CHARLENE McKENNA: HOW I’LL PLAY A PEAKY BLINDER
PEAK PERFORMER: Actress Charlene McKenna says her character in the award-winning television drama ‘Peaky Blinders’ is “devious”.
IRISH actress Charlene McKenna has just landed a coveted role in the awardwinning BBC drama Peaky Blinders — but you won’t find her getting carried away.
Jetting into Dublin yesterday afternoon for the Irish Tatler Women of the Year Awards, the Monaghanborn star said she has seen fame change people. And she says she “wouldn’t be allowed home” if she ever let it happen to her.
“Power, money, fame are all things that target that evolutionary part of the brain. The part that is all about social status and survival of the species. They are very, very alluring [qualities] so that’s why they are very hard to resist.”
She says: “I have seen fame change people but a lot of them — if they had a down-to-earth upbringing, they’ll usually come full circle. There’s not a person on the planet it doesn’t affect. We are not really built for this kind of stuff, so I understand why it goes to people’s heads. You don’t grow up with a skill set for this stuff. Most children are all about ‘like me, like me’ and most adults are ‘like me like me’ and fame is about seemingly being liked but it’s just not real.”
The award-winning actress says she also knows many people who have climbed the starry ladder in the industry but have still managed to keep their heads out of the clouds: “It’s all about how much you invest in that. Look at Cillian [Murphy] he just keeps it real. So you can court it — and you cannot. You have to do a certain amount of press, but after that, I’m all about keeping the feet on the ground and doing normal stuff. Otherwise it’s just boring, I think.”
She laughs, adding if she ever bought into the hype: “I wouldn’t be allowed home.”
The affable starlet has been dating her former Ripper Street co-star Adam Rothenberg since 2016. When they first started dating, Charlene made headlines when she quipped: “I’m terrible in love.” Now, almost three years into the relationship, she says she has learned that individuality and being curious about ‘what triggers you’ is the secret to keeping a relationship going.
“I have learned that [love is] an ever, ever evolving thing. I have always been deeply interested in how the mind works, and I think any relationship is always going to trigger those early memories — whoever those early caregivers were — so for me it’s about getting more curious about my role in it and his role in it.”
She says the key is “to remain two individuals doing this thing together for as long as that goes on”.
On her new role on the eagerly anticipated fifth series of Peaky Blinders, she is keeping schtum.
“That’s the thing — I can’t even tell my friends about the role,” she laughs, “I’m not allowed to say.”
Giving a few insights into the character, Charlene says: “She is pretty awesome. She is very tough, devious and fun to play.”
And, on often getting picked for the parts of the ‘baddie’ in her acting career, she says: “I always seem to get some kind of reprobate or another. There must be something about me. My last role was a serial killer.
“Honest to God, I ask myself [why I get the baddies]... do I just look… I have no idea? There must be something about me that looks [like that]. I am definitely not devious in real life. I am honest as the day is long. Unfortunately, I’m not that interesting,” she laughs.
Charlene joined a host of stars including Amy Huberman, Jennifer Zamparelli and the Irish women’s hockey team to celebrate the 18th annual Irish Tatler Women of the Year Awards at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road.
Speaking about the night, hosted by leading business woman Norah Casey, she says: “It is just the nicest event. It is so uplifting. Last year I took my niece to it and it was so great to let her see all of these trail-blazing women in all these walks of life just not taking ‘no’ for an answer and going forward — be it quietly or loudly — and letting their presence be known. It’s a very inspiring night.”
‘I have now learned that love is an ever, ever evolving thing’