Siobhán Cullen is presently gracing three dark comedy series, namely, Obituary (broadcasted on RTÉ One and Netflix), The Dry (shown on RTÉ One and ITVX), and Bodkin (streamed on Netflix). It amuses her to consider herself a comedy superstar, which she used to deem highly improbable. “Before, the thought of comedy scared me,” shares the Dublin-based actress. “I have always been more drawn to drama. I never expected comedy to be part of my career.” Surprisingly, she adds, laughing, “It’s all I seem to do now.”
From a very young age, Cullen knew she was destined for the world of acting and took up drama classes. Her parents, despite their professions as a nurse and an electrical wholesale company manager, did amateur theatre. “I used to accompany them to their rehearsals some evenings, giving them their lines from the wings,” she reminisces.
Witnessing her parents acting out fictional scenarios of heartbreaks and deaths greatly moved her. The intense emotions portrayed gave her the impression of witnessing enchantment in progress. This astounding power of theatre to intensely move the audience, made her fall in love with it. She appreciated not only the art of performing but, also the workings behind the scenes.
Cullen began her professional acting journey at the tender age of eight, featuring in a Marina Carr’s play – By the Bog of Cats, at the Abbey. It was then that the thought, “I could make this my career,” dawned on her.
Upon reflection, she says, “I think I’ve always viewed it as a game. What are the rules? To what extent can I push the boundaries?”
Was she apprehensive? “Not at all, it simply meant more people to showcase my talent to,” she expresses. “I never experienced stage fright, perhaps due to my young start. Hence, ideas of auditions, plays or performances never held any negative aspect. I felt no burden. It was never a matter of earning a livelihood for me. An audition implied an afternoon free from school and possibly an ice cream treat in Dún Laoghaire. It never intimidated or frightened me. It was amusing at that age.”
Does it remain a game for her? “I have always perceived it as such,” she articulates. “Understanding the rules, how much can I push the boundaries? And, can I do it correctly? As a more experienced actress, I’ve tried to do away with the ‘doing it correctly’ part because that’s nearly unachievable.”
Cullen consistently engaged in acting and drama classes all through her teenage years, eventually earning a degree in drama and theatre from Trinity College Dublin. Post graduation, she along with several classmates found themselves in acting or directing jobs. What was her intended career path? “I wanted to be an active part of the Irish theatre industry and earn my living from it. That was all I was familiar with. Sure, I’d done some TV work as a teenager and young adult, but ultimately, my heart was set on theatre.”
She began bagging minor roles at the Gate, and she adored it. “A whole month in the rehearsal room observing phenomenal Irish theatre actors,” she narrates. “It was like a masterclass to me. I didn’t have the traditional training because I pursued a degree course, which is rather scholarly… So, that was how I trained, being in those rehearsal spaces, rehearsing lines with them backstage, seizing whatever opportunity I could, just to contribute and get engaged. I sort of manoeuvred my way to the top.” She ponders for a bit, “It seems like it was a smooth and easy journey. It wasn’t. There were numerous years when I wasn’t really active and the idle time caused anxieties and nervy moments.”
“Having been involved with the Druid Theatre company, Cullen participated in a number of productions, including Richard III and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. Her experience was incredibly positive, likening it to working within a close-knit family, due to the long-standing relationships within the company. This familiarity removed any initial day jitters, creating a warm, accepting environment which encouraged creative openness. Cullen considered the company exceptional, producing work that she deemed magical.
She felt that with theatre, there’s never a ‘conclusive’ rendition as each performance varies. This uniqueness provides a delightful, albeit sometimes frustrating aspect, compelling her to continuously seek that particular feeling from one outstanding night. Recognising this chase as a mindfulness exercise, she highlighted the importance of being immersed and fully present in the moment, letting go of the past performances and looking forward to discovering the next spark of inspiration.
As Cullen approached her late twenties, she began to land more roles in television, notable among them was in Conor McPherson’s RTÉ-BBC series, Paula, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She also worked on the large-scale YouTube sci-fi series, Origin. While this series didn’t garner much attention, it played a pivotal role in her career. Spending half a year on set daily, Cullen expanded her experience with cameras and developed a deep understanding of the workings of a film set, an experience she considered invaluable.”
Covid’s big disruption caused Cullen, along with countless other entertainers, significant professional upheaval. Despite her London abode, she opted to ride out the pandemic in her parents’ home. Her career’s future seemed bleak, making her contemplate changing professions since she felt the likelihood of staging performances in darkened theatres had become extinct. Yet, she comments with a chuckle, that the adversity of the situation simply propelled the resilience of actors to explore new delivery methods, be it direct-to-home one-person shows or narrating voiceovers from a makeshift home studio.
Cullen starred in a unique one-woman show about Eavan Boland, with the script penned by Colm Tóibín and under the direction of Garry Hynes, Druid’s artistic director, during the chaos. The new broadcasting format was still in its experimental stage, but the experience was exceptional.
Cullen’s career took an unexpectedly positive turn during this time, bringing her an array of compelling roles. In Obituary, the brainchild of Ray Lawlor, she portrays a small-town obituary writer-turned-serial killer to revive her deteriorating business. Her role in The Dry features her as an intriguingly capable member of an Irish family full of internal complications, while in Bodkin, she plays a skeptical journalist partnering with a naive American podcaster to unravel a mystery in the west Co Cork town.
She beautifully embodies each character. She states her fascination with the Obituary role, highlighting that the unusual opportunity to play a serial killer, a role she never anticipated being offered to her, tantalised her, and she relished bringing the villain to life.
The clarity and precision of Nancy Harris’s writing in “The Dry” is praised by the interviewee, who acknowledges the benefits of understanding each other well in a second season. Harris commented that it was easy for her to discern whether the level of comedy or drama was off-balance by interpreting the director, Paddy Breathnach’s expressions. Breathnach’s ability to strike the right balance is cited as a testament to his distinct directorial talents.
Contrastingly, “Bodkin” is a grander project, backed by Netflix and produced by the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground – although they were not present on the set. The creative force behind the show is British scriptwriter Jez Scharf, however, the essence of the show remains feeling authentically Irish. According to Harris, half of the writers and the majority of the cast and crew were Irish to maintain its authenticity. If a script dialogue did not align with her accent or felt out of place for characters hailing from West Cork, the team had the liberty to modify it.
One fascinating aspect was her American counterpart, Will Forte, from Saturday Night Live, who seemed to have a profound understanding of Ireland. After shooting wraps up for the day at Ardmore Studios at 6pm, Forte would embark on solo drives to discover Ireland, having essentially travelled across the entire Irish coastline.
Harris remains uncertain about the chances of her show “Bodkin” being renewed for a second season with Netflix, yet she is confident about her career progression. She will soon start preparing for an Abbey play, “The Sugar Wife” by Elizabeth Kuti, and filming for the second season of “Obituary” is set to commence in the coming autumn. She goes on to express her aspiration of working on a film project next – an area she hasn’t explored much in her career but has a keen interest in learning more about.
Wondering if portraying three comedic characters has enriched her understanding of humor? She responds, “Despite the roles, comedy scripts landing on my desk still frighten me”, yet admits, “I’d like to think I’ve gleaned some insight.” She punctuates the statement with a chuckle.
You can currently catch Bodkin on Netflix, and for fans of The Dry, its second season will make its debut on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Wednesday, 15th of May.