Jordanne Jones: Emma was a great outlet for my sass to shine!

Interview with Jordanne Jones.

You are coming back to Zlín. You were here as a delegate for I Used to Live Here back in 2015. What has happened in your life in between then and now? What was your impression of a festival like Zlín Film Festival after your visit?

What was your impression of a festival like Zlín Film Festival after your visit?

It has been a long, exciting and fulfilling time for me since attending Zlín Film Festival last in 2015. I was 14 at the time and had only recently finished my first feature, playing the lead role Amy, in Frank Berry’s, impactful and beautifully done I Used To Live Here. Flying to another country, to an amazing festival, with a great atmosphere was surreal to me, it all came as a surprise to me. I had never been to acting classes, I had never been at a Film Festival, it was my first time acting on screen, I didn’t expect the opportunity I got as an actor to offer me so much, it was very exciting. I am now 18 years old, I’m at University studying English and Film, I have played In two period pieces, Resistance and Rebellion, I’ve been in many shorts and now am working on another series! I have more experience, my passion for acting and Film has only grown stronger, and although I am more settled in the acting world and the festivals, I am still excited and thrilled to be there. Time has passed since my last visit to Zlín and I am honored to be back for Hugh O’Connor’s Metal Heart, as a more experienced actor and hope to be back again.

You are a delegate for another European first film in the Competition. It is quite interesting. How did you get involved in Metal Heart?

Ever since Frank Berry’s feature I Used To Live Here was released, Lisa Richards agency signed me and have been so helpful with organized auditions for me and helping me with self tapes. Hugh O’Connor, got in contact and it all happened from there, I was thrilled to get that part, it was an incredible piece to work on with amazing people!

Hugh O’Conor was also a guest in Zlín during Days of Irish Cinema back in 2012. We know him as a great actor. You both played in Resistance. What is he like as a director? Was lots of acting advice given to you?

I’ve really worked well with all the directors I’ve had so far, they’ve all been amazing with so much talent but there was something really special about working with Hugh, being an actor himself, he really knew how to direct me and push to get to where I needed to be emotionally in a scene, I’m very lucky to have worked with such a talented man!

Is Emma close to your character? How about this Goth culture? Did you like being a Goth girl?

I loved Emma! She’s so full of angst and I was 16 at the time so was full of attitude and felt like the world didn’t get me, so Emma was a great outlet for my sass to shine! I always loved the style, I very much dressed like Emma for a majority of my life, for my self tape I was wearing my Nirvana top ironically, so we really aren’t that different! Having such an out there costume on set really helped me get into character and figure out who Emma is.

Rebellion and Resistance were quite big TV shows. They tell about the Irish independence. What does this mean to a young Irish generation? Do you think they watched the series?

I expected the older generation to be more invested, but I found that teens really are more intrigued by their Irish history then I thought. The majority of people that have recognized me and complimented me on my piece in Rebellion and Resistance has been young men from the ages of 16-18. I suppose, that could be because we study Irish History in school, and it almost feels made up sometimes because it’s so far from today, but by putting it on the screen, teens could watch real people play out the troubles in Ireland and it became less foreign to them, I think that could have been a big reason for the interest amongst the young generation, it was for me anyway!

Which character in Irish history would you like to play in a film/theatre/TV show and why?

Maria Edgeworth, an amazing novelist who wrote about the working class people of Ireland as a way to represent them as actual people rather than what they were considered, peasants. I have a big interest in her as a English Literature student and working class woman. I also would love to see female novelist get more recognition and I think she would be a good start.

Any project with you we can look forward to?

There might be another period piece soon but my lips are sealed!