SHORT BIO OF THE ACTOR:
Senan Jennings is a 9 year old actor from Co. Kildare in Ireland. He joined a local drama class when he was 4 and was firmly bitten by the acting bug. He is an avid reader who loves getting lost in his books and dreaming up movies. He is also very prone to bad jokes and riddle collecting.
- How did you get involved in acting?
Well it started when I went to my local acting school. I loved acting in class but I thought I would be much older before I ever got a part in something. Then when I was five I got picked for an Instagram ad and things just happened from there, I got picked to play Dave Allen in a BBC TV movie and that really got me addicted to acting and being on set, I just love it.
- How different is it to act in a movie and to act in a theater play? And which one do you prefer?
I think the main difference and biggest difference is that theater is live. I have only done plays with my drama class or school and it is very different being on stage than on set. On stage if you make a mistake you have to try and cover it up but on set you don’t have to do that, you just get another shot.
- What are your weak points when it comes to acting? How do you try to improve them?
Well I tend to feed off other people’s energy so if everyone is excited than I can get super excited and need to find ways to calm myself down, I normally end up reading a book or playing chess.
- What are your strong points as an actor?
I think my strong points are my ability to act with emotion, once I really surprised myself when I did a scene where I needed to cry and I was actually able to make myself cry, I couldn’t believe I was able to do that and was really proud of myself. I also can totally focus when I hear the word “Action” which is pretty helpful.
- What have you learned from the directors that you have worked with so far?
I’ve been very lucky with the directors I’ve worked with, they have always been so kind to everyone which is very important, I’ve also learn that directors are really good at being flexible with their ideas as sometimes the movie changes a bit from what they had planned but that it can turn out better than the original idea.
- What makes a good scene partner / acting partner?
I think if you understand each other and are good at improvising together and really feel each other when you are acting, I think that makes the perfect duo and can have a real bang on the movie.
- What was your favorite moment when shooting The Secret Box?
This is very hard, it’s a hard question, apart from working with everyone as they were so much fun, I loved the stunt where I got picked up and thrown into the hay. I actually found it kind of hard not to show my happiness as I found that such fun. I also loved the scene where I got the coin as it felt really special.
- What’s challenging about bringing a script and dialogue to life?
It’s probably learning your character, that’s actually very important – to learn who your character is. It is also important to put the emotion into your words, those I think are the main things that bring the dialogue to life.
- What do you do when you’re not doing theater/film?
Most of the time I just dream up stories, I feel like I’m a very imaginative kid. I really want to stay an actor but also want to be a director & writer too so am always trying to think up stories. I’m really into all the arts.
- Where do you want to be in 10 years?
I would like to be in college studying film, I would like to have a good future where I can make my dreams come true about being a director and a successful actor.
- How does it feel to be among all these grown up actors, when you shoot a scene with them? Do they treat you as a colleague, or as a child? What was your experience so far with this?
Everyone has definitely always treated me like a colleague, and I love that. I feel like if I’m treated like a colleague than its more likely I will think more positive things about myself and I will become a better actor. Being around actors who are grown ups makes me feel like a proper actor and helps me believe that I know what I’m doing.
Permalink
Permalink