Interview with Tom Cullen who plays Michael

Can you describe Michael in four words?
Yes, I would describe Michael as passionate, righteous, fun - lonely.

Can you tell us about Michael? What attracted you to the role?
What attracted me to Michael initially was the script and the characters. Louise Kennedy’s beautiful book has been exceptionally realised by Ailbhe Keogan, our Screenwriter.  The characters are complex - so nuanced, filled with moral ambiguity. Michael is a very righteous guy with a strong moral compass when it comes to the way he sees the world and the actions of others and yet he struggles to focus his own compass, and he hurts a lot of people that he dearly loves. I find those kinds of contradictions and juxtapositions in characters really interesting. These are the kind of characters I want to watch and they’re certainly the ones I want to play, so that was what really first attracted me.

Was there something about Michael that resonated with you personally?
I think with every character you play you have to find which parts of yourself align with them. You also learn a lot about yourself through playing different characters and Michael has taught me a lot. He is somebody who loves life and is hungry for experiences. Despite the harsh surroundings he finds himself in, he tries to find the beauty in everything. It is his way out. His escape. My partner made a beautiful observation that he is a bit like a dandelion in the sense that he’ll grow in any crack or crevice. Our of even the toughest slab of concrete, a dandelion can grow and survive. I really attached myself onto that image early for both Michael and Cushla.

Does Michael have any quirks or habits that you enjoyed exploring?
I would say his love of a good peaty Irish whiskey but for the good of production and my liver, sadly I was forced to drink copious amounts of iced tea instead. So, I’ll say, diving into his love of jazz. I got into the kind of jazz he would have been listening to at the time. Not as esoteric as modern jazz, it’s a bit broader and much more palatable. I really enjoyed it. It was really fun to take that jazz and put it into the character. It kind of informed my rhythm of who he was, especially in a social space. There is a performative element to Michael when he is in public; he is constantly projecting a sense of joy. I think that’s what the jazz does too.

Was there any preparation you did to help you understand Michael better?
There was a lot of preparation. A lot. Firstly, I read, watched and just consumed as much as I could about the Troubles. I don’t take the fact I’m not from Belfast lightly. I felt the weight and responsibility of playing Michael. Michael is a barrister who tries to be objective, he’s not partisan, he’s kind of across it all. So I felt I had to read everything from every angle and every nuance to fully understand and then embody that as much as I possibly could. 

The other big part of my prep was the accent. I did hours and hours and hours and hours of work with our amazing dialect coach Judith McSpadden. I’m forever grateful for Jude’s extraordinary patience and dedication to helping me. It became a very special relationship and I’m so grateful to her for helping me realise the accent. As someone from Wales, I understand the anger and frustration of hearing someone do an accent and it not be right. So I knew I had to put the work in and try and make it as perfect as possible. I listened to Jamie Dornan’s Desert Island Discs… I’d say over 100 times! Every car journey, school drop off, run, walk, trip to the shops, I’d put it on and just listen. Luckily, Jamie Dornan’s a great interviewee and really wonderful guy. I feel like he is a mate now. Never met him. Poor guy, if we ever meet, I’ll be far too over familiar and terrify him. So yeah, lots of my prep was becoming imaginary friends with Jamie Dornan.

How does Michael grow or change over the course of the series?
In Trespasses all the characters go on quite a journey. Michael changes a lot during the series. When we first meet him, he is this bullish, effervescent guy who is trying to rise above the circumstances he finds himself in. But, like everyone else in the show, he gets suffocated by the world he is surrounded by. That effervescence becomes heavier and heavier, and you start to see him struggle. But beyond the external influences on Michael, the real change happens within him. Through his relationship with Cushla, and falling deeply in love with her, he must face up to himself and try and tackle the pain buried deep in his soul.

Did you like Michael’s wardrobe and outfits?
Yes, I loved Michael’s wardrobe. Emma O'Loughlin, our amazing Costume Designer, has created magic, as far as I’m concerned. All of our heads of departments have done an extraordinary job in making the world feel so real. When watching it you can almost smell and feel the textures of 1970’s Belfast. 

There’s so much about Michael’s clothes that are written in the book, so that was our starting point, a lot of soft knitwear and warmth. One outfit I particularly enjoyed was in the scene where he goes to have an Irish lesson. I was wearing green corduroys and a really nice green woollen top. There was something about the textures of colours of that costume that felt so Irish. My family are from Ireland, and there was something about wearing that costume, being in Ireland, playing Irish… I felt connected to my grandparents. I actually got quite emotional looking at myself in my trailer. It was a surprising emotion, powerful. That is the power of a good costume. They transport you out of your own life and open doors to a new one. Costume is a huge part of finding a character for me. Emma was very collaborative and allowed to me have input while delivering on her vision. I’m so grateful to her for helping me find Michael.

