Ray Donovan

Season 4 M-Net Edge (*102) 21:00

Paula Malcomson plays long-suffering wife Abby in drama show Ray Donovan (2013-current), but it’s not the first time she’s played a character who takes a knock. She was abused prostitute Trixie in Western-themed show Deadwood (2004-2006), as well as Maureen Ashby, the abandoned girlfriend of John Teller, the main protagonist in biker drama series Sons Of Anarchy (2008-2014).

Luckily Paula didn’t need to spend 1

months perfecting her Irish accent to play Maureen – the 46-year-old was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 1 January 1970.

She says that strong characters 2

speak out to her and she wanted to do Ray Donovan because “the fact that Liev Schreiber was playing Ray, and he’s such a man, I thought, ‘Well, she needs to be such a woman to be married to him!’”

One thing she doesn’t like about 3

LA, where the show is filmed, is how “the houses look the same, especially in places like Calabasas (where Ray lives) – I wouldn’t be able to find home.”

When asked who she modelled 4

tough Abby on, Paula says “Carmela from The Sopranos (1999-2007). [Actress] Edie Falco is one of the finest and I’m absolutely inspired by her”. Not that she compares herself to the awardwinning star, adding “If anyone wants to make that comparison, fine, I’m flattered… but she’s way, way better.”

And while she’s happy with her 5

gritty roles, Paula admits that “I’d love to be in a zombie show, with 50 million people watching me, with pieces of flesh falling off and stuff”.

Paula’s quiet on her love life, 6

but the 1.66m-tall star hinted to potential suitors that “while Abby stays with Ray, Paula would up and leave!”