How agreeable are you?
I’m naturally quite agreeable, but I’ve learned there is a fine line sometimes between accommodating people and allowing them to take liberties. When someone’s behaviour crosses that line, my agreeable nature has its limits.
What’s your middle name and what do you think of it?
I was named Denise after my maternal grandfather, Denis. When I was younger, I had wished Denise was my first name because I thought it was far more sophisticated than Úna, which seemed old-fashioned. When I got older and travelled to places such as Italy and Spain, people called me “The One”, so I have made peace with Úna!
Where is your favourite place in Ireland?
My favourite place in Ireland is close to where I live, Kilkenny, and it’s the river Nore. I’m a very enthusiastic dragon boater, which is a growing sport all over the world, especially for women. There’s something special about going out on the river, particularly on a bright and early Sunday morning, drifting by, looking at the wildlife, completely removing yourself from the everyday hustle.
Describe yourself in three words.
They’re all going to be positive, of course! Creative, collaborative, optimistic.
RM Block
When did you last get angry?
I get angry daily when I see all the needless angst and suffering – a lot of it man-made – that’s going on in the world. Closer to home, what really makes me angry is the epidemic of “ghosting” in a professional context. Digital technology has created this type of emotional distance that makes it easier for people to vanish rather than to have a normal conversation.
What have you lost that you would like to have back?
Well, people, obviously, but this could descend into a puddle of tears, so I won’t go there. What I’d love to have back is that time before social media, 24-hour news scrolling, and the kind of narcissism that seems to be everywhere. We’ve gained speed but lost depth, and I think that’s sad.
What’s your strongest childhood memory?
I grew up in Thurles, and there was so much freedom. On sunny summer days, you’d head out in the morning and wouldn’t come back until teatime. All you needed for a perfect day was a bike, nice weather and your friends. My kids say that I was born in the 1900s, which, while technically true, makes me sound like an absolute relic.
Where do you come in your family’s birth order and has this defined you?
I’m the youngest of five, which has 100 per cent shaped who I am. For me, there was always this constant need not to follow what everybody else had done. I have three older sisters and an older brother, and I have great relationships with them. I know people don’t always have, but we’re very tight, and that’s a real gift I don’t for a moment take for granted.
What do you expect to happen when you die?
I try not to dwell on that too much, but what I can say with certainty is that my beautiful collection of house plants, which I’ve been nurturing for over 30 years, will follow me shortly afterwards. In my greenhouse, I have a high-dependency unit for traumatised plants. It’s probably the most ridiculous thing to worry about when facing mortality, but I think my last thought will be: who will take the insects off my Busy Lizzies when I’m not around?
When were you happiest?
Marriage and having my kids are fantastic milestones, but notwithstanding those, the happiest time was when I was travelling solo around the world in my 20s. For about 18 months, I travelled to some of the most remote parts of the world: the Himalayas, jungles of Sumatra, the equator ... Every day was a complete revelation. That was when I was probably most relaxed, open and alive to everything happening around me.
Which actor would play you in a biopic about your life?
I look at actors not so much for what they do on screen but more for how they show up as themselves. Emma Thompson is somebody who I would want to play me in the story of my life. What I admire about her is how she actively tries to leave a ladder down for the next generation coming up and to improve the industry for younger actors, particularly women.
What’s your biggest career/personal regret?
I’ve no time for regrets. There are opportunities, however, I didn’t take that I probably should have. Often, the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all.
Have you any psychological quirks?
Lack of symmetry really freaks me out – curtains not hanging straight or a picture slightly off-centre. Once, sitting across from me on a train, I asked a stranger who had one shirt collar in and one collar out if I could fix it because it was driving me mad. Thankfully, he was very gracious about it. This might suggest that I’m a bit of a neat freak, but ironically, I’m the opposite. You should see my desk. Actually, I won’t show it to you because you might call the social services.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