Did you read the book before taking on the role?
I actually hadn’t read the book before I read the script, but as soon as I finished the script, I dove straight into it. It’s such a fantastic book - I just loved it. Louise’s writing is so delicate and yet muscular. She builds her worlds with such rich textures. When I told my mum and stepdad that I was auditioning for the series, they were so excited as they had both read and loved the book. I really hope we’ve done it justice. Ailbhe’s writing feels really aligned with Louise’s and it feels like a very faithful adaptation.

How was it working with Lola?
Playing opposite Lola - and I really mean this - has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. They’re an amazing actor, and so much fun to work with. I think Lola and I are quite aligned in our processes. From the moment I first met them, there was chemistry. They’re one of the smartest, wittiest, driest, silliest, funniest people and they are simply an extraordinary talent. I loved working with them, I feel like I learnt so much every day. They push everyone around them to be the best versions of themselves. Lola poured their life and soul into this project. They’re in every scene. And when someone like Lola leads from the front with such integrity, humour and bullish hard work, everyone around them must match it. If Trespasses works as a production, it is in no small part down to the sheer talented and passion of Lola Petticrew.

For the fans of the book, what can they expect from the series?
For fans of the book, I really feel like (hopefully) it is a faithful adaptation. Obviously, we have had to make it our own, that always has to happen. We held the book so closely to our hearts for the entire shoot. Dawn (Director), Ailbhe (Screenwriter), Amanda (Executive Producer) and Maria (Producer) all made sure the book stayed at the centre of everything. All of the actors were constantly referring to it. There have been some changes, which had to happen, but I really hope people who love the book will love the show.

What’s it been like working in Northern Ireland?
Working in Northern Ireland has been fantastic. Belfast is such an amazing city. It has been really special for me personally because I have family from Northern Ireland. My connection with Ireland has mostly been through my father’s side in Southern Ireland, and I’ve always had a strong connection there. But the Northern Irish side of my family, is a little bit murky; we don’t know as much about it as there are lot of family secrets, and so it has been wonderful being here, connecting to that part of me. Learning more about my grandfather and where he would have lived and grown up. This is a bit woo-woo, but I really believe we hold our ancestors’ stories in our bodies somehow. There is definitely a profound sense of coming home when I’m here. I feel very at peace in Belfast and the land surrounding it, and that has been really special.

If you could steal one thing from set, what would it be?
If I could steal one thing from set, I would steal Lola Petticrew! I would fold them up, put them in my pocket, and if I was having a sad day, I’d pull them out — we’d hang out, they’d make me laugh — and then they’d go back in the pocket. But I’d always know they’re there. One hundred percent, Lola.

What is your favourite line from Michael?
My favourite line is something he says a few times, “we must choose freedom over fear.” I think that’s a really beautiful and profound message that resonates across human history.

Are there any unlikely friendships between Michael and anyone else in the show?
We had a week of shooting all of Michael’s friendship group scenes, and there’s a character called Jim, played by a wonderful actor called Gerry McCarthy, a hilarious and wonderful man. So, Michael, AKA me, ended up becoming quite fond of Jim!

What has been your most emotional scene, if you can talk about it?
As you can imagine, for those who have read the book, there are quite a few emotional scenes. I think the most emotional scene for me, and one of the most daunting, was the scene in which Michael gives Cushla the context for his life. It is the first time he can be truthful, and this kind of barrage of emotion and truth comes out of his mouth. For the first time, he can really be at peace with himself. It was a really intense afternoon, very very emotional, and a hard scene. Dawn and the crew created a wonderful atmosphere to be able to play in and Lola and I really supported each throughout it. I’m really proud of the work that Lola and I did.

What was your most memorable moment?
Oh man… I’d say probably the read-through. I was really scared. I’d spent weeks trying to perfect the Northern Irish accent and being in a room full of Northern Irish actors and crew, I was utterly terrified. I felt a huge responsibility and wanted to get it right. It was also the first time I met Lola. We’d briefly said hello, but our first real conversation happened as Cushla and Michael during the read-through. As we started going through the first episode, I felt this instant chemistry. It was terrifying but exciting, and it felt really memorable. It was a really special moment.

Why should people watch Trespasses?
To put it simply, because it’s bloody great! I’m incredibly proud of it. A powerful, emotional love story about defiance and what it means to live in the face adversity. It takes a certain alchemy when making television and film. And a huge team of very dedicated, passionate and talented people have worked incredibly hard to make something, I believe, to be really special.

Oh, and Lola Petticrew and Gillian Anderson deliver two absolute masterclass performances. They will blow your socks off.