IN CONVERSATION WITH NIAMH ALGAR

interview by JANA LETONJA
photography by ALEX JOHNSON

Niamh Algar has firmly established herself as one of Ireland’s most acclaimed and versatile actresses, celebrated for her fearless performances on both the big and small screen. She first broke out in Shane Meadows’ ‘The Virtues’ and went on to earn a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her powerful role in ‘Calm with Horses’. Algar has since starred alongside Julianne Moore in Sky’s period drama ‘Mary & George’ and continues to take on bold, dynamic projects. This October, she returned in Sky’s hotly anticipated new drama ‘The Iris Affair’, starring opposite Tom Hollander, further cementing her reputation as one of the most compelling talents of her generation.

We’re currently seeing you on ‘The Iris Affair’. What drew you to this project initially? 

Neil Cross, the writer, drew me to the project. I loved his previous work. I read the script and fell in love with the character of Iris and the morally grey world she gets to live in. I thought playing this role would be immensely fun and challenging. The character is complex, manipulate with the right about of vulnerability. 

What can the viewers expect from the remainder of the episodes?

I think viewers can expect something that’s thrilling, unpredictable, and very human at its core. On the surface, it’s this fast-paced, high-stakes thriller set across beautiful parts of Italy, all the action, the glamour, the espionage. But underneath that, it’s really about a woman who’s unravelling and rebuilding herself at the same time.

What can you tell us about your character without giving too much away?

Iris is an enigmatic puzzle addict, she's recruited by Cameron Beck to solve an incredible set of codes that will unlock a quantum computer, but fears the outcome of such a machine and takes off on an epic game of cat and mouse with the password. She’s not someone who shows you her hand. You’ll see her make choices that seem cold or calculated, and then, just when you think you’ve figured her out, you get a glimpse of the human underneath. I think what makes her interesting is that she’s both the hunter and the hunted. She’s trying to solve a mystery, but she’s also part of it, and that duality makes her both dangerous and vulnerable.

Looking back to ‘The Virtues’, your breakout role, what impact did that experience have on your career? 

It was my first television role, the team involved were people who's work I admired massively. It was my breakout role and gave me the opportunity to showcase my ability to carry an emotionally intense, psychologically complex character. It got me seen in the industry both by critics, but also the shows audiences response was really strong. 

Your BAFTA-nominated performance in ‘Calm with Horses’ was deeply powerful. What stays with you from that project?

I really loved working with the director Nick Rowland. That whole experience was really special, I loved the script and character, and once again it was a role that allowed me to find complexity and raw vulnerability in a character. Working with Cosmo Jarvis was really fascinating. He fully emerses himself in the character and that allowed us to play around with the characters and find emotional truth and depth for the characters relationship dynamic

You’ve moved fluidly between film and television. Do you approach the two mediums differently? 

Not particularly. My approach is the same.

Which roles do you feel have taught you the most about yourself as an actor? 

I think the roles that teach me the most are the ones where I have to really step into someone else’s world. When I try to see things through their eyes, it makes me see more in my own life too. Each project just opens up a bit more of the world for me.

Do you find yourself drawn to darker, more intense stories, or is it the complexity of the character that matters most?

It's the complexity of the character. Tone, whether it be intense or dark, is in the hands of the writer and director. I just try to play the truth of the character. 

What’s a dream role or genre you’d love to tackle next? 

I'd love to play a real life person. Perhaps a bio.