Mullingar native cast in lead role in UK gangster film
A Mullingar native has been cast in the lead role of a movie currently being shot in the UK.
In Fall to the Top, a gritty London gangster drama written and directed by Peter Hirst, Stephen Reilly plays the role of Mickey, an Irish manual labourer living in London who enters the world of crime after a chance encounter with a drug dealer in a club.
Misguidedly ambitious to a fault, Mickey starts off as a foot soldier in a drugs gang but quickly goes about moving up the pecking order, which gets him involved with some seriously dangerous individuals. In order to thrive in such a brutal world, Mickey has to embrace his dark side, while at the same time putting his life at risk.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner in a break from his day job as a decorator, Stephen (38) reveals that he is new to the world of acting: not only is the role of Mickey his first lead in a film, it’s also his first proper gig with dialogue.
“I got very lucky, to be honest, with the movie. I was an extra in a feature movie that came out on Amazon and I met the writer of Fall to the Top, Peter Hirst, who had a part in the movie.
“We just clicked there and then. Later I approached him for a show reel, he decided to make a short movie and then decided why not make it a full feature movie."
The Fall to the Top cast features a number of well known faces, including Paul Chuckle, half of the comedic duo The Chuckle Brothers. In a film that features a lot of bad men doing bad things, Chuckle’s character is one of the most sinister and the well known actor certainly hasn’t been typecast.
There are also a number of other Irish actors in the film, including the female lead, Louth native Katie Maguire, as well as actor and comedian Joe Rooney.
With shooting almost complete, Stephen says he has loved being on set and learning the tricks of the trade from his more experienced colleagues. While he has had no formal acting training, Stephen, who moved to London 16 years ago, felt comfortable in front of the camera and has had a lot of positive feedback from fellow cast members and crew.
“I’m always nervous when we are shooting, but I’ve been told I’ve got natural talent in front of the camera. I’m just taking what people are telling me and going in with it.”
Stephen, who also appears in the advertisement for Shanky’s Whip, a whiskey liqueur brewed in Cavan, has already landed his next acting role, although he can't reveal too much about it as of yet.
It’s been an eventful year for Stephen and his partner South African native Megan Darwell. The couple welcomed their son Cillian into the world almost four months ago, and Megan’s first children’s book, Silly Stephen, has just been published.
Looking ahead, Stephen, who regularly returns home to see his mother Catherine and the rest of his family, says that while he knows how hard it is to make a career in the world of acting, he is enjoying it and is looking forward to seeing what the future holds.
“I’m a bit of a jack the lad. I’m always having the craic and taking the piss, but I take the acting seriously. I want to do better for myself and my family and everyone back home. I want to make something of myself.”