Although still fledgling, Lola Petticrew’s career already has brought about many memorable moments**. **Having Gillian Anderson scream at them in a pitch-perfect Belfast accent is up there with the best. “What a dream!” says Petticrew now, their own accent thick and melodic. “She smashed it to pieces, it’s so tough and there are some terrible ones out there [ahem Wild Mountain Thyme] but Gillian is phenomenal.”

Of course, no one was surprised to hear Petticrew’s Irish accent. Only last year did the actor make waves (and earn an Ifta award along with a Bafta nod) for their role as an IRA soldier in FX’s adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book Say Nothing. The series was wrenching in its depiction of the Troubles – and Petticrew, completely compelling as the real-life Dolours Price. Their performance was an embodiment of political disillusionment, like watching a flame extinguished in slow motion. The show put Petticrew on the map, adding their name to the growing list of Irish stars to watch.

This new project is also based on a book, Louise Kennedy’s 2022 novel Trespasses, and it too takes place during the Troubles. Petticrew plays Cushla Lavery, a young Catholic school teacher living on the outskirts of Belfast**,** who falls in lust and then love with a prominent barrister (Tom Cullen) more than twice her age and married. More of a deterrent than either of those things is the fact he’s Protestant. What unfolds is a classic tale of forbidden love – stolen glances and secret trysts – set against a very specific backdrop of political violence and moral ambiguity. Anderson plays Cushla’s mammy, a glamorous woman who smokes and drinks like it’s going out of fashion.

As Cushla, Pettigrew is, dare I say it, unrecognisable: a bookish, waifish woman with avian features. Today, I have to do a double take at the gothic vision in front of me – jet**-**black hair, chunky silver jewellery and a large tattoo on their upper thigh that is only just visible through tights. “For so long I didn’t get tattoos because it would mean more time in the makeup chair, but it’s so worth it,” they say, glancing at the artwork. “When you spend so much time being other people, it’s nice to feel like me.”

Cushla is not entirely unlike Petticrew, who also grew up Catholic and in Northern Ireland. Trespasses, though, opens up a different way of looking at the Troubles than what Petticrew was taught. “Typically we view that period of history through a very masculine lens, so to see it through this romance was really interesting,” says Petticrew, who still lives in Belfast. “It’s such recent history and we’re only now picking apart the threads and finding all these angles to tell that story.”

Petticrew is a ceasefire baby**,** meaning the Troubles were, strictly speaking, over by the time they were born. “But it permeates every part of my life and every part of my being,” they say. “I still don’t think there is enough talk about the intergenerational trauma after the conflict: more people died post-ceasefire by suicide than died during the entire war.” They let that fact linger in the air a moment before piling on another. “One of the most gruesome legacies of the Troubles is the poverty. Where I come from the rate for child poverty is one in three. It’s shocking and it’s a direct result of England’s occupation in Ireland.”

Listening to Petticrew speak, their passion is obvious – and fortifying. “There is nowhere near enough mental health services available for the insurmountable trauma caused,” they continue. “And that has a real-life socio-economic effect, so when someone like the British government – who, I mean really it was at their hand what happened – refuses to fund those services, it’s political violence every day.”

If Petticrew wasn’t an actor, they’d make a fantastic politician. When they speak about their issues with the Troubles as a term (“it minimises what was a war in a way that suits the British government who want to see it as a little trouble across the pond in a place they don’t care about”), I find myself nodding vigorously in agreement, a little embarrassed that the thought hadn’t occurred to me before.

Star-crossed lovers: Tom Cullen and Lola Petticrew in ‘Trespasses’ (Channel 4)

So far, Petticrew has sought out Irish projects as much as Irish projects have sought out Petticrew. “In drama school I was so worried I was never going to work because of my accent and so actually getting to work in that accent is a real gift,” they say. “It’s a privilege to tell stories from home; it’s my favourite place in the world.” Those Irish stories have ranged from these recent politically charged period pieces to romcoms (2020’s Dating Amber) and mystery-thrillers (2021’s *Wolf). *

Are they concerned about being pigeon-holed? “A lot of men play soldier after soldier after soldier and nobody gets bored of it, and when English people play English roles, nobody asks if they’re worried about pigeonholing,” they respond. “For some reason, that’s a fear only reserved for Irishness. “But I don’t feel that way. If I only told Irish stories for the rest of my life, I’d be happy.” As for the world’s sudden embrace of the Irish, Petticrew chalks it up to Derry Girls.

