Joyride's Lochlann O'Mearáin Says Working With Olivia Colman Was 'Slightly Terrifying'

In the last decade, there have been many film and TV performers who have risen to the heights of popularity, and Britain's Olivia Colman is a particular standout. The actress first came to the attention of the masses with her role as Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller in the ITV crime drama series "Broadchurch," which would go on to be broadcast on BBC America in the United States. She would go on to show her incredible range by appearing in both dramas and comedies, with her darkly funny turn as 'Godmother' in Phoebe Waller Bridge's "Fleabag." The star of "Tyrannosaur" went on to win an Academy Award for best actress for her irreverent turn as Queen Anne in 2018's "The Favourite."

For many viewers, Colman is instantly recognizable for playing another British queen, this time as Elizabeth II in "The Crown." She took over the role on the Netflix drama from Claire Foy and played the monarch for the third and fourth seasons of the series. The star of "Heartstopper" has an indomitable presence on screen and can easily become the central focus of any scene she appears in. Lochlann O'Mearain, her co-star in "Joyride," has taken account of this and called Colman "slightly terrifying" in how she approaches her acting.

In "Joyride," Olivia Colman stars as Joy, a solicitor who unexpectedly finds herself helping a young boy named Mully (Charlie Reid), who is escaping his father (Lochlann O'Mearain) and attempting to take back a large sum of money his dad stole (per Variety). In a co-interview with the film's director Emer Reynolds, O'Mearain shared with MovieWeb some unique anecdotes on what Colman's process is like when she prepares to shoot a scene. He spoke about how she doesn't like to rehearse and prefers to simply let loose in front of the camera when it starts rolling. The actor also professed how her process was "slightly terrifying" but also freeing in how "You're on the edge, there's no safety net, you have to really let go and let something happen. That's really captivating."

Although the co-star of "The Father" may not have preferred to rehearse on "Joyride," other actors who have worked with her have spoken of her acting talents during rehearsals. On Britain's "This Morning," star of "Heartstopper" Kit Connor was asked by a co-host if he made Colman cry during rehearsal. The British actor replied by revealing the scene involved the two performers talking about Kit's character (Nick Nelson) experiences, and Olivia Colman immediately started crying. He then shared how this raw emotion on queue revealed to him that he needed to "step up his game massively."