LONDON (AP) 鈥� Daryl McCormack is the zen master.
It鈥檚 not a new acting role or a level of spiritual enlightenment, it鈥檚 a nickname he got on set for being extremely laidback.
The Irish actor is having a busy and rewarding year with ensemble appearances on TV in brutal period drama 鈥淧eaky Blinders鈥� and dark comedy thriller 鈥淏ad Sisters,鈥� plus a star-making performance as the title character in the film
McCormack portrays a sex worker hired by Emma Thompson鈥檚 frustrated widow character and the movie got them a best joint lead performance nomination at the British Independent Film Awards. This led to his first ceremony experience. He took his mom.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had awards season, so I鈥檓 just taking it as it comes, you know. This film was so small, and it鈥檚 received so much love. So for us to make it this far, to had such recognition and for there still to be a lot of love for the film is really, really lovely.鈥�
鈥淎s far as personally, I鈥檓 just kind of taking it all in my stride and and enjoying the moment,鈥� he said, smiling.
Among the honors McCormack has received during a standout career year is of The Associated Press鈥� , alongside stars including , and .
McCormack is on a short break from shooting BBC-Showtime series 鈥淭he Woman in the Wall,鈥� a gothic thriller that involves the Magdalene Laundries 鈥� church run institutions in Ireland for unmarried women and their children, which has been investigated for allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
Ruth Wilson鈥檚 character Lorna Brady had been placed in a laundry and wakes years later to find a dead body in her house. McCormack portrays Detective Colman Akande, the policeman on her trail.
McCormack calls it an 鈥渋mportant鈥� story that has been 鈥渋ntense, good and rewarding鈥� to film.
Not that he minds hard work.
鈥淚 always like to pick projects that I believe in the message behind. In a way, if the work is tiring, it feels rewarding because you know that you鈥檙e doing something you care about. So you鈥檙e willing to go through any sense of tiredness or exhaustion because you鈥檙e wanting to do the story proud.鈥�
And to relax, he has his weekend off to see friends and family.
This is McCormack鈥檚 support network, the people he turns to on the rare occasion that roles don鈥檛 go his way. That's something that was more common when he was first out of drama school, though he鈥檚 worked pretty consistently since 2018.
鈥淚鈥檝e had rejection for sure鈥� admits McCormack. 鈥淚 wish I came out unscathed, but no.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 not many people in my family that are in the arts. So when I first was kind of going through things and jobs not coming my way or not getting past an audition, I had to kind of explain to them that this is just part of the journey really, it is part of the process. But once they understood that, then they were like, 鈥極K, he鈥檚 fine.鈥欌��
He鈥檚 also started to get recognized more, which he reckons is 鈥済rand.鈥�
鈥淭hey all want selfies or, you know, they say, oh, you know, 鈥楳y girlfriend loves the show. She won鈥檛 believe me if we don鈥檛.鈥� So you just take a photo and it鈥檚 nice. It鈥檚 really fun.鈥�
McCormack also gets Googled with people looking up his eye color (green), his background (bi-racial) or who he played in 鈥淧eaky Blinders鈥� (Isaiah Jesus).
It's something else he shrugs away.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a natural part of the job. They鈥檙e curious to know who you are and where you鈥檙e from and all that stuff.鈥�
Next he鈥檇 like to play an American character and could be filming in the U.S. next year 鈥� he鈥檚 confident his accent skills are up to the task.
And McCormack would also like the pressure that comes with playing a historical figure.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain level of responsibility and you know, usually with those projects, if they鈥檝e passed, some of their loved ones might be still around. And there鈥檚 just an element where that to me is like an amazing opportunity to storytell. And I would love to kind of welcome that pressure and have an honor to actually tell someone鈥檚 true story.鈥�
As ever, he remains zen about whatever is to come.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no other option. You know, I鈥檓 very content and feel very grateful and yeah, I鈥檓 very, very happy to see where it all continues to go.鈥�
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Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
