Fionn O'Shea on Making DATING AMBER, Working with the Russo Bros. in CHERRY, and Being a Jerk in Hulu's NORMAL PEOPLE

I got the chance to speak to actor Fionn O’Shea ahead of today’s release of his most recent film, Dating Amber, and he was such a delight. The actor is also known for playing Jamie on the Hulu series Normal People, as well as roles on various series such as Hang Ups and The Letter For the King, and the upcoming films Wolf, and Cherry, which is being directed by The Russo Bros.

Check out my review of the film Dating Amber on GeekTyrant today, and see the film On Digital and On Demand everywhere.

After apologizing in his charming Irish accent that there might be a delay due to his being on the call from Ireland, we dug right in:

Jessica Fisher: I got the chance to see Dating Amber, and it was a delightful movie. You and Lola Petticrew were genuine and sweet, and did a great job. So what was it like playing Eddie and telling his story?

Fionn O’Shea: Well first of all, thank you so much for watching it. I’m delighted that you liked it. It was a dream come true to play Eddie. From the moment I read the script, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. So I felt so lucky that Dave (Freyne) gave me the opportunity to play him, and, for both Lola and I, we got to bring so much of ourselves to those characters, and so much of Lola and I’s friendship into Eddie and Amber’s friendship, and that was made possible through a lot of rehearsal time, which is also very rare. But yeah, it was actually really a dream to play Eddie.

JF: That’s so cool. This role was a lot sweeter and more relatable than playing the jerk Jamie in Normal People, so did you take this role to kind of get back into fans good graces?

FO: (Laughs) That’s a great question! I think, well, it’s really interesting because I finished filming Dating Amber, and I think three days later started filming Normal People, and obviously those characters are so different. And in London, and the UK, Normal People came out, and then I think about three weeks later, Dating Amber came out, and so I was very happy when people went from hating Jamie in Normal People to liking Eddie in Dating Amber.

JF: (Laughs) Yes! So that was your redeeming role. You talked about your friendship with Lola. You guys worked on Dating Amber and the film Wolf. So what can you tell me about that experience?

FO: Yeah, I know. It’s kind of rare to get to work with your friend on multiple films. We had such an amazing experience on Dating Amber, and sometimes those experiences are hard to replicate, but Wolf was just like Dating Amber in that it was the most amazing atmosphere on set, and everyone just really cared so much about the project and put their hearts and souls into it. So I feel really lucky that Lola and I have gotten to work on two things together, and both of the experiences were incredible.

JF: That’s great to hear. You also have the film Cherry coming out next year. What was it like to work with the Russo Brothers and play a character that’s based on someone in real life?

FO: I was pinching myself on that set because I am such a huge fan of Joe and Anthony, and of Tom (Holland) as well, so it just felt like a dream to be involved in Cherry. I think it’s going to be a really special film, and I think that Tom is going to be incredible in it.

JF: I’m definitely looking forward to it. You’re also set to star in Taking The Picture. Was this a project that got halted by the pandemic?

FO: I actually don’t know what is happening with that. That is a project that has been trying to get off the ground for a little bit. It wasn’t the pandemic that stopped it. I know it’s on my IMDb, but I actually know very little of it and the actual production. Wolf was actually the one that got halted by the pandemic, as we had just finished shooting it. But Taking the Picture, it’s actually been a few years since I’ve even seen the script.

JF: Oh! Ok, well what other projects are you hoping to get a chance to work on in the future. Anything else coming up?

FO: Well, there are a few things that I think I will get in a lot of trouble if I say what they are. I’m not entirely sure if I am doing them quite yet, but I might get in trouble if I say. I think I’ve been really lucky to play a relatively wide range of characters, and if I can keep doing that, I’d be delighted. And also, I’ve been really lucky that I’ve been able to work on projects that I care really strongly about, and characters that I’m passionate about. So if I can just keep doing that, I’d be delighted.

JF: Good to hear. We are big fans of you at GeekTyrant, and we can’t wait to see what you do next.

FO: Thank you so much for taking the time, and thank you for taking the time as well.