Award-winning actor Lola Petticrew is embracing their thirties with a defiant clarity, refusing to mute their voice for the sake of a quieter career. 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 Belfast to Netflix: A Year of Defining Roles
The past twelve months have seen Petticrew deliver two powerhouse performances in major television dramas set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In late 2024, they starred as IRA operative Dolours Price in Disney+'s Say Nothing, an adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe's acclaimed book. This was swiftly followed by their portrayal of Cushla Lavery in Channel 4's Trespasses, based on Louise Kennedy's novel, about a Catholic teacher's doomed affair with a married Protestant man.
While the settings are similar, Petticrew is quick to dismiss simplistic comparisons. "The two of them actually couldn't be any different," they assert, highlighting a perceived double standard for Irish actors. "I've never heard anyone say to an American actor, 'Oh, are you going to do another American one?'"
Their upcoming projects mark a significant shift. Alongside Furious—where they play a survivor of child sex trafficking seeking revenge opposite Emmy Rossum—Petticrew has also been cast in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of the Assassin's Creed video game franchise.
Using the Platform: Activism Over 'Nice Handbags'
Petticrew, who hails from west Belfast, has consistently used their growing profile to champion causes close to their heart. They have been a vocal supporter of Palestine, campaigned against class barriers in the arts, and spoken out on the legacy of the Troubles. In February 2025, they used a Best Actor acceptance speech at the Iftas to criticise government inaction on 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?" Petticrew muses. "I would love to do what other actors do and promote the thing and wear nice clothes and not have to think about all that. But it's not a privilege that I have."
They frame their advocacy not as divisiveness, but as moral necessity. "People want you to be less mouthy and just be grateful. But it's not being divisive. It's being on the right side of history," they state. "I just don't think any bag in the world is worth shaking the morals that I have."
Challenging a 'Posh Boys' Club'
Petticrew directs sharp criticism at the entrenched classism and nepotism they perceive in the UK and Irish acting industries, describing it as a "posh boys' club." They argue that while talent exists across classes, opportunity does not.
"When I was growing up, it didn't feel like a career in this industry was actually possible," they reveal. "When you come from wealth, you think that you can do anything. The world is open to you. What we're talking about is making sure that working-class kids have the same opportunities."
This perspective deeply informed their connection to characters like Cushla Lavery, whose journey involves finding her voice within a repressive society. Petticrew, who sought out the role after reading Kennedy's novel, sees echoes of the strong matriarchal storytelling culture of their Belfast upbringing in these parts.
Home for Christmas: Salt, Chilli, and Community
Despite their international projects, Petticrew's heart remains in Belfast. They plan to return for Christmas, which coincides with their 30th birthday on 26 December. Their ideal celebration is unequivocally local: "straight to my house, straight on my sofa with my dog, getting a west Belfast Chinese."
They describe this iconic order with relish: salt and chilli chips with vegetables, fried rice, chicken curry, peas, fried onions, soft noodles with gravy, and hollowed-out chicken balls used to scoop up the curry sauce. "If you do it once, you'll do it every time," they promise.
As Lola Petticrew moves into a new decade with major roles on the horizon, their commitment remains clear: to compelling storytelling on screen, and to unwavering, principled advocacy off it.
