Victoria Smurfit - Irish actress known for roles in ‘The Clinic’, ‘Trial & Retribution’ and ‘Ballykissangel’ - is set to make her vampire slaying debut on Sky Living this Halloween night, as she goes head to head against Jonathan Rhys Meyers in 'Dracula'.
As Lady Jane in the new ten-part NBC series, Ms Smurfit presents a feminist interpretation of the traditional Van Helsing role of chief antagonist to the titular vampire - kicking ass while wearing a corset.
Accompanying Mr Rhys Meyers on their visit to the crypt in Christ Church Cathedral, Ms Smurfit discussed the appeal of her new role and the freedom to create a new character not bound by pre-defined mythology.
IFTN asked Ms Smurfit whether it was the prospect of working with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, staking vampires, or creating a new character for such a well-known story that first drew her to the project.
‘All of the above! I was told that Jonathan would be playing Dracula and I was going to be the nemesis. In our version of ‘Dracula’, there are ten hours to explore everything but because Van Helsing is in cahoots with the Dracula character, I got to take on the Van Helsing part. Lady Jane isn’t in the mythology or the books, so I kind of got free rein! Everybody else was working towards or against what’s already there in the story but I didn’t have that worry. So my part involved vampires, killing, violence, passion and power. It was lovely!’
In terms of the aspects of the production which she most enjoyed, Ms Smurfit’s response was suitably tongue in cheek.
‘I miss killing people! It’s been weeks. It’s really great to turn up on set and just feel that kind of trust amongst us all because we’d be doing some outrageous scenes - sometimes in costumes that were corsets or thongs - and it’s great to have that trust. There could be 50 sparks in the room and you might never have met half of them and suddenly you have to get your kit off. It would be ‘nipple gate’ or ‘butt-cheek gate’ and you just have to get on with it. It was fun!’
Lady Jane as a multi-faceted character was another topic that Ms Smurfit had given considerable thought to.
‘I see her as any woman because there are so many layers to all of us. There is a side to pretty much every woman I know that wants to be the glamour-puss; there’s certainly a side that’s running the office; and there’s definitely a side to every woman I know who wants to behead if you’re annoying her! So what I love about Jane is that she’s all-woman, out-there, apologising for nothing and taking what she wants when she wants it.’
Ms Smurfit saluted the contribution of her co-stars, while acknowledging the cliché inherent in expressing such sentiments.
‘You know when you hear actors say they all got on and it’s kind of vomit-inducing? Well it might be sad to say but we really did!’
‘Dracula’ starts on Sky Living on Halloween night, Thurs 31st Oct at 9pm, and the trailer is available to view below.
