Award-winning actress Monica Dolan has described it as a “privilege” to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease through her latest film.
The 57-year-old stars in Onwards And Sideways alongside Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, which follows an American composer and an English school teacher who meet at a hospital after both being diagnosed with the condition.
An 'interesting, powerful and profound' disease
Speaking to the Press Association at the UK premiere of the comedy-drama, Dolan discussed being part of a film that explores such an “interesting, powerful and profound” disease.
“I really feel privileged to have done a film from that point of view,” she said.
“I had lots of preconceived ideas about Parkinson’s and how it manifests itself.
“I was with Rhys in lots of the scenes with the doctor when he’s being diagnosed and on his journey with it, and I learnt an awful lot actually.
“All of the different ways it can appear and the different symptoms.
“Most of the time we think of shaking, but like with Rhys’s character, that doesn’t happen to be one of the symptoms.
“It’s quite an interesting and powerful and profound disease.”
An optimistic portrayal
The NHS describes Parkinson’s disease as a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years, with symptoms including involuntary shaking, slow movement and stiff muscles.
In the film, the disease is portrayed through an optimistic and empathetic lens rather than a tragic decline, balancing the physical and emotional realities of the condition with warmth and humour.
“I think whether you’re playing comedy or whether you’re playing drama, you try and play the truth, and that can be funny as well as sad,” Dolan said.
She also discussed the hopeful message behind the film, and told PA: “It is an optimistic film.
“The message is optimistic – whatever your parameters may seem to be in life, whatever you can do, do it as much as you can.
“I think that can go for any of us. Whatever abilities, talents, whatever you can do that you love doing, do it.”
Cast reflections and premiere
Laura Linney also reflected on the hopeful message of the film, telling PA: “I think at the core of this movie, it’s about life and it’s about living.
“It’s about handling things that might be difficult, and about handling things that are quite wonderful.
“For me, it’s not a dark subject at all.
“The context can be frightening to people. However, it’s filled with such joy and love that I don’t think of it as a dark film.”
The 62-year-old, who wore a black minidress to the premiere, also said the film taught her about how to engage with life and to not “squander your time”.
Dolan wore a floral black bardot top and black trousers to the event in London on Sunday, where she was joined by co-star Linney. Others at the event at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square included Welsh actor and musician Ifans, as well as writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011.
