She was top of the class in the worldwide hit Derry Girls, but Saoirse-Monica Jackson was terrified she’d never work again… How wrong she was. The show opened so many doors for her – from superhero movies to a 14th-century period drama
When the first season of the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls debuted in 2018, the show’s lead actor Saoirse-Monica Jackson had something of a flip out. Her performance as Erin Quinn, one of four Catholic schoolgirls (and an English fella) living in Derry on the Northern Ireland border in the final throes of the Troubles, was – she now realised – quite out there: full of adolescent facial contortions that dripped with awkwardness, disdain and indignation. Jackson had been inspired by the punk irascibility of her teenage cousin and the animated comic tics of Jim Carrey and Rowan Atkinson. But now she feared that she had blown her big break.
When the first season of the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls debuted in 2018, the show’s lead actor Saoirse-Monica Jackson had something of a flip out. Her performance as Erin Quinn, one of four Catholic schoolgirls (and an English fella) living in Derry on the Northern Ireland border in the final throes of the Troubles, was – she now realised – quite out there: full of adolescent facial contortions that dripped with awkwardness, disdain and indignation. Jackson had been inspired by the punk irascibility of her teenage cousin and the animated comic tics of Jim Carrey and Rowan Atkinson. But now she feared that she had blown her big break.
- 12/3/2023
- by Tim Lewis
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s 1994, and the people of Northern Ireland are nearly three decades into a violent conflict known as the Troubles. Civilians — thousands of which died during the fray — are generally divided between Protestant unionists, who want to keep the country under United Kingdom control, and Irish Catholics, who call for a united Ireland. Day-to-day life in Derry involve armed military checkpoints, customary bomb disposals, and the constant hum of danger. Family members are in prison. Others are dead. An end to the Troubles is in sight, but for the teenage girls attending Our Lady Immaculate College, this is the only life they’ve ever known. That it may come to an end right as they graduate only instills further anxiety over the responsibilities of adulthood.
This is “Derry Girls” — or, at least, a version of “Derry Girls” if viewed through a popular storytelling vantage point; a version where the pain,...
This is “Derry Girls” — or, at least, a version of “Derry Girls” if viewed through a popular storytelling vantage point; a version where the pain,...
- 10/11/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for Season 3 of “Derry Girls.”
Season 3 of “Derry Girls” opens with a dramatic montage set to the tune of uilleann pipes, depicting Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla McCool (Louisa Clare Harland), Clare Devlin (“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan), James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn) and Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) leaning pensively against walls, playing soccer and doing cartwheels, interspersed with shots of burning cars and soldiers carrying guns. It’s the sort of montage that belongs in a period piece about growing up in Ireland during the ’90s — and, as it’s revealed, the kind that Erin, Orla, Clare, James and Michelle want to be remembered for, as they’ve created it themselves using James’ video camera. “They told us we were young,” Erin intones in a comically ponderous voiceover, “yet we understood the enormity of it. We understood what was at stake. Our fear was replaced with something altogether more terrifying…...
Season 3 of “Derry Girls” opens with a dramatic montage set to the tune of uilleann pipes, depicting Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla McCool (Louisa Clare Harland), Clare Devlin (“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan), James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn) and Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) leaning pensively against walls, playing soccer and doing cartwheels, interspersed with shots of burning cars and soldiers carrying guns. It’s the sort of montage that belongs in a period piece about growing up in Ireland during the ’90s — and, as it’s revealed, the kind that Erin, Orla, Clare, James and Michelle want to be remembered for, as they’ve created it themselves using James’ video camera. “They told us we were young,” Erin intones in a comically ponderous voiceover, “yet we understood the enormity of it. We understood what was at stake. Our fear was replaced with something altogether more terrifying…...
- 10/10/2022
- by Rachel Seo
- Variety Film + TV
Derry Girls, an utterly charming show about a group of teenage girls growing up during the late ’90s when Northern Ireland was in the final days of a 30-year conflict known as the Troubles, comes to an end this fall on Netflix. The show stars Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her pals Clare (Nicola Coughlan) and Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland), and Michelle’s cousin James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate the horrors and hilarity of life at Catholic school. The final season has already aired in Ireland and the UK, but the rest of us have been waiting with bated breath for it to arrive on Netflix. On Wednesday, Netflix made the official announcement on Twitter, letting us all know where to be on October 7 when it finally hits the streamer. It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye… The final season of our beloved...
- 8/31/2022
- TV Insider
Derry Girls will say goodbye after its upcoming third and final season, creator and writer Lisa McGee announced. The half-hour Channel 4 comedy which streams on Netflix stateside first debuted in 2018 and follows Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her pals Clare (Nicola Coughlan) and Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland), and Michelle’s cousin James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they experience their teen years in 1990s Northern Ireland amid the Troubles. My Statement about #DerryGirls. What a ride! pic.twitter.com/TvYKDRY697 — Lisa McGee (@LisaMMcGee) September 23, 2021 And while change may be coming to their town, the high school hardships Erin and her friends face are relentless, making for some fantastic comedic moments. Taking to Twitter to share the news, McGee began her statement by saying, “It was always the plan to say goodbye after three series.” “Derry Girls is a coming of age story; following five ridiculous teenagers as they slowly…...
- 9/23/2021
- TV Insider
First impressions carry a lot of weight, and when Saoirse-Monica Jackson made her on screen debut in 2016 it was very clear that we were going to be seeing a lot more from her. Over the years, the talented actress has continued to leave viewers impressed with her level of skill and her undeniable versatility. Although her resume isn’t very long at the moment, she’s already had some great roles. Most people will recognize her from playing Erin Quinn in the popular series Derry Girls. Now Saoirse-Monica is hoping to bring that same magic to the big screen. She has
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Saoirse-Monica Jackson...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Saoirse-Monica Jackson...
- 3/13/2021
- by Camille Moore
- TVovermind.com
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