Saoirse-Monica Jackson Instagram – “I’d barely any set experience and I was suddenly leading a show,” Saoirse-Monica Jackson says, as she recalls landing her breakout role as the bolshy schoolgirl Erin Quinn in Derry Girls. “I was in my early 20s, growing as a person. It taught me a lot as an actor and a human being.”
Yet following the cultural phenomenon, insecurities began to emerge. “I couldn’t get seen for parts my own age. I thought, ‘am I going to miss telling this part of my life’s story?’”
She feared Erin’s slapstick comedy would limit her, and get her typecast. “You never get to see young women do this kind of performance… those parts don’t even really exist, as I was repeatedly told.”
But with a new Netflix show on the way – The Decameron, described as ‘Lord of the Flies meets Love Island’ – and the gritty BBC drama she’s always dreamed of, Saoirse-Monica is just getting started.
“My career remains chequered and I’ve grown to love that,” she says. “I’m able to see the privilege of being able to show such stretch. I’m able to do work like Erin, and it’s work that I think is courageous, more ambitious, and cool.”
For Cosmopolitan’s latest digital cover story, the actor opens up about seeing your thirties as the ‘doing years’, defying misconceptions and the friendships that have blossomed along the way. Head to the link in bio to read more.
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Fashion Assistant: @harneyyy @thomothestylist | Posted on 25/Jul/2024 15:30:04
