na nog for a long time, but in a way more akin to how Mary Renault wrote her novels about Alexander The Great, like ‘Funeral Games’, or Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’.
What role has risk-taking played in your career, whether choosing unconventional roles or creating independent films?
Everything in life is always a risk, it’s about believing in what you’re doing, and diving head first full heartedly and just hoping it’s all going to work out.
