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Kirsty Mitchell - Actor
Kirsty is an actor brought up in Glasgow and went to school in Erskine. She is most well known for her TV role as Iona in Monarch of the Glen."The only person who can really make your career work, is you."
I think I would like to play the role of Elsie Inglis. She has a very interesting life story. She trained in medicine which was unusual in her day and age. She was fully qualified by 1892 and was disgusted by the standards for caring for women in hospitals and therefore decided to set up a medical practice in Edinburgh.
She also founded The Scottish Woman's Suffragette Federation as she needed them to campaign for political backing to improve hospitals for women. Her efforts during World War One were award worthy. She changed the medical history for women.
She eventually died of cancer and is buried in Edinburgh in the Dean cemetery. It would be great to see a movie made about such an amazing woman.
I think the most beautiful place in Scotland that I have seen so far is a little beach amongst
the rocks in Tarbert. It was a shell beach I discovered whilst working there. No sand just completely
covered in white shells all broken into tiny pieces.
It was so peaceful and stunning in any light. When I sat there I felt like I was on a magical
beach in a story book and if I was quiet enough maybe all the beautiful creatures who lived
there would come out and sit with me. Crazy I know. Don't blame me, blame my imagination!
The person who has had the most positive impact on my career is myself. I'm the one who keeps trying, regardless. I have friends and family who give me support and the occasional pep talk but the only person who can really make your career work, is you.
I don't think I would choose anyone else's career path as I like the way I have ended up in
acting.
I trained as a ballet dancer and working as a dancer before acting has given me great discipline
which I use in every aspect of my life, but I certainly think Scarlett Johansson has had a fantastic
run recently. I also admire Samantha Morton for her choices.
I would love to have played Ray Liotta's wife in Good Fellows as it is one of my very favorite
movies and is an all time classic.
I think there is only one black and white movie to be part of and that is Gone with the Wind and I wouldn't change the leading man at all! Clark Gable was perfect in that role.
.The best piece of advice given to me as an actor is that when you walk in a room for an audition, remember, the people auditioning you (as intimidated as they may make you feel), are not against you. They want you to be great too. It put me more at ease in an interview situation.
I prefer the seriousness and focus required on a film set. I like having rehearsal time with
a film and how in some movies the time can be spent on completely transforming your look.
TV is more rushed but I love the pressure of the schedule and as far as theatre is concerned.
I fell in love with acting whilst doing my first play. The nerves were in abundance every night
and I loved how you can feel the effect your performance is having on people as they are in
the same room.
I love when an audience forgets they are watching actors and get carried away with the story
and accidentally shout out or get upset or laugh loudly. This means we are doing our job well.
Overall, I think film is my favorite though as I like the discipline. It makes me feel like
I am really working.
I don't think I have played my most challenging role yet. I've played a lot but I don't think
I have pushed myself to my limits yet. There are many roles I would like to play. Iona in Monarch
was one of them as she was a free spirit.
I didn't need to be elegant or sexy or anything I've played in most of my other roles. I like
to play characters who are free and more animated. I am a big horror movie fan so I'd like to
obviously to do at least one in my career and I'd love to do some comedy too.
The best quality for a friend, I think, is someone who you can be absolutely honest with about any subject, and they will not judge for your feelings, but help you figure out how to deal with a situation feeling the way you do. Also, a very big deal for me is reliability. This forms trust and every relationship blossoms from trust.
I would never like to go forward into the future as I believe it changes everyday depending on the choices you make and therefore would not like to be living my life now for how I saw it in the future
It's so difficult to pick one charity, but probably an animal charity as it breaks my heart that people can be so cruel to them. I already give to many charities including RSPCA, PDSA and I have adopted an elephant and a panda. I'd divide it between them all.
If I could make a phone call to anyone, it would be to my beautiful Nana who we lost five years ago and I would ask her if she is feeling better, oh and maybe for the recipe to her French toast!
To find out more about Monarch of the Glen please see www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/tv/monarch
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