Derry Girls has a special place in our hearts and although Jenny Joyce had us cringing in many scenes, we’d be lying if we didn’t admit we had a soft spot for her.
Now Leah O’Rourke, the actress who played her for three seasons, is back on screens but in a very different role - and you’re unlikely to see any trace of Jenny.
Leah is in the cast of The Spin, which also stars Pussycat Dolls singer Kimberly Wyatt and Maura Higgins in her first film role as well as Leah’s Derry Girls co-star Tara Lynne O’Neill.
The Spin tells the story of long-time pals Dermot (Brenock O’Connor) and Elvis (Owen Colgan) who are down on their luck but embark on a journey from Omagh to Cork when the universe throws them a lifeline and they discover a box of priceless records for sale at a rock-bottom price.
During a funny road trip in a car that’s older than the hills, the lads encounter a nun, a stripper, and an angry chicken and put their friendship to the test, proving that true friendship is hard to find.
Chatting about her character in The Spinn, Leah said: ‘My character is the ex-wife of one of the main guys [played by Owen]. She isn't the nicest of characters. She's quite snidey and resentful towards him so most of their encounters end up in arguments.
‘But it was a great role for me because the last thing I did was Jenny Joyce as a teenager, so this time it was amazing to be an adult with an ex-husband and a nine-year-old daughter. It was a great experience and I loved it.'
Leah continued: ‘It was the complete opposite [to Derry Girls] and it was great to do something so different. Even the costumes were so different and I was very grown up, with a big family home and throwing a child's birthday party in one of the scenes
‘It was really great and that's one of the joys of being an actor, that you get to be so many different characters. The Spin is a comedy as well though and there are laugh-out-loud moments.'
Although Leah’s Derry Girls co-star Tara Lynne is also in The Spin, they didn’t get to catch up on set.
Leah said: ‘I didn't have any scenes with Tara Lynne but when we heard we were both in the film we started messaging again, which was so lovely, and it gave us a good excuse to get in touch. She said the next time that I'm in Belfast to come to her’s for coffee.'
Although it’s been some time since Derry Girls ended, Leah is still often stopped and asked about the show and Jenny Joyce. 'I get stopped all the time, but it's lovely,’ she said. ‘It keeps Derry Girls so fresh for me. It was 2017 when I auditioned for the show, but because people come up to me all the time about Jenny Joyce, it seems like it just happened.
'I was very privileged to get to play that part. Jenny winds everybody up but she was so funny. You could never go too big with the acting, because she was so out there, especially in her school assemblies. She has a special piece of my heart.
‘Jenny was my first high-profile acting job as well so it's lovely that people are still watching Derry Girls and still enjoying it. People have often said they think it will be one of those comedies that people will watch for years to come, which is so nice.'
Derry Girls ending was quite the ‘surreal’ experience for Leah and it took some getting used to. 'We’d done three seasons of Derry Girls so it was like putting on a comfy pair of slippers almost going back year on year to work with the same actors again and to bring this character to life again,’ Leah admitted. ‘It was very sad [when it ended] and I definitely shed tears when it was the last day of filming.
'It’s a very surreal thing to build these close bonds with everybody and then that's it. We'll never step in these shoes again. Well, we’ll never say never. Many shows have done reunions years down the line so you never know but it was definitely hard to say bye.'
So, does Leah have any idea where Jenny Joyce will end up? Leah said with a laugh: 'Me and Beccy Henderson, who plays Aisling, have speculated on what jobs they would have and whether would they still be as annoying.
'Jenny’s dad in the show was a surgeon so I think she’d probably try really hard to go to medical school, or else be a lawyer. She lived in a mansion and I’d imagine her parents could push her to do well… I definitely don’t think she should end up being like a singer!'
The Spin premiered at the Belfast Film Festival and will play at the Irish Film Institute as part of the Dublin International Comedy Film Fest on Wednesday, November 27 at 11am. Look online for more.