Petticrew grew up the eldest of four children to parents who both work in healthcare, with a few of their siblings following in their footsteps. Recently, Petticrew has been thinking about where their profession stems from, walking that thought all the way back to childhood when they would bring a small suitcase chock**-**full of costumes to school everyday.

Sisterly bond: Hazel Doupe and Lola Petticrew in ‘Say Nothing’ (FX)

Still, the pipeline from classrooms to film sets was far from established. “Where I’m from it doesn’t seem like it’s something that’s achievable,” they say. “A lot of things don’t seem achievable because the system isn’t set up for people from my background to succeed in whatever field. So there’s an element of feeling that even when you’re younger, this is not something for you.” Until a friend of Petticrew’s auditioned for drama school in Wales and suddenly the door was open. Only a crack, but just enough. “Even now I think to myself, this could all go away tomorrow,” they say. “And that’s fine; I have a lot of happiness in other places in my life.” Namely at home with their partner and their dog.

Thinking back to that suitcase of costumes, Petticrew becomes a little emotional. “To know that it was always evident in me, that this was something in me that I’ve always had a love and passion for even before I knew you could make a career out of it,” they say. “Children know who they are and I think a lot of adulthood is navigating your way back to that. I’m about to turn 30 and I feel like I’ve become my 13-year-old self again in the purest, most wonderful form. It shows that when children are telling you who they are, we need to listen – and that’s a massive conversation happening within the trans community: when children tell you who they are, believe them.”

Hollywood? You’d have to drag me kicking and screaming

Petticrew knew who they were early on, coming out as bisexual at a young age. That openness wasn’t entirely welcome at her all**-girls Catholic school, where homophobia was rampant. “It definitely felt restrictive. I wouldn’t say that my experience was wonderful but I had a lot of great friends.” Including their English teacher,** with whom Petticrew stays in contact. “Literally such a cliché: ‘queer student stays in touch with English teacher,’” they joke. “What a surprise!” Today Petticrew calls themselves a “recovering Catholic” à la Sinead O’Connor.

While they came out as bisexual relatively early, it was only recently that Petticrew came out as non-binary. “It’s still tough,” they say of navigating the entertainment industry since doing so. “People are getting a bit more used to it and on sets, typically [everyone is] fantastic; they’re curious and friendly and I’m an open book, they can ask me anything; I don’t mind if they mess up so long as they lead with love.” It’s the wider industry, they add, that is more troublesome. “But look I’m in a very privileged position because I think it’s a lot harder for trans men and trans women. There’s much more work to do for trans people.”

Grief lessons: Lola Petticrew and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in ‘Tuesday’ (A24)

I wonder whether in light of their Bafta nomination and Ifta triumph, Petticrew has given any thought to the ongoing conversation surrounding gender-neutral awards categories – something fellow non-binary actor Emma Corrin has endorsed. “I think it would be fantastic. Why not?” they reply. “But it’s not something I’ve given much thought to because – while of course it’s a really lovely thing for your peers to recognise your work – I don’t tend to pay that side of things much mind.” Such a gentle rejection of awards and accolades is lip service for many actors, but coming from Petticrew**,** I believe it. On whether they ever hear the siren call of Hollywood, they scoff: “You’d have to drag me kicking and screaming!” For all the seriousness of the topics we discuss, Petticrew is great craic, as they say.

In a few days, they’ll fly back to New York to continue filming a series inspired by the 1987 film* Black Widow.* In it, Petticrew plays a serial killer on the run – an American serial killer, mind you, accent and all. While some might draw thematic parallels between their projects so far, Petticrew is keen to try everything. “My ‘thing’ I guess is getting really talented women to play my mammy,” they laugh, referring to Anderson and also Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the latter playing their mother in A24 drama Tuesday. “There’s no end goal for me,” they add. “I think the best things come as a surprise.”

‘Trespasses’ starts tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. All episodes are available to stream now