Rosie Sheehy: I felt I had to sound English to make it as an actor
Olivier-nominated actor Rosie Sheehy has revealed she abandoned her natural Welsh accent at RADA in order to "survive".
Sheehy, currently appearing in Conor McPherson’s The Brightening Air at London’s Old Vic, said the legacy of actors like Richard Burton had helped her realise she came "from a lineage" of Welsh actors.
The performer, who graduated from RADA in 2015, told the Guardian: "I used to talk in RP [Received Pronunciation] a lot. I felt I had to be English to survive."
Sheehy, who was nominated for best actress at this year’s Olivier Awards for her performance in the revival of Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 play Machinal, grew up in Port Talbot in South Wales.
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Burton, a Shakespearean stage and screen actor known for roles in films including Cleopatra, had grown up close by, with Sheehy saying watching his work in movies such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? taught her: "I come from a lineage. People like me can do this."
Sheehy said she felt the "conversation on diversity and representation has come on" in recent years, adding: "Thank God for that."
Currently appearing in the world premiere of new play The Brightening Air as part of a cast including Chris O’Dowd and Brian Gleeson, Sheehy can be seen on stage in the production until June 14.
The production follows a family in Ireland in the 1980s and is directed by its playwright, McPherson.
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