Artists You Should Know: Actress Rachel McNally-
Edition Two- Week Two:
By Jacob West
Very rarely does one get an opportunity to sit down with someone who, not only has demonstrated a talent for acting and performing but who also has led a, quite frankly, fascinating life. The daughter of Hollywood actor Kevin McNally, known for his role as Joshamee Gibbs in all five Pirates of the Caribbean films, who himself is married to Scottish actress Phyllis Logan, known for her role as Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey, it is fair to say that Rachel has spent considerable time learning her craft from some of the best.
Rachel is also a part-time wheel-chair and crutches user, having bone deformities in her feet that cause her chronic pain. This is, however, something that has not stopped her from doing what she is good at. In Norwich, England, in November 2021, Rachel performed in an enhanced rehearsed reading entitled One Night With Marilyn, in which she starred as the titular character, Marilyn Monroe. She later reprised this role again in London, in January 2022, this time being directed by her father. The plot went as follows:
“Unknown to many of her fans in February 1961 Marilyn Monroe was sectioned to the Payne Whitney Clinic, the psychiatric division of Cornell University NY. Marilyn was under the impression she was being sent for some rest and recuperation by her trusted doctor. She had set alarm bells ringing amongst her friends and psychiatrist by talking of ‘ending it all.’ She had often been to such places previously to visit her mother who had been confined for many years as a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. Marilyn herself had a growing complex that she too was going insane and friends noticed that occasionally she behaved as if pre-occupied by ‘voices’ she claimed to be speaking to her. This play is about what may have happened on that night, as withdrawal symptoms from her many drugs start to kick in – was Marilyn Monroe ever really alone?’”
After working with her as an actor myself, I was eager to talk more with her! Meeting over Zoom, we shared a laugh or five and then proceeded to chat.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
“So, my name is Rachel McNally, and I’m thirty-three. I’m in a very lucky position as I have been a witness to the industry since I was very young, thanks to my dad and my step-mum. They both have very respected careers in the industry. For many years, my family has tried to dissuade me from being an actress, but that hasn’t helped! So, just as they did and as I was brought up to do, I’ve been doing it. I firmly believe that you don’t just get given things, but you have to work hard for them. So, I’ve been really pursuing it since about 2018. Unfortunately, COVID hit in 2020 so that put a bit of stop in things, but since things have started to ease, it’s been very nice and a few things have popped up along the way. I’m slowly but surely working towards the career that I envisage.”
What is the career that you envisage?
“I envisage a career in which I am steadily working. I see being successful in the acting industry to not be defined by fame, but rather as continuously working. When someone hears your name they go, “Ah, yes! Them! I know them! I like their work!” I think perfect examples include people like my parents because when people hear their names they say “Hang on a second, those names sound familiar…” and then they say “Oh my God! Yes! I love them! And I love what they do!” That’s the career I want.”
What was it like growing up in such an artistic environment?
“For me, it was so normal, because I experienced it from a very young age. My dad, having been in the industry from his late teens and early 20s, made great friends with some very influential people. By influential, I mean that people still talk about them and their work. And he is still great friends with these people. So, there was a lot of time spent going to these people’s houses, having them over, going to parties with them – and all from a very young age. So, for me, it was normal. But also, there were a few times when I was told I was going to a few parties and I had certain favourite movies, and someone was there. And I apparently had a massive freak out a few times (I would have been about six), and my Dad had to kind of say “Rachel, it’s okay. Yes, I’ll introduce you”. And still, to this day, I’ll go to things with my Dad and I’ll meet people that my dad has worked with, and I’ll still have a little mini “OH MY GOD” moment. Which, I kinda like. I like that this was normal for me, growing up. There’s still that element of wonder, and excitement, over meeting people who mean something to me because of things I’ve watched. I love that that hasn’t gone away.”
Can you tell us a bit about the struggles of being a disabled actor in the industry?
“I don’t feel that I’ve gotten a good idea of what it’s like to work on big productions, but from conversations I’ve had with people in the industry, obviously, not everyone is going to feel the same and it’s different from set to set, but I’ve been lucky enough to work with people who I have known, and who are understanding, and so they have given me allowances. Standing for long hours, and walking for long periods of time can be very painful, but I’ve been lucky up to this point to have people who made the job, and the experience, easier on me. I do not expect that from every job. Of course, it’s going to be different when doing a job when money is tight, and time is money, but I feel like I am in a place where I could push on. But hopefully, with the work I’m doing, I’ll be getting an agent soon and that will make things easier. Agents are there for their clients, and this is from a conversation I’ve had with them, it’s their job to make it easier and to ensure things are in place for you. Because, it may be that because of time, money, and certain situations, they just won’t be able to get around it. So, I may not be right for the role, simply because of that. I’m not saying that this would be in a nasty way, like “Oh, this person is disabled, we don’t want them”, merely that it’s not going to work for this production. I wouldn’t see it as anything other than that.
