THE ACTOR: Olwen Fouéré Joins Cast of Crime Thriller

Olwen Fouéré joins cast of The Actor

Olwen Fouéré joins the cast of Duke Johnson’s crime thriller The Actor.

Fresh from her featured role in The Northman, Ms. Fouéré takes on a multifaceted role in the crime thriller The Actor.

An Irish native, Olwen is described as a ‘freelance’ actor with a strong connection to both classic and experimental theatre. From well over a hundred roles, she counts The Importance of Being Earnest and various Shakespeare plays among the former, and Terminus, Marat/Sade (as Charlotte Corday), and works of Samuel Beckett among the latter. She is a relative newcomer to film, beginning in 2011 with This Must Be The Place, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

It has been suggested that The Actor is a companion piece to the 1953 feature film, The Actress. The difference there, however, is one of genre. Essentially a comedy-drama exploring fame and glamor vs. family values, this 50’s piece is also known for introducing Jean Simmons to American audiences.

The Actor, on the other hand, according to the logline, combines elements of mystery, crime, and thriller. André Holland (Moonlight) plays the lead as Paul Cole, a New York City actor beaten up and abandoned with amnesia in a small midwestern town. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, the fish-out-of-water premise traditionally makes plenty of room for comedy as well. Ms. Fouéré joins the mix, performing no less than seven distinctive, variable-gendered roles. As a matter of fact, all the supporting actors thus far play several parts or more. Tracey Ullman, May Calamawy, Tanya Reynolds, Simon McBurney, Edward Hogg, Asim Chaudhry, and Youssef Kerkour — all these seasoned performers add to the promise of bittersweet poignancy.

Director Duke Johnson pairs with Steven Cooney to pen the screenplay. Johnson has become something of a specialist in live stop-motion animation, best evidenced by his co-direction with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for the labor-intensive, yet much acclaimed film, Anomalisa, the hero of which is another displaced person.

Steven Cooney, however, is an unknown quantity. Evidently this is his first professional writing gig, but certainly is in very good company, no doubt rife with opportunities to contribute his own unique skills. The cadre of producers is no less impressive. Spearheaded by Ryan Gosling, these include Ken Kao (The Favourite), Abigail Spencer (Mad Men, Oz the Great and Powerful), Paul Young (Black-ish), and Duke Johnson also shouldering his executive skills.

All the above considered, The Actor may end up as much a contrast as a companion piece to The Actress, depending on the focus and direction taken by the filmmakers. But the interplay of the roundelay of roles by the supporting actors — Ms. Fouéré not the least — as foil to Holland’s Paul Cole searching for his identity is an enticing one. This film is in pre-production and no release date has been set.

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