Award-winning actor Lola Petticrew is embracing their thirties with a defiant clarity, using their growing platform to champion the causes they believe in rather than playing the traditional fame game. Speaking from New York, where they are filming the new series Furious, Petticrew reflects on a landmark year that has cemented their status as one of television's most compelling and outspoken talents.
From West Belfast to International Screens
Petticrew, who turns 30 on 26 December, has spent much of the past year portraying complex Irish women from the Troubles era. In late 2024, they starred as IRA agent Dolours Price in the Channel 4 drama Say Nothing, an adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe's book. This was swiftly followed by a lead role as Cushla Lavery in Trespasses, the Channel 4 adaptation of Louise Kennedy's novel, about a Catholic teacher's affair with a married Protestant man.
While both stories are set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland conflict, Petticrew is quick to highlight the distinct nature of the characters. "The two of them actually couldn't be any different," they say, addressing the reductive tendency to bracket Irish narratives. "It's a funny thing that's preserved for Irish actors and Irish stories. I've never heard anyone say to an American actor, 'Oh, are you going to do another American one?'"
A Platform for Principle, Not Handbags
Hailing from west Belfast, Petticrew carries a strong sense of social justice into their public life. They have been a vocal supporter of Palestine and used their Best Actor acceptance speech at the 2024 Iftas to criticise government inaction on the high suicide rates among the 'ceasefire babies' generation in Northern Ireland.
This outspokenness has drawn suggestions that they should be quieter. "Wouldn't it be lovely if I could shut up? I would love to... wear nice clothes and not have to think about all that," Petticrew remarks. "But it's not a privilege that I have. If somebody's giving me space to speak, it might as well be about something that matters." They firmly believe that "it's not being divisive. It's being on the right side of history."
Challenging a 'Posh Boys' Club'
At the heart of Petticrew's advocacy is a fight against classism and nepotism in the UK and Irish arts industries, which they describe as a "posh boys' club". They argue for equal opportunities, stating, "When I was growing up, it didn't feel like a career in this industry was actually possible. When you come from wealth, you think that you can do anything. The world is open to you."
This perspective deeply informed their connection to characters like Cushla Lavery, who learns to advocate for herself and her community. Petticrew, who sought out the role after reading Kennedy's novel, sees echoes of the matriarchal storytelling culture of their own upbringing in these parts.
Looking ahead, Petticrew's career continues to diversify. Alongside Furious—where they play a survivor of child sex trafficking seeking revenge opposite Emmy Rossum—they have also joined the cast of Netflix's upcoming Assassin's Creed adaptation. Yet, home remains a powerful anchor. They are eagerly anticipating a return to west Belfast for Christmas and their birthday, promising a celebratory "west Belfast Chinese" takeaway—a uniquely local feast of salt and chilli chips, curry, and hollowed-out chicken balls.
For Lola Petticrew, success is measured not by accolades or designer accessories, but by authenticity and impact. "I just don't think any bag in the world is worth shaking the morals that I have," they conclude, embodying a new generation of artists for whom fame is a tool, not an end goal.