But, I think there are ways around it, and I’ve gotten to the point in which I know what I can and can’t handle. I know how much I can push myself, and how much I need to hold back. There will be certain jobs that I know I can do, and certain that I know I can’t. A farce on the West End, for example, I know that I wouldn’t be able to do that. It’s too active. But something like Noel Coward’s Hay Fever, which is very relaxed – that I know I could do. So, I would say that I’ve seen positives in the industry when it comes to being a disabled actor. Obviously, things can always be better, but I think right now they’re pretty good. I’m not deluded into thinking that’s always going to be the case, but right now, from the company I’ve kept and the people I’ve spoken to, it seems to be pretty accepting. Fingers crossed it stays that way.”
Let’s talk a little bit about One Night With Marilyn. Where did this project come from?’
“I had a friend who was putting on a rehearsed reading of it in Norwich, and I’d worked with her before. She’d remembered me and remembered liking what I did, and actually, she was really sweet. Because I asked her “What made you think of me?” Because I’m short, I’m very skinny, and I have short dark hair. So I wanted to know what made her think of me for this. And she just said, “Because, I wanted people who were good. And I remembered you were really good at what you did, and you knew how to direct yourself”. And, for an actor, that’s a really big thing and an amazing compliment. For me, the whole process was such a great opportunity because I’ve been a Marilyn Monroe lover for many years. Not because of her movies, but because of the woman she was.”
What is it about the character that intrigues you?
“The best way I can describe her is as a woman stuck in her time, who was so ahead of her time. I think that she could have really flourished had she been born 10, maybe 20 years later. I really think that she could have. She was already trying to make a difference, she was already an ally to so many people. There was a famous club called Mocambo, and she told them “I will be front row, every single night if they allow Ella Fritzgerald to play”. Because, obviously, she was a black singer and this was the 50s. So, I think, she was definitely a role model to other people, ahead of her time, and stuck in her time. She struggled with mental health, but people just called her crazy. They just told her to take pills. She was a very intelligent woman, but I think she put her trust in doctors, and I think she was let down by the people around her. Another thing that intrigued me about her, is that everyone viewed her as a ditzy blonde, but she was so intelligent! She loved to read, she loved classical music – I mean, Arthur Miller married her! He wouldn’t have married an idiot. No matter what anyone thinks of that relationship.”
How was it playing someone who actually existed?
“I didn’t just want to play the role she played. To the public, she was a role. I wanted to play the real her. I found an interview that she did, and I really listened to her voice and explored her mannerisms. I didn’t want to do an impersonation. I wanted to bring her to life. I did have to play the role to a certain degree, but I tried to do it in my own way. I tried to own what I was doing. I tried to convey my understanding of who she was while mixing it with the role she presented to the public. And it was very daunting. I have to say, being a lifetime fan of hers, I just wanted to do it right. She was so strong, she just got beaten down. She was caught in her most vulnerable days.
I had the most amazing feedback for my performance and it just made me so happy. Because there was that worry – “Oh gosh, did I do a good job? Did I do her justice?” – and, I had people come up to me afterward and say “You embodied her. You brought her back to life”. And for me, that was everything. It was a dream come true. When I found out I was doing it, I called up my Dad, because he played Tony Hancock. And I remember his feeling when he got that, because he loved him his whole life, he was so made up! He was the first person I called, and I said “I know exactly how you felt. I’m playing Marilyn Monroe! It’s the best day of my life!”. I felt like my life had been made, and if this is as far as my career goes, I’m happy!”
If you would like to support Rachel McNally in her mission to continue performing and changing lives one show at a time/ support ManualMagazines.com in our efforts to continue providing our reading audience with this incredible content, please check the two links below, from our friends @ Fiverr.com & Bonsai!
Become a new customer on our behalf via either of the links below, and support our efforts.
Bonsai (Incredible custom templates for contracts and organizing your home office):
https://www.hellobonsai.com/invite?fp_ref=mercedes-15
Fiverr.com (This gig in particular is for a custom t-shirt design that will blow you away!):
Note: Manual Magazines are constantly seeking interesting, creative, and fun people to interview for their editions. If you have a story to tell, please get in contact through our website:
https://manualmagazines.com/contact/
We’d love to hear from you!
ManualMagazines.com
This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.