Director Lenny Abrahamson
talks about the casting
Casting Josie Pat Shortt
«Josie is really a contemporary village idiot character but the Irish village doesn’t have any place for him anymore. Josie’s absolutely the central character. He is in every single scene. It’s his film.
I had Pat Shortt in mind from early on because Pat brings with him three things that are very vital. First, he is a brilliant straight actor, even though he is primarily known as a comedian. Second, He’s also a physical comedian, a clown, so he’s able to nail a character’s walk, their style of speech, he can physically inhabit a character like all great clowns. And at last, he looks like Josie should look. He’s got the right body shape.
Pat is able to let you have glimpses of the deeper inner life that Josie has. He moves seamlessly between almost high farce to very dark, truthful realistic performance.»
Casting David Conor Ryan
«David is an intelligent teenager. Sourceful, sensitive and largely out of place in this small town that his mother and he have now moved to.
People usually tighten up a little bit on camera. Conor seems to relax in this incredible way that makes him appear more natural. He is a very natural film actor. Garage is not one of those films where there is a tremendous amount of emoting but it is a demanding role that he has taken really seriously. Conor has worked really hard on it. As a result there is a very finished sort of character there. For an actor that young to achieve that is very unusual.»
Casting Carmel Anne-Marie Duff
«Mark writes great, tough women and Carmel is a brilliant kind of character. She’s small town attractive but sinking.
I thought initially that Carmel would be older, but I had a different sort of Carmel in my head. Anne-Marie showed me a Carmel that I hadn’t thought of and ultimately it was the right one. She is a really fine actress and I’m delighted that she’s in it.»
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