Jade Jordan: ‘This industry needs more voices, more perspectives and more lived experiences’
Irish actor Jade Jordan talks about the empathy and connection at the root of all good stories, the unseen effort that goes into creating film, and her role as Anna in Crazy Love.
Jade Jordan stars in Crazy Love, which is set for its Irish premiere at Dublin International Film Festival on Thursday, February 26.
After a failed suicide attempt, a troubled young man, Clayton (John Connors) finds himself in a psychiatric care facility where he befriends a young woman, Anna (Jade Jordan) with severe schizophrenia. As their relationship deepens, questions arise about the nature of their friendship, and they must fight to explore their deep connection. This impressive Irish debut feature from Jason Byrne and Kevin Treacy is a heartfelt love story about two lost souls in a world that doesn’t understand them.
Read on for our interview with Jade Jordan.
What led you towards pursuing the path to becoming an actress?
Honestly, there was never anything else I wanted to do. From as far back as I can remember, acting was the one thing that always felt right. There was this pull that I couldn’t ignore. I was always drawn to storytelling and to people, how they think, how they behave and what was hidden. Acting felt like a way to explore all of that. For me it’s about empathy and connection. I love nothing more than to step into someone else’s world and give them a voice, especially characters who might not normally be heard. It’s a freedom like no other and a real pleasure to get to play, which is the greatest of gifts.
Tell us about Crazy Love, and your character of Anna. What attracted you to the
project?
A suicidal man—Clayton, played by John Connors—checks in voluntarily to a mental hospital and falls in love with a schizophrenic patient—Anna, played by myself—who can never leave. Crazy Love is, at its heart, a love letter to hope. It’s about the courage it takes to stay when every instinct is telling you to run, and about the fragile beauty of connection when the world feels unbearably heavy. What I loved about the script was how it allows tenderness and humour to exist alongside despair, and how it treats mental illness and self-harm not a taboos, but deeply human experiences that deserve compassion and honesty.
Anna is a woman living with schizophrenia in a mental health facility, she’s someone who technically can’t leave, but emotionally she’s incredibly alive. She’s funny, perceptive and deeply loving, even with the pain she carries. What attracted me to the role was that Anna isn’t defined by her diagnosis. She’s defined by her capacity for connection, and by the hope she offers, often without realising it. That felt both challenging and incredibly meaningful to explore.
What goes into bringing a character to life from the page to the screen?
For me, it’s about really sitting with the character and getting curious about them. Not just who they are on the page, but who they are in the quiet moments, what they’re afraid of, what they want, what they don’t say out loud. Once that becomes clear everything then follows. I think personally it’s less about building the character and more about allowing them a space to exist. You trust the writing, trust the director, trust who you are playing opposite, and trust your instincts and don’t let the inner voice drift you away from all that and then you just let go of trying to perform. When you put all that into play, the character starts to feel real, like someone you know.
What was the experience like working with Jason Byrne and Kevin Treacy?
I truthfully had a ball on this job. I was given the freedom to play, which is the dream. It was genuinely such a collaborative and supportive experience. They both created an environment where there was a huge amount of trust, which makes all the difference as an actor, especially with material this emotionally delicate. I always felt safe to explore, to ask questions and to take risks. They both had a vision for the story, but they were also incredibly open to instinct and nuance which allowed the characters to grow in a very natural way. They made the work feel honest and alive, and it’s something I’m extremely grateful for.
The film will have its Irish premiere at DIFF — how do you see this film and its themes surrounding mental health will resonate with audiences?
Having our Irish premiere at DIFF feels super fitting and meaningful for Crazy Love, because Irish audiences for me have such an emotional intelligence when it comes to storytelling. I think the people here understand humour and tenderness as a survival tools, especially when dealing with heavy subjects. I hope this film just meets the audience where they’re at, not by offering answers, but by opening up space for compassion and conversation.
Crazy Love definitely doesn’t shy away from the realities of mental health, but also refuses to define people by their darkest moments. At its core, it’s about connection and about the quiet hope that can exist even in places we don’t expect it. If the audience leave feeling a little more open to talking honestly about mental health, and feel less alone, then I think we have made something worthwhile.
