Georgina Reilly [Interview]

Hello Folks! And welcome back to another wonderful week here at TWS. Today we have an absolutely wonderful performer to share some words from. It’s Georgina Reilly, Everyone! If you all can bring your thoughts to the beginning of the year, you may remember a Sunday Matinee we ran for the incredible new biopic Goalie that is now available all over the place. We praised the film quite a bit, and specifically Reilly’s harrowing performance. And now Folks, we are so excited to have her grace our digital pages today to tell us a bit about her time working on this wonderful film, and so much more about her illustrious career thus far.

O’Reilly has done some amazing work in the past beyond just Goalie, and will soon have a reoccurring role in an upcoming ABC series that she discusses below and you should all be looking forward to. In relation to our past guests here at TWS, Georgina appeared in an episode of There’s Johnny!, which was co-created by our dear friend and past guest David Steven Simon. And another close tie-in: the aforementioned upcoming project, The Baker & The Beauty, features direction from one Mark Polish, who if you go way back into our catalogue (7 years!) you’ll find a mention of him when we spoke with his creative teammate/brother, Michael Polish. It’s all just great talent working together to create wonderful art, all the time!

If O’Reilly isn’t a household name in the coming years, there is absolutely something wrong happening. Her talent is undeniable. Based on her work in Goalie alone, I would argue that she is one of the best in the game right now. So Folks, please join in with us here to enjoy the honor of having one Georgina Reilly on the site today! Enjoy!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something that you have aspired to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

Art was the family trade. Mainly music for most of my family, so it was something I ended up naturally falling into. I had a regular childhood and education but music, acting, dance were very prominent. Once I finished high school I knew I wanted to be an actor, and thankfully my parents were very supportive of this choice. That being said , my career has gone through many changes, parallel to my life, the reason and purpose behind it shifts but the one thing that has always stuck was just the joy it brings to play pretend. If you get good at creating realities, I think it’s easier to see ways to shift your own into something better.

What was your very first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work today?

Technically my first paid job was at the age of 10, singing the title track for a cartoon on the BBC. I did the recording in my pjs at the home studio. My first paid acting gig was a commercial for a toy called ROBOBOT. It was my first time on a full set, watching how many people contribute to making something. Learning everyone’s names, and understanding what they do is something that has always stuck with me, it’s a team effort to make something. There have been times where I wasn’t very welcomed on set, and it didn’t help me do my job better. It’s important to make everyone feel seen and validated. Basic manners but it’s amazing how many people don’t use them! 

You gave an absolutely amazing performance in the recently released Terry Sawchuck biopic Goalie. I am curious to know what drew you to this project? What was it about this story that made you want to take on the role of Pat Morey?

Thanks so much! 

I love period pieces, working with hair, makeup and costume to build the character and time. I thought Pat was actually a very strong female character despite her situation and I wanted to tell her part of the story. There are many women who stand behind their men, and are a huge part of why they succeed in their careers, we should tell their stories more. 

And now that the film is out there in the world, hitting theatres all over the place, what are your thoughts on the final product? Can you tell our readers why they HAVE to see this film? I’ve already told them, but in case they missed it.

Oh gosh, I try to not have too much opinion on final products I’m in. It’s hard to step back when you know the inner workings of it all. But I am proud of it, I had a wonderful experience making it. I love Adriana (our director) and I hope to work with her again.  I think they should see it because supporting independent film is important. Also it’s not your regular sports flick, it shows the darker side of being an athlete, these guys sacrificed a lot for the future of the game. 

If you were handed the opportunity to portray any legendary figure in American history, who would it be? 

Dolley Madison’s story would be really interesting to see and Josephine “Chicago Joe” Airey. Both badass women during their time.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I’m finishing up a show for ABC called The Baker & The Beauty. It premieres APRIL 13th 10pm after the new season of The Bachelorette. I play Piper, the best friend to the beauty. It’s a warm, fun show! 

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My daughter. She’s an endless source of delight.