Actress Dervla Kirwan has admitted getting old is a “terrifying thought”.
But the 51-year-old Smother star, who plays Val Ahern in the crime drama, believes that age is “just a number” as she opens up about being inspired by her co-star Fionnuala Flanagan, who is 81.
She said: “It sucks. I’m heading towards the inevitable and that’s quite a terrifying thought. I’m sure she won’t mind me [Fionnuala] saying this, she’s 81 and she is sexy, beautifully turned out, word perfect, hilarious, charming and has the energy of a woman 30 years her junior.
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“So it’s all about the soul and the dynamic personality of that person,” she told the RTE Guide.
Dervla became a household name when she was 23 years old after she landed a role in Ballykissangel, playing pub landlady Assumpta Fitzgerald. The drama had 10 million viewers tuning in at its peak.
Dervla said she looks back at her time on Ballykissangel “with great gratitude”.
She said: “That was a hugely successful show, in a beautiful area of Ireland. I have fond memories and I don’t know if I would do anything different. I was very young, and I had a great time.”
Smother is in its final season and Dervla says filming the third series was bittersweet.
“But at the same time, when I managed to read all of the scripts, our writer Kate O’Riordan had done such a fantastic job, and all the writers involved in making the final series leading up to what will be an epic final episode.
“I was really excited,” she added.
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