Who is someone you look up to in the world of Irish film?
Ruth Negga, she brings such fearlessness and emotional intelligence to her work, and there’s a quiet power in the way she inhabits characters, nothing ever feels performative or forced. Growing up, she also represented something really meaningful to me. As someone of mixed heritage, seeing her succeed, and do the thing was massive for me. She showed me that there was space for people like me in our industry too. That combination of representation and integrity in her work is incredibly inspiring.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about working as an actress?
I think one thing I wish people understood is how much of the work is unseen. Acting isn’t just what happens on set, it’s the preparation, the waiting, the rejection and the emotional labour that goes on quietly in the background. There’s so much vulnerability involved. You’re constantly putting parts of yourself into the work, often without any guarantee of an outcome. But at the same time, that’s what makes it special, when it does connect, it feels incredibly human, a shared experience.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone hoping to have a career in acting?
I’d say it’s never too late to start, and there’s no such thing as a “wrong” background. This industry needs more voices, more perspectives and more lived experiences, not less. Your age, your accent, your heritage, your life story should not be an obstacle. Focus on the craft, stay curious, and don’t wait for permission to take up space. Representation matters and the more people show up as themselves the richer the stories we have to tell. Do you, it’s the most important. Oh, and want to act for the right reasons.
Jade Jordan’s life in culture
The last thing I saw and loved… I Swear featuring Robert Aramayo. What an important story told beautifully and acted so truthfully and delicately.
The book I keep coming back to… Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. It’s a reminder to trust the timing of your life and career, especially this industry where so much is out of your control. As an actor, it encourages you to stay open, keep moving forward and see the challenges not as setbacks but as signals.
I find inspiration in… People, in their contradictions, their humour and the quiet strength it takes to keep going.
My favourite film is… I’m going to say Annie, I know by now I should really have a better choice. But it was Annie that made me want to do the thing. Watching it on repeat as a child, I was completely drawn into that world and the feeling that anything was possible. It was the first time I remember wanting to step into a story rather than just watch one, and that feeling will forever stay with me and I’m sure my poor mother.
My career highlight is… Jesus, that’s tough. Cheesy but every job offers its own highlight. I honestly feel blessed to do the thing I love as my job and grateful for every opportunity that comes my way. But my career highlight is every moment I get to do the work but Crazy Love stands out as a project that challenged me and changed me in the best way as an actor.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… Max Richter – ‘Four Seasons Spring 1’. Classical music is my thing, it takes me to another realm quite frankly.
The last piece of art I recommended is… Poor by Katriona O Sullivan; Die My Love; and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.
I never leave the house without… My headphones.
My dream role would be… I’m really drawn to roles that require both physical commitment and transformation, where movement, stillness and the body are central to the character and the story telling and where the character changes in a profound way. So action filled, and I don’t quite know what that is just yet but it will present itself when it’s ready.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… Is to be myself because that’s the very thing that sets me apart from everyone else.
My favourite moment in Crazy Love is… Escaping the institution, myself and John just ran about like children, having such a laugh and bless him his ankle was injured that day which made it even funnier god forgive me.
The most challenging thing about being an actress is… The uncertainty. So much of the work is out of your control and you have to learn how to stay grounded and confident through long periods of waiting and the not knowing. But for me this is where the work happens, you take the time for self-development whatever that looks like for you but mine is looking after me, therapy, training , nature, friends, family and staying in the know of what’s happening and being on your tools and being ready.
After a shoot, I… Always buy myself a lovely present and go on holiday to debrief.
If I wasn’t an actress, I would be… Eeeeek, teach acting or maybe a stylist… I love clothes very much so.
The magic of film and art to me is… Connection, the quiet moment where a story reaches someone exactly when they need it.
Jade Jordan stars in ‘Crazy Love’, which will have its Irish premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival in the Light House cinema on Thursday, February 26. For more, see DIFF.ie.
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