I’m fascinated by stories of John’s life, he is a gentleman

Actress loved hearing about Traveller background

me, ‘Let’s go round the corner’ and he bought me a cheeseburger, a proper gourmet cheeseburger, for lunch, and had a chat. “He’s doing those big blockbuster movies but he hadn’t changed a bit, which is lovely to see.” Kierston, who played feisty Kirsty Banning in Eastenders for three years, has been mixing TV and film roles Kierston as Kirsty in Eastenders recently. The Essex girl got her big break after being cast as the lead in Ken Loach’s It’s A Free World.

Since then she has appeared in Sky One’s The Take and movies including Fish Tank.

Former co-star Fassbender said Kierston has “got this sultry, sexy rawness to her”.

And she displays the same edginess in Cardboard Gangsters after director Mark O’connor offered her the part.

The movie, which O’connor co-wrote with Connors, is set in the North Dublin suburb of Darndale.

It has been described as one of the most authentic Irish crime movies ahead of its cinema release this weekend.

She said: “Basically Mark came directly to my agent and offered me the job.

“I read the script and I thought it was fantastic, and I loved her.

“Next thing I knew I was flying over there, got off the plane.

“And we were shooting the next day. I’d done The Take in Dublin, so I’d lived there