DEMI IS YOUNG OFFENDED
Star fed up being tagged with teen comedy TV role
IRISH star Demi Isaac Oviawe says it’s “frustrating” to still be known as “yer wan from Young Offenders” as she is trying to establish her acting career elsewhere.
The 21-year-old, who first starred as Linda in the hit Cork-based comedy series at the age of 16, said that while she’ll forever be grateful for her breakout role, she can’t go anywhere without someone still shouting it at her on the street.
She told The Star: “I mean, I’m 21, I’m 22 in November. And I started the Young Offenders and my acting career when I was 16.
“So that’s six years, and everywhere I go, and I hate saying it because it makes me sound cocky, and I’m not, I’m a confident person but I’m not cocky, everywhere I go it is ‘ah there is yer wan’. ‘There’s yer wan from the Young
Offenders that was with
Jock’. I wasn’t. My love interest was Conor, but that’s besides the point.
“And I never get
‘how are you or what project are you working on?’ it’s always
‘how’s Conor and Jock?’.
Humble
“So it is frustrating.”
The Cork-based star, who also graced screens on RTE’s Dancing with the Stars in 2019, insisted she has no ill feelings towards the show.
“And I’m obviously blessed and humble and grateful that I got my big break, because if it wasn’t for the Young Offenders I wouldn’t be in the position that I am, I’ll forever be grateful for that,” she said.
“But it is frustrating, because I’m not that person anymore. I’ve moved on.
“Since the Young Offenders I’ve done Dancing with the Stars, a short film that won awards, a Netflix film that is coming out in October, Holding, but Covid happened I suppose and there were reruns so in people’s heads I am still Linda.
Itch
“I am delighted that people do recognise me, but it is like an itch I can’t scratch sometimes.”
“So I am delighted that Holding is coming out so they can see me in something new.” Holding is the series based on Graham Norton’s novel of the same name, which kicked off on Virgin Media One last night.
The four-part drama series stars Irish actors such as Oscar-winner Brenda Fricker, Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) and Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls). Demi stars as Aoife, Father Ted star Pauline McGlynn’s sidekick, in the television adaption of Graham’s best seller directed by Kathy Burke. Gushing about the project, Demi said: “I was only delighted to be in this, obviously we just had Covid, and everyone, no matter what line of work you were doing, were delighted to be back to work.
“And it was great to be down in West Cork, because it is absolutely beautiful.”
Holding airs at 9pm on Monday nights on Virgin Media One.