Irish actress Ella Lily Hyland and Welsh actress Gabrielle Creevy have spoken about how special it has been to perform in their native accents in spy thriller Black Doves.
The pair star as assassins Williams (Hyland) and Eleanor (Creevy) in the hit Netflix drama, opposite Keira Knightley, who plays Helen Webb, a professional spy working for the shadowy London-based organisation the Black Doves.
Hyland, 28, from Co Carlow, said it was a privilege to be able to perform in her own accent.
“Growing up not seeing your own accent represented on screen, and then having the opportunity to do that yourself, is incredibly special,” she told the Press Association.
“At first, it can feel a little daunting because you’re not sure how it’s going to come across.
“But our accents are so distinctive, and I love that they allowed us to keep them and wrote for them so beautifully, too.”
Hyland, who trained at Dublin’s Lir Academy, whose alumni include Paul Mescal and Alison Oliver, said actors can subconsciously feel pressured to change themselves when attending drama school.
“Because you want it so much, and acting is your dream, when you go away to train, you can subconsciously feel that you need to change or alter something about yourself to fit in,” she said.
“I don’t think any young actor should ever feel that way.
“Everyone should be encouraged to embrace their authenticity, because that’s such an important part of their artistry and creativity.
“At this stage in my career, it feels really lovely to come home to that space and embrace that part of myself.
“It means the world to have the opportunity to do that, genuinely.”
Creevy, 30, from Port Talbot, described performing in her own Welsh accent as an incredibly freeing experience.
“It’s so freeing, really, just to be Gabby for a moment and to use my own voice,” she said.
“Most of the time, you’re trying to be someone else, adopting a different accent and becoming a different person.
“But why can’t there be a Welsh assassin and an Irish assassin? Why not? Who says there can’t be?
“I think that’s what makes it so refreshing.
“For years, you go to drama school and feel like you have to change the way you speak.
“I’d go home and my sister would say, ‘What is that accent you’re doing?’ And that genuinely happened!
“So to finally be able to use my own voice and embrace where I come from is really special.”
The pair also praised series writer Joe Barton for his ability to subvert gender stereotypes and create more complex, authentic female characters.
“As a woman, it’s wonderful to be able to play those roles without feeling that you have to change yourself to fit into outdated archetypes or boxes,” said Hyland.
“You can just be yourself and explore all those possibilities. I think that’s incredibly freeing.”
Hyland is also known for starring in the BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero, opposite Anjelica Huston and Clarke Peters.
Creevy is best known for her roles in the coming-of-age series In My Skin and the BBC thriller The Guest.
She also stars in the upcoming supernatural drama series The Witch Farm.
Black Doves season two is available to stream on Netflix now.
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