Sligo native Elva Trill is an Irish actress and musician currently based in the UK. She’s come to prominence recently having secured roles in a number of high-profile productions such as The Hallmark Channel’s Royal Matchmaker, which pulled in an impressive 2.9 million viewers when it aired in March, and alongside Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in Stephen Burke’s feature film Maze. We caught up with Elva to ask about some of her career highlights so far and what the future holds.
I wanted to start by asking you about Royal Matchmaker which hit screens recently. Can you tell us how the role came about and a bit about the character that you play in it?
I was pretty lucky. I signed with an agency in the UK recently and they set up a week of meetings with casting agents in London. They set up a meeting with the lovely Carolyn McLeod at the very last one on a Friday evening. I was never supposed to audition for Royal Matchmaker but because the meeting was set up, I did, and I got the part. I play Countess Petra Petrovich. Bethany Joy Lenz (Kate) is a NYC Matchmaker hired to find Will Kemp (Sebastian) a suitable wife. Petra is selected as the most suitable choice. We filmed in spectacular places like Peles Castle in Sinaia and Castel Film Studios outside Bucharest.
You also recently appeared in Striking Out. I’d say that was a fun set to be on! Did you enjoy working with the likes of Amy Huberman, Rory Keenan and Neil Morrissey?
Of course. I shared scenes with the Amy and Rory. It was very funny to see everyone flip from very serious Legal Jargon to hysterical laughter within seconds once we had cut. The atmosphere on set was relaxed and calm which only really happens when everyone has their part down.
(From the set of 'Striking Out', alongside Amy Huberman)
You got the chance to work with legendary director Jim Sheridan on The Secret Scripture. How did you find working with Jim?
I had the pleasure of having five days on set with Jim Sheridan. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to see the workings of such a high budget film with such renowned actors. Watching Jim work was a valuable experience, his personal style is unique and high energy.
You’ve maintained a nice balance between TV and movie roles in your career so far. Do you prefer one over the other? Would you like to do some more theatre work in the future perhaps?
TV productions shoot at a quicker pace and tend to have last minute changes in my experience. Film can be less pressurised but that really depends on the project. I have enjoyed both experiences. Theatre was a huge part of my early training in Performing Arts and I thoroughly enjoy being on stage whether performing music or acting.
(Photo by Burschi Wojnar)
At the moment most of your work is between Dublin and London. Do you think you’d ever make the move to L.A?
Absolutely. I would be there yesterday if an offer came through. It is on the agenda.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m in a band called The City and Us and we are excited to release our new single ‘Something Better’ this month. We have also been invited to play The Hohaiyan Rock festival. It’s an annual Taiwan rock music festival held on Furlong Beach. I also recently worked on the feature film Maze, a story based on the Irish hunger strikers during the Troubles. This was a wonderful learning experience that gave me a better insight into that upsetting period. I shared a scene with Tom Vaughan-Lawlor which was one of my favourite days on set to date. He was a masterclass in what it is to be fully present and generous as an actor.