Stephen Jones – Stars in feature-length film ‘Dublin Oldschool’
By Aideen O'Flaherty
ACTOR Stephen Jones has played a variety of fascinating and nuanced characters, such as a gangster in Love/Hate and an Irishman who fought for the Mexican army in the 1800s in a one-man play. His newest role will be in the upcoming feature-length film ‘Dublin Oldschool’.
The Tallaght native, who is originally from Glenview, has never shied away from playing a panoply of characters, and he is also a skilled playwright who has written a number of plays, including the award-winning From Eden.
Emmet Kirwan, Sarah Greene and Stephen Jones
Stephen spoke to The Echo ahead of a busy few weeks, with performing in Ulysses in The Abbey Theatre and the upcoming release of Dublin Oldschool signalling a busy summer for the talented actor.
Can you remember what your first foray into acting was like?
I had a small part in Oliver when I was in second year at Tallaght Community School. I loved being in the production but afterwards thought maybe musicals weren’t my thing. I always felt I had been robbed of playing The Artful Dodger in that show and I ended up as the doctor . . . but I’m not bitter!
When did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in acting?
I was studying in UCD and one day I decided to audition for a play. I saw a poster calling for auditions for the play 12 Angry Men and I just gave it a go. I got a leading role and met many of my best friends to this day there. I got heavily involved in the Drama Society at UCD, and many professional actors who are working in Ireland and the UK today were doing shows with me out there.
Last summer you performed in a one-man play about Irish soldiers who fought in the Mexican army. How does playing roles modelled on real people compare to playing fictional characters?
It’s always a great honour to play somebody who actually lived. I’ve done it a few times, it always feels like there is an added responsibility to represent them accurately. Ultimately, human beings all feel the same emotions so whether you’re playing real life or fictional characters it’s an actor’s job to bring a piece of themselves to the part so that it feels real and so that an audience can recognise themselves and see a real human being up there.
You recently started in Maz and Bricks opposite Eva O’Connor, do you prefer doing shows with a small cast or one-man shows, to working as part of a large cast?
Both have their benefits. In a smaller cast you have so much stage time and you can really sink your teeth into a role – it’s very intense. Having said that, I am currently working on Ulysses at The Abbey Theatre, which has a cast of eight. We all play multiple characters and so are never really off-stage either! it’s so much fun but it’s very intense in its own way.
You’ll be starring alongside fellow Tallaght thespians Emmet Kirwan and Seana Kerslake in the film Dublin Oldschool. How would you describe the film?
The film has been described in a review as the lovechild of Trainspotting and Adam & Paul, and I thought that was great. It’s great fun, but also has a serious story too. I think it will be a great night out at the cinema for people and I really hope they enjoy it.
What was it like to work alongside Seana and Emmet?
It was brilliant. I’ve known them both for many years and have always admired their work as actors. I also like to see people from Tallaght do well. It was just brilliant to be working with friends who also happen to be hugely talented people. Dublin Oldschool didn’t feel like work, it was a joy to be part of.
Stephen will be performing in ‘Ulysses’ in The Abbey Theatre from June 11 to July 21, while Dublin Oldschool will be released on June 29.
