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Staking acclaim - Elaine Cassidy
by LIZ THOMAS
November 8, 2005
 Success has attached itself to Elaine Cassidy since her break in the film Felicia’s Journey. Liz Thomas hears how this track record means the star can now refuse all but the best scripts, Elaine Cassidy says she does not compromise with her career, and so far, she has been in the rather enviable position of never having had to.
The actress, who at 18 got her big break in the starring role of Felicia’s Journey opposite Bob Hoskins, has seemed to jump from one widely-acclaimed project to the next.
She says: "I have been very lucky - I haven't been in the position where I've had to do anything simply for the sake of it. Felicia's Journey was an amazing start and I just loved it. It sort of set me on a certain path, it set a standard, working with such a quality script and team. Looking back, since then I've consciously turned down roles in order to ensure I keep playing different characters."
Next up is Channel 4's new fast-paced, eight-part drama The Ghost Squad, where she is the lead character, and reportedly in every scene. The show is based on the real life Ghost Squad, which began in 1994 as a covert operation into police corruption by the Metropolitan Police. The unit was effectively disbanded in 1998 when Scotland Yard went public with its anti-corruption initiative and was replaced by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Cassidy explains: "I play Amy Harris and it's her journey you follow. I think she has been in the police force for five years and at the start of the series we see her being recruited into the Ghost Squad. She is the perfect candidate - ambitious, hard working and totally dedicated to the job. The job is a stressful one but she is chosen because she is tough and also because she is a bit of a chameleon. I've got a lot of respect for the character.
I'd never have the nerve to do what she does. "She's as straight as they come. Obviously she's not so naive as to think that in life everything is black and white, good or bad - but as the series progresses she realises that, especially within the police force, there's a million shades of grey. She starts to understand that in order to get a job done in the force, and to do it well, her targets might be a little bit bent but not necessarily corrupt - that their heart's in the right place but they are going about it the wrong way. That's what is so interesting for me about the show, that it's so difficult to decide what's right and what's wrong."
Before this year Cassidy was probably better known for her film roles, starring in big screen hits such as The Others and Disco Pigs and has even featured in the music for Coldplay's The Scientist. However, this year it is her television work that has catapulted her into the wider public consciousness. She starred in ITV1's controversial drama Uncle Adolf, which looked into the despot's obsession with his niece Geli Raubal [played by Cassidy] and won rave reviews. Earlier this year she played the emotionally-detached Maud Lilly in acclaimed BBC1 drama Fingersmith. The three-part show, adapted by the writers of steamy hit Tipping the Velvet, was hugely popular with Sunday night audiences.
"I loved the book, the script. I was totally caught up in the twists. The show was just brilliant and Maud was a difficult, mean, cold character to play," says Cassidy. Adding yet another string to her bow, the actress is also co-producing a short film, which is called Untitled. She explains: "It is about coming of age and the fears and obstacles surrounding that time. I do plan to enter it for all the short film festivals."
And just to prove there is no pinning her down to one particular category, Cassidy reveals she also has a stage part lined up for the new year. The Dublin-born talent will play the role of Abigail in a new production of The Crucible with the Royal Shakespeare Company in March. She says: "I'm really excited. You can't get much better than Arthur Miller. I've been itching to do a play for a while. It is nice to come from a television job and just keep mixing it up. I'm ever changing and constantly evolving - I don't know what I will have learnt next week.
"I don't want to get lazy and that's why I love this job. I know what I'm doing as far as the play next year but you can't plan for things too far in advance."
© The Stage
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