Interview: Carli Fish on "Ferryman"

Today's interview will be with voice and screen actress Carli Fish. In addition to being announced as Adanna, the lead character in the upcoming video game Godshard Chronicles, Fish was the winner of Best Actress at Durango Film and nominated for Best Actress at WorldFest Houston for Ferryman.

Carli Fish stars as Eve, a reckless woman caught in an intense romance with a troubled soldier, drawn together by a sinister club. As they unexpectedly find love, a life-threatening challenge forces them to make the most of every moment together.

What was your background in acting, and what made you want to pursue this career professionally?

CF: I was a child actor and started when I was a baby, so acting really has been my whole life. I took a break to complete school and university but decided to give it another go later on because I missed it so much. I grew up on sets so they’re just my happy place!

What were your thoughts on Ferryman when you first read it?

CF: I think the first thing I thought (after I stopped crying) was to get back to my agent and say yes immediately. It was one of the most interesting scripts I’d been sent in my career, firstly because of the premise itself, but also because of the very meaningful and philosophical debates that go along with it. I found myself thinking about Eve’s situation for a long time after my first read-through.

What attracted you to this role and this particular character?

CF: I loved Eve from the outset — we’re very alike in some ways and very different in others, so it’s the most fun kind of role to take on. I like that she maintains a sense of playfulness despite her circumstances. She also has a strong underlying grit and determination that I really admire and wanted to play.

How have you found the response to this movie?

CF: It’s honestly been overwhelming. The fact that we’ve won awards like Best Picture and Audience Choice at different film festivals feels like such a reward for all the hard work everyone put into the film. We’ve had some incredibly moving conversations with audience members after screenings as well — it really feels like an honour when people personally resonate with the story and share their own with you.

How was it working on set with the cast and crew?

CF: I have so many amazing memories from shooting Ferryman, and a lot of tough ones too. We were working to a tight schedule with a lot of heavy material so it was very emotionally intense. But that’s the kind of work that really brings you close together as a team very quickly. Darren and the rest of the crew felt like family by the time we wrapped. As this was my debut feature, it was also incredible working with actors as experienced as Oli, Raquel Cassidy, and Jay Simpson. They’re all such consummate professionals, I feel like I learned so much from all of them.

What was your preparation for playing Eve’s character arc?

CF: I came on board very late in the process so my preparation time was short! I did research into her condition and symptoms to try and portray them as faithfully as possible. I also watched interviews and read stories by people in similar situations, to try to get into her headspace.

Was there a memorable scene or moment on set?

CF: Although it was hard to film, I think my favourite on-set moment was when we worked on the cafe scene with Jay (Dad). I remember a lot of the crew were crying along with us and it was a really emotional but beautiful day.

What do you hope people will take away from this film and Eve’s story?

CF: Just the age-old message to live life to the fullest. But rather than that necessarily meaning striving for very lofty goals or achievements, it’s more about enjoying the day-to-day. Eve takes a lot of joy from small things in the film and I think that’s a good recipe for happiness.

I also hope the film makes a positive contribution to the discussion around assisted suicide and the right-to-die movement. It’s a difficult, complex, and fraught conversation, but I think it’s important that stories like these get told.

What other roles and productions do you have coming up?

CF: As you very kindly mentioned, I’m playing the lead in the upcoming indie game, Godshard Chronicles, which just smashed its Kickstarter goal so that’s very exciting. I also got to work on ‘The Long Goodbye’ commercial for Alzheimer’s Society that’s currently airing. It was directed by Charlotte Regan, who made Scrapper, and it was a great experience to work with her and her team.

Thank you again to Carli for a wonderful interview. Make sure to follow her on Twitter and Instagram to keep updated on all her exciting upcoming projects! Ferryman is available on Amazon Prime.