Jane Brennan: ‘Talent alone isn’t enough, it takes hard work to be successful’
An IFTA award-winning actress best known for her work on Hidden Assets and Brooklyn, Jane Brennan cut her acting teeth on stage at the theatre, and that love has endured.
Growing up in a family where the arts were everything, the path to live theatre, television and big screen acting rose up to meet Jane Brennan early on. From working with Garry Hynes on Druid Theatre productions back in the ‘80s to acting alongside Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn—a performance which won her an IFTA for Best Supporting Actress—giving life to stories is something that has always been a source of great joy for Jane.
As she says herself, the magic of acting is “having the privilege of getting to share work with an audience, and to feel their connection and response.” Who could ever tire of that?
Currently playing the role of Nell in Erica Murray’s The Loved Ones, which you can catch at the Pavilion Theatre, Dublin from 14-18 May, this is a story that contains humour and heartbreak in equal measure.
She shares with us her life in culture.
Was a career in acting something you always aspired to?
There was no hope for me. A career in theatre was kind of inevitable! My parents Daphne Carroll and Denis Brennan were both actors and my father’s mother Eva was a broadcaster and writer/composer. Her brother in law was Harry O’Donova who was script writer and producer for Jimmy O’Dea. That’s where my father began his career with O’Dea/O’Donovan productions and later with Edwards/MacLiammoir at The Gate. My siblings Barbara, Cathryn, Paul and Stephen all followed suit. And now Kate Stanley Brennan and Eva Bartley are leading the next generation into the business.
You cut your teeth on stage working on Druid productions. What was it like working with Garry Hynes back in the ‘80s?
My first break came when I was cast by Garry Hynes in a play called Same Old Moon by Geraldine Aaron with Druid Theatre Company in Galway. Galway was a very different place back in the early ‘80s but there was a real sense of cultural awakening with Druid, the Galway Arts Festival and Cúirt all making their mark in the West. It was an exciting time. Garry and her brother, the late Jerome Hynes had such incredible drive and vision for the company. Plus the expertise to realise their ambitions. I was very lucky to join them on the crest of that wave and to work with wonderful actors like Marie Mullen and Sean McGinley.
What has been your greatest learning from your career so far?
The thing I’ve learnt most is that talent alone isn’t enough, it takes a lot of hard work to be successful.
You received an IFTA award for Best Supporting Actress for your role in Brooklyn. What was it like working on that project and alongside Saoirse Ronan?
When I worked with Saoirse Ronan on Brooklyn I was struck by her maturity. She seemed like an old soul although she was only 19 or 20 at the time. She definitely possessed that special something that’s hard to define. I was blown away by her work. And she was such a warm and lovely person.
You’re playing Nell in Erica Murray’s The Loved Ones. Tell us about your character in this story.
Nell is a farmer in Co. Clare, practical and unsentimental but trying to cope with the recent death of her son Robin. Events conspire to complicate her situation, forcing her into an impossible dilemma. There are moments of hilarity combined with the most touching moments of grief. It’s one of my favourite roles and Erica Murray is a terrific playwright.
Jane Brennan’s life in culture
The last thing I saw and loved… was Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra at the National Concert Hall. Neil Martin joined them on stage with the Uilleann Pipes at the end, it was magic.
The book I keep coming back to… is The Complete Works of Shakespeare.
I find inspiration in… my family.
My favourite film is… is Some Like it Hot.
The song I listen to get in the zone is… Anything sung by Frank Sinatra gets me into the zone!
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… is ‘Don’t let the old woman in!’
The art that means the most to me are… A set of Greek myths by Robert Graves, – a present from my late husband Tom Murphy and The Complete Works of Shakespeare from my parents.
My favourite moment in this show is… At the top of Act 3. It is fabulously played by the wonderful Helen Norton playing the role of Cheryl Ann. She manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking.
If I wasn’t an actor, I would be… Totally insane.
The magic of acting to me is… Having the privilege of getting to share work like this with an audience and to feel their connection and response.
Production imagery by Ros Kavanagh.
You can catch The Loved Ones by Erica Murray at the Pavilion Theatre, Dublin from 14-18 May.
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