Olivia Cooke is having a blast as an Irish femme fatale in Pixie
Olivia Cooke in Pixie.
Olivia Cooke is clearly having a blast in Pixie, a new Irish gangster comedy in which she plays a modern-day femme fatale. The British actress shines as the movie’s title character, a cunning young woman who uses her charms to persuade a group of would-be suitors to help her rob €1 million worth of drugs from a notorious local gang. Mayhem, double-crossings and shootouts naturally ensue.
Shot in Belfast and the west of Ireland last summer, Cooke has fond memories of the experience. “To play a character who was so much fun and have autonomy and is manipulative in the best way and knows the effects that she has on men and uses it to her advantage and doesn't apologise - it’s great!” she says.
As well as its on-form young cast, the movie features such acting stalwarts as Colm Meaney, Alec Baldwin and Pat Shortt. Cooke signed up for the film’s witty script and the fact that it was an opportunity to play a female lead who drives the story. “I think playing someone like that, who doesn't even have one ounce of shame is just such a relief.
“It was a really glorious summer when we were there, and the tone of the film, and how fun it was, that carried over into the evenings and the dinners that we had, so it was quite a joyous experience. We did a little trip down to Sligo and drove through the west coast, and it was so magical. That was the first time I'd gotten to the west coast. I just love the culture over there, and it felt very familiar as well, which is a nice thing.”
It’s been a busy time for the Oldham actress, who found success with standout performances in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Bates Motel. A lead role in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One followed, and several other high-profile projects are on the way, but in the early days, she dared not even dream to consider acting as a full-time career.
“It was a massive pipe dream. And I don't really think I believed that I could have real longevity in this career, until I got my third job, even though it was all pretty back to back and I was on a bit of a trajectory. I didn't really believe that this was a career that had legs for me, really. You could do one big flashy job and then you know, never work again, just from different circumstances.”
As well as strong notices for Cooke in Pixie, Oscar buzz is building for the forthcoming Sound of Metal. She stars with Riz Ahmed, who plays a recovering heroin addict and drummer whose life crumbles when he realises he’s going deaf. Cooke is his girlfriend and bandmate Lou.
“He plays a drummer in a heavy metal band, who loses his hearing. It's just a beautiful, gorgeous, intimate film that explores sound and the deaf community.”
In the past, Cooke has spoken in interviews about her struggles with anxiety, which always felt natural to her. “It was never really a conscious decision to talk about it. I just started to talk about it. And then I realised it was maybe a bit more important than I realised to actually talk about that. Living in the world that we live in (now), I think you'd be hard pressed not to suffer with anxiety and depression. And sometimes I think just to normalise it and know that we all need the help and care to look after our minds as much as our bodies.”
She was worried and concerned in the early days of the pandemic, but has managed the upheaval well. Having lived in New York for four years, she had only just relocated to London when Covid first struck.
“Two months later we were hit with a pandemic and lockdown, and so it's been different being in my new flat and in a new city, and trying to find my identity within that city. It's been mostly reconnecting with all my best mates who are from Manchester and they live in London now. I would bike to their house and we'd have dinner in the back garden. It's been a real time for friendship and breaking bread. Some days it's like nothing has happened and you kind of become blind to people wearing masks. And then other days, it does feel apocalyptic.”
Pixie is in cinemas now
