Antony Boyle expresses eagerness towards the dialogues that 'Say Nothing' is likely to initiate.
Antony Boyle expresses eagerness towards the dialogues that 'Say Nothing' is likely to initiate.
If you haven't been indulging in Say Nothing on Hulu, you're missing out on one of the standout series of the year. Drawing inspiration from Patrick Radden Keefe's worldwide bestseller "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland", the show primarily unfolds in West Belfast during the Troubles.
The series commences in the 1960s with the kidnapping and murder of Jean McConville, a single mother, who was mercilessly taken away by the IRA in front of her children. The narrative then progresses, delving into the lives of different IRA members from the 1970s through the 1990s, including Brendan Hughes, famously known as The Dark (Anthony Boyle), and Dolours Price (Lola Petticrew).
The show virtually leaps off the screen due to its intense narrative and masterful performances, courtesy of cinematographer Kanamé Onoyama. This year, Boyle appeared in no less than four television series, including Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, a continuation of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg. The actor then portrayed John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, in the spectacular series Manhunt on Apple TV+. He also starred alongside Sean Bean in the historical crime drama Shardlake on Disney+.
Although Boyle has established himself as a versatile actor with an impressive ability to master various American accents, with Say Nothing, he was given the opportunity to return to his roots and narrate a tale that has left a lasting impact on generations in Northern Ireland. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel nervous before taking it on," admitted Boyle during our Zoom conversation. Despite the Troubles having ended over 26 years ago, its shadow and the lasting impact it had on Northern Ireland remains palpable.
One might assume that only an Irish writer or showrunner could accurately depict such a significant and defining story. However, when Boyle received a call about the project from Disney, he was initially hesitant. However, his reservations quickly dissipated after reading the script.
"When Michael Lennox called me, along with Joshua Zetumer, the writer, and said 'We want you to play Brendan Hughes' and I said, 'Who's doing it?' And they said 'Disney', I thought 'Jesus Christ, Disney and the Troubles, this isn't the type of story that I want to be a part of.' Then I read the script and was like 'This is unbelievable!' The writer had gone into such detail, I thought if you'd told me the writer lived on the Falls Road in West Belfast, I'd have believed you because he'd captured the minutia of the human psyche in Belfast."
He continued, "He got the humor, the dark sort of humor that characterizes Belfast. And then I read the book, and I really liked it. I spoke to Patrick, they wanted people from Belfast in it. They didn't want Americans doing Belfast accents. And I was trepidatious to join, because, you know, it was an outside perspective coming in, as opposed to a sort of homegrown project. But my fears were soon allayed after meeting the creative team, and knowing that their intentions were nothing but pure."
The series remains faithful to Patrick Radden Keefe's book, and Boyle made it a priority to maintain a respectful and non-judgmental tone. The main objective of Say Nothing is to pose questions without supplying answers to avoid casting judgment.
Boyle said, "One thing I said to them when I met them is, when brothers have killed each other over which splinter group of paramilitary they belong to, we're not going to answer this. We're not going to get it right because there's no particular way to get it right. We can't answer questions definitively. We need to just ask questions, and I want people to think 'What would I do if I was in that position?'"
He continued, "Particularly an American or an English audience, who would condemn certain things, but rather they go, 'Jesus Christ, if that was me? If I had marched in a civil rights march and then saw the British forces murdering children in the street, what would I have done? What would I do like, genuinely, if that was my neighbor? If that was my son? Would I pick up a gun?' And I think the show does that really well."
Boyle shares that the Troubles remain a significant part of his identity as he comes from a generation referred to as the 'ceasefire babies,' born after the Troubles had subsided. However, his family shared its experiences with him, providing him with a deep understanding of the conflict.
Boyle explained that an outsider's perspective was beneficial for him while filming. He said, "It sometimes takes someone from the outside looking at something afresh for you to see it neutrally, because I'm attached to the story so emotionally and so personally. And it's from an outside perspective, someone who isn't attached to it emotionally."
Traveling to the U.S., Boyle realized that this part of history, so deeply ingrained in him, may not resonate as strongly with others. He said, "It's just this very strange, complex, f---ed up time in human history that was in a very small pocket of the world."
She mentioned: "This is a subject we're quite familiar with. You'd pass by murals of figures like Brendan Hughes or depictions of slain children and hunger strikers while attending school. It's deeply ingrained in your consciousness, your local environment, and your thoughts. When I initially moved to America, mentioning names such as Gerry Adams or Bobby Sands would be comparable to bringing up the Beatles or Michael Jackson. You'd encounter people asking, 'Who are they?' and you'd respond, 'How could you not know about that?' I'm genuinely excited and eager for the discussions it'll spark, especially in England and America."
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor portrays an older version of Brendan Hughes. In his early years, Hughes is a man of deeds within the IRA, contrasting with Vaughan-Lawlor's portrayal of a more contemplative Hughes.
I inquired about how experiencing both sides of Hughes' personality helped Boyle better understand him and enhance his portrayal. He replied, "I've long respected and admired Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. He'd query, 'How do you smoke? Do you do it from the left or right side of the bowl?' I'd send him footage of myself smoking to get it right. He sent me a message saying, 'It's odd, in the script, they call me Older Brendan, but on set, everyone's referring to me as the more attractive, funnier, talented Brendan.'"
He continued: "When you witness Brendan, as I portray him, he exudes a captivating charm and embodies danger. He's like a rock star, and we wanted to maintain hints of that essence in him, even when Tom takes over. He exhibits that broken side of Brendan somewhat in his eyes, which Tom executes convincingly. But he's a man who endured a hunger strike, spent most of his life in prison, and led a life constantly on the run."
All those years ago, watching an interview of Hughes, Boyle was struck by his physicality and charisma. He explained, "I recall an interview with him in a taxi, chatting about something. He radiated self-assurance, was fully in command of his body, and was constantly looking around, surveying the area. The initial image I had was a very physical one. I wanted to depict him as a primal creature, like a monkey or a gorilla, taking control of space and people."
Say Nothing is now streaming on Hulu.
- Anthony Boyle, during a Zoom interview, admitted feeling nervous before taking on the role of Brendan Hughes in the Hulu series "Say Nothing," despite having established his acting skills and mastery of various accents.
- Lola Petticrew and Anthony Boyle shared screen time in "Say Nothing" as Dolours Price and Brennan Hughes respectively, contributing to the show's compelling narrative and masterful performances.
- While promoting "Say Nothing" on various platforms, Boyle often mentioned his admiration for the show's creator and writer, Joshua Zetumer, praising his ability to capture the essence of Belfast and its people despite being an outsider to the Troubles.
- On the topic of interviewing Anthony Boyle, Kanamé Onoyama, the show's cinematographer, highlighted how Boyle's dedication to his character extended to even mimicking his smoking habits to portray Hughes more authentically.