Eileen Walsh Opens Up About “Terrifying” Experience Filming “Small Things Like These”
Eileen Walsh, the beloved Irish actress, reveals the surprising anxieties she faced while filming the acclaimed movie “Small Things Like These.” In a recent interview with RTÉ Entertainment, Walsh candidly shared her feelings of “genuine terror” leading up to the first day on set.
Starring alongside longtime friend and fellow Corkonian Cillian Murphy, Walsh portrays Eileen, the wife of Bill Furlong (played by Murphy). This marks a reunion for the duo, who previously shared the stage in the iconic play “Disco Pigs.” Their undeniable chemistry translates beautifully on screen, further elevating their performances.
Facing the Spotlight
While Murphy carried the added pressure of his Oscar nomination and debuting as a producer with his company, Big Things Films, Walsh confessed her own hidden fears.
“I think Cill had a very different weight of expectation on him because of the producing and then the Oscar,” she explained. “But I remember going for a walk with my sister the week before we started filming and I was like, ‘I hope I can act!’ [I was] So worried!”
This sense of self-doubt, she revealed, was a new experience, adding, “This was the first time that I genuinely felt it. I feel like I’ve kind of gone, ‘I think I’d be right for this’, and then you suddenly go, ‘Yeah, I hope you can bring it now!’ (Inhales sharply) So, terrified.”
Honoring the Past
“Small Things Like These” delves into the sensitive topic of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland during the 1980s. Walsh acknowledged the immense weight of representing the experiences of these women on screen:
“You can’t play all that trauma, you just can’t,” she said. “But what you can do is siphon down into, ‘What does it mean to this story, this couple, this man right now?’ and then if you play that right, then you get the history that follows in with it. Otherwise, you’d get drowned in the expectation.”
Real-Life Connections
Since starting work on the film, Walsh has encountered numerous stories from people directly affected by the Magdalene Laundries. Early in her career, she played one of the young women in Peter Mullan’s powerful 2002 film “The Magdalene Sisters.”
She recounted an encounter in London where she met the son of June Goulding, a midwife who documented her own experiences working in a Magdalene Laundry. Walsh shared her awe at the unexpected connections she’s encountered, stating, “It’s amazing the amount of people that have been touched by it and are affected.”
Experience “Small Things Like These” Now
“Small Things Like These” is a powerful and moving film that will stay with viewers long after the credits roll. Don’t miss the chance to see it in theaters now.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
Click here for more movie news.