For many actors, the journey of going from performing on a theater stage to performing on a television series set can be quite the shift, but for Josh Finan, it’s been welcomed with wide open arms. “I think a nice mix of theatre, film, and TV keeps me ticking creatively,” explains Finan. “Admittedly, I felt more comfortable on stage when I first left drama school, but parts in TV shows like The Responder and Say Nothing were too good to say no to!” The latter of the two has generated quite some buzz, due to its depiction of the four generations of The Troubles [a Northern Ireland conflict regarding ethnonationalism] and for his portrayal as Irish republican politician, Gerry Adams. “Whilst I was prepping my audition, I didn’t feel any pressure at all really. It was a welcome challenge and I enjoyed channeling my energies into a fulfilling character in a well-written script.”

“After getting the offer was a different story!” he notes, elaborating on the complexities of portraying an actual person.“Faced with actually having to do the job, I did feel a pressure to do it ‘right’. However, I learned that if you ask five different people their opinion of Gerry Adams, you’ll get five different answers. This was incredibly liberating, as it meant I had license to really play on set and not feel boxed into a specific interpretation or outcome. Feeling like I passed the test alongside my excellent fellow actors was a real boost too.”

Building off of the momentum that the Hulu limited series has brought, the actor is now gearing up for the release of his appearance in the beloved sci-fi series, Black Mirror. “I love Black Mirror! I’ve watched it from the start. They’re very understandably protective around potential spoilers so I didn’t know much about it when I taped, but it more than surpassed my expectations.” And even though the show’s material is technically a new challenge for his built-up craft, Finan assures that his episode in the anthology show isn’t too far off of where he hopes to take his acting. “Funnily enough, I was actually brought back into my comfort zone on Black Mirror. I won’t give too much away though.”

VMAN: Let’s start at the beginning—what was the spark that ignited your passion for becoming an actor? Which film that you watched early on in life holds the most significance for you?

Josh Finan: That’s tough to narrow down! I’d gorge on British sitcoms like Fawlty Towers from quite a young age and feel very lucky to have grown up with the early Pixar films. I remember wearing cloaks and swinging sticks around in my garden pretending to be Obi Wan Kenobi so Star Wars was clearly a formative influence too.

VMAN: You’ve done some theater work while entering the world of film and television. Walk us through that pivot a bit—was going from theater to television/film something you had always intended on doing? Were you ever a bit hesitant to make that shift?

Josh Finan: I really hope it isn’t a pivot! I think a nice mix of theatre, film and tv keeps me ticking creatively. Admittedly, I felt more comfortable on stage when I first left drama school but parts in TV shows like The Responder and Say Nothing were too good to say no to! It’s funny though, other than a few technical differences across the mediums I haven’t found the ‘style’ to be too dissimilar.

VMAN: The recent launch of Say Nothing has generated quite some buzz, due to the depiction of the Troubles. When auditioning for the role, were you ever a bit hesitant to portray Gerry Adams? And did you feel some pressure to get the role as accurate to him as you could?

Josh Finan: Whilst I was prepping my audition I didn’t feel any pressure at all really. It was a welcome challenge and I enjoyed channeling my energies into a fulfilling character in a well written script. After getting the offer was a different story! Faced with actually having to do the job I did feel a pressure to do it ‘right’. However I learned that if you ask five different people their opinion of Gerry Adams you’ll get five different answers. This was incredibly liberating as it meant I had license to really play on set and not feel boxed into a specific interpretation or outcome. Feeling like I passed the test alongside my excellent fellow actors was a real boost too.

VMAN: Now you’re on to Black Mirror. What were your initial thoughts when the opportunity came your way? Were you always a fan of Black Mirror?

Josh Finan: Yeah I love Black Mirror! I’ve watched it from the start. They’re very understandably protective around potential spoilers so I didn’t know much about it when I taped, but it more than surpassed my expectations. Funnily enough I was actually brought back INTO my comfort zone on Black Mirror. I won’t give too much away though… 

VMAN: Aside from this, do you have any plans that you’re looking forward most to this spring/summer?

Josh Finan: I’m free! I’m off for a little getaway soon but I spent most of last year travelling all over the place for work so I’m currently not making many plans outside of frequenting the Prince Charles Cinema.

This cover story appears in the pages of VMAN 54: now available for purchase!

Photography Charlotte Hadden

Fashion Davey Sutton

Grooming Olivia Cochrane (Werth Represents) using Dior Forever Foundation

Videographer Matthew Labudda

Production The Production Factory

Retouching Hempstead May

1st Photo assistant Michael Hani

Fashion assistant Vini Chenoweth-Bell

Grooming assistant Berivan Er

Casting Kevin Ponce