after i finished school, I went to do music and theology at DCU
because I wanted to be a teacher. I did Breakfast On Pluto when I was there, and then I got Pure Mule, which got me an agent in Dublin – and things took off from there. I deferred a year, and by the time I was due to go back I was doing a National Theatre (of Britain) tour of The Lonesome West; I was absent from the meeting to tell them that I was going to be absent again. So that was pretty much the end of that. I suppose I've been a professional actor ever since because I've never done anything else.

i'm 24, but my playing age is listed on my CV as 15-25, and that's great – it gives me an extra 10 years. In London, where I live now, I'm auditioning a lot for 16 to 17-year-old roles. If I'm playing 24-year olds when I'm 34, I'll be thrilled. The Oil Of Olay is in the bathroom and, fingers crossed, I'll keep looking really young.

the raw cast got on ridiculously well. We had a big weekend away and everything. That's why I think it works because everything really depended on the chemistry between us. We had a fantastic time and I think – I hope – you can feel that in the finished show.

i love Cate Blanchett's career. She does amazing work, and it's not about her or who she is – she keeps the celebrity stuff at bay.

some people feel you have to do
theatre to be a real actor; I don't believe that at all. I see this job as being about the character I'm playing, and whether that character's on a stage or in front of a camera, I'm still going into my head and finding them and making them as real as you can. You just have to be that person. It's not lines on a page.

what's the best thing about being from Monaghan? That I can go home and just be me.

i do get homesick, but for an actor London is a very exciting place to be. It can be up and down at times; when you're up you're so up, the city is great and you're buzzing – but when you're down it's a very lonely place to be.

my very close friends, I've been close to them since I was 11, and they have nothing to do with the business. Who wants to talk about their job all the time? I don't think you can learn a lot by hanging out with other actors – your job usually doesn't require you playing an actor. I think it's much healthier to mix with people from the real world.

'ambition' is considered a horrible word, but I suppose I'm highly
ambitious. It's hard to say that because then you're setting yourself up to fail, but I don't see why I shouldn't be – I'm not in this game to be mediocre. I think that everyone should want to be the best version of themselves that they can be, so why not shoot for the moon? Ideally you'll land in the stars, somewhere.

i have to get better at cooking, having played two chefs. It's ridiculous. I'm very much a tea and toast kind of girl. Anything beyond that, I'm in trouble.