Niamh McCormack’s career is set to soar this year with a lead role in Netflix’s eagerly awaited costume drama House Of Guinness, alongside James Norton and Anthony Boyle. The show, which charts the rise of the brewing empire in the late 1860s, also delves into the politics of the period.
“I play Ellen Cochrane, one of the leaders of the Irish Republican Brotherhood [IRB],” says Dublin-born McCormack, who only discovered she had a personal connection to the material after filming wrapped. “It’s important for me to tell this story because I’m a direct descendent of a first lieutenant of the IRB,” she explains, but concedes, “It’s still such a sensitive topic to talk about.”
It is not the first Netflix role for McCormack, who previously featured in the streamer’s adventure fantasy The Witcher and teen comedy series Everything Now, and plays the younger version of Christina Hendricks’ TV producer in Sky TV’s comedy drama Small Town, Big Story. “It’s a big compliment to me and she was lovely to work with,” says McCormack, who will also be seen in upcoming police miniseries Cold Mind.
Now based in London, the performer fell in love with acting at an early age through weekend classes, before joining Bow Street Academy at just 17. “I was adamant I wanted to study there. I’d heard brilliant things and the fact it caters to screen acting as well,” says McCormack, who loves crossing between genres.
“The joy of acting is being able to transform into these different characters, different worlds and different time periods,” she continues. “Just putting yourself in those shoes, whether you’re playing an elf, a detective or the leader of the IRB.”
McCormack hopes to write as well as act going forward, and is working with a friend on a series about four Irish women “living in London for the first time”.
In terms of her on-screen aspirations, she says: “I would love to train for something, maybe a fighter or a warrior. I love the process of growing with the character for a long period of time.”
Contact: Morris Epstein, The Lisa Richards Agency
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