|
Interview - Rebekah Wainwright
Rebekah Wainwright, the talented Irish actress playing Catherine Brook on Showtime’s original series "The Tudors", has always wanted to be an actress. Growing up in Dublin with her mother and grandmother, Rebekah knew she wanted to be a performer at an early age. Because of her passion for performing, she was allowed to enroll in one of Ireland’s premier drama schools, Gaiety School of Acting, as a youth. From there, a teenage Rebekah got to work behind the scenes on movie sets as an Assistant Director and also as a Trainee Accountant – both of which she loved.
After completing her Leaving Cert in 2004, she auditioned for Ireland’s only BA in Acting Studies course at Trinity College Dublin. Rebekah was only 19 and was offered a place at the college on the spot. Soon after, the actress was invited to audition for a role in "The Tudors", which she landed but turned down due to a sex scene.
Rebekah decided to focus on starting her BA. A few weeks later she got a call from her agent saying that the casting director wanted to see her for another part in the show - the role of Catherine Brook. Initially it was only meant to be two scenes in the end of Season 1 - but her talent showed and she was written in for all of Season 2. She missed her first day of Trinity to shoot those scenes. She continued with her studies and got on with student life.
Last summer, Rebekah found herself scheduled for 10 episodes of The Tudors alongside Natalie Dormer, Henry Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Rebekah has also acted in several theatre productions including “The Twelfth Night”, “Comedy of Errors” and “Romeo and Juliet”, as well as appearing in the Stephen Stubbs TV series “The Roaring 20’s”.
Recently Love it, Like it, Hate it sat down with Rebekah in attempts to get to know this rising talent better.
LLH: So, what made you want to become an actor?
There was no one thing which made me want to become an actor; I know it’s a cliché but I’ve always wanted to be an actor.
Was it your intention from the start to become an actress in front of the camera?
Not at all, it’s just working out that way lately. I’ve done plenty of theatre in the past. At the moment film and television is going well for me. To be honest I just love acting. I’m happy to be doing my thing whether it’s in front of the camera or on stage.
When you were a production assistant on The Honeymooners, were you hoping to learn the skills to become a successful producer, or was it a foot in the door to reach your dream of becoming an actress?
I really enjoyed working as a production assistant. I’m so glad I did it. It was a good few years ago now, but I really learned a lot about what is involved in a shoot, and how hard everybody has to work to get the job done.
Now that you've experienced being an actress and a production assistant, which career do you think you want to pursue?
Definitely acting. I would never want to do anything else. But I suppose if in a couple of years the acting thing isn’t working out, I’ll start looking for work in production!
Is it true your teachers at college told you that you had to relearn how to act?
Yes. Acting and performing is a very personal thing to me, it’s not a case of unlearning it and then starting all over again. I realized that the course was not for me. It didn’t really feel right from the beginning. I didn’t even know that Catherine was coming back for another season. I had to take a chance.”
Do you prefer theater, film, or television? Why?
I enjoy doing television and theatre very much. Working on a television series is exciting. I love getting the scripts every couple of weeks and seeing how all the stories develop in each episode. But right now in my career, I want to focus on film.
What about the part of Catherine attracted you to the series?
Catherine is such an interesting character. I love how she is incredibly vulnerable and innocent, being just seventeen and married to the Duke of Suffolk! Yet she is extremely wise and intelligent when it comes to the politics within the court, giving Brandon advice on how to approach the King! I like also how the loving relationship between Brandon and Catherine parallels the troubled relationship of King Henry and Anne Boleyn. And of course, the chance to work with such talented cast and crew was very appealing.”
Is it true you were offered a different role on The Tudors before the role of Catherine?
Yes. The part involved a sex scene, and it really wasn’t a decent enough part to warrant that kind of thing - I have a hell of a lot more to offer than that!
 What was it like working on the set of The Tudors?
I feel at home on set, it feels right. Despite the very early mornings, long hours - it’s bloody hard work! The crew working on "The Tudors" are fantastic. Going to work was so much fun! Also working with such talented actors was so inspiring. Henry [Cavill] and I worked very well together. We did most of our scenes in one take."
Who are you most looking forward to working with on the Tudors?
Everybody! All the cast and crew are fantastic; I’ve never known “work” to be so much fun.
What do you feel are Catherine’s underlying characteristics?
Catherine is a very strong young woman. She is catapulted into the role of Duchess of Suffolk at just seventeen, can you imagine that? Thankfully the relationship between her and Brandon is a strong, loving one. She trusts him completely. Catherine is very politically-minded. She has complete support for Queen Katherine of Aragon and her marriage to King Henry, and she despises the Boleyn family.
How does it feel to be the most envied woman on the planet for getting to film a bed scene with the world's sexiest man Henry Cavill?
Yeah, that scene wasn’t exactly hard work!
What was it like working with Henry? Is he a good kisser?
Henry is fantastic to work with. It was great that we were able to hang out and have fun and also work really well together when we were on set. We did most of our scenes in one take, which doesn’t happen very often in the business! He’s very professional when we’re shooting, then off set he’s very funny! Is he a good kisser? I wouldn’t really know, to be honest! A screen kiss is absolutely nothing like a real kiss! You’ve got the director telling you which way to tilt your head, hair and make-up artists fixing you up, and then you’ve got a boom hovering right above your head – it’s not romantic, believe me!
What do you look for in a role?
For me it’s all about telling a story, portraying a character, depicting a situation that will make people think, that will provoke something in them. When it comes to specific roles, I look for a character with an interesting story to tell.
What character have you portrayed in the past that was the furthest from your personality? What attracted you to that role?
Where do I start! I once did Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” where I played Andrew Aguecheek – a very foolish, drunk old man. That’s pretty far from my personality, I think! The play was performed in an outdoor theatre with a brilliant cast and director - I couldn’t say no.
What type/s of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite song or group?
I love music! I am constantly listening to music, whether it’s at home or on my iPod, I am obsessed! I listen to lots of different styles of music from Kings of Leon to MIA and everything in between. I also DJ. I love mixing lots of different styles like electro, hip hop, and house. I play a lot of house music, mixed with some hip-hop and crunk. I love experimenting with different genres, mixing it all up. I love DJs like the Count of Monte Cristal, Crookers, Diplo, Claude von Stroke. I find listening to music is great when I’m filming. Certain songs help get in the mood for shooting a particular scene.
What is your favorite book? Movie? TV show?
My favorite book is definitely The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. Film-wise, I love anything by Woody Allen, especially Annie Hall. At the moment, I am hooked on "Brothers and Sisters"!
Do you have other projects in the works?
“Yep I have a couple of things lined up for this year.”
|
Advertising 
