Experience has taught Hannah Murray who she is, and who she will become
TALENT HANNAH MURRAY ART DIRECTOR ELLA MCNANEY 1ST ASSISTANT CATHERINE FORSYTH PHOTOGRAPHER RIE RASMUSSEN FASHION STYLIST CHRIS HORAN HAIR STYLIST JOHN D MAKE-UP ARTIST MAI QUYNH MANICURIST DENISE BOURNE PRODUCTION VENI MAGAZINE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SAMANTHA RYAN
This young and impressive English actor has learned a lot in her 29 years, both formally and informally. After her big break as Cassie in the acclaimed drama series Skins, Murray built her acting career while studying literature at the University of Cambridge, pursuing her on and off-screen schooling with equal vigor, and graduating with honors in both.
Her impressive resume boasts a seven-season run as Gilly in Game of Thrones, roles in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit and the new Manson movie Charlie Says, plus a plethora of independent projects. This all suggests rigorous goal-setting, but Murray isn’t much of a planner. She takes life one step at a time, chooses what feels right in the moment, and learns from each opportunity. She’s a student of the arts, acting and life, and never wants to stop growing.
VM: Skins proved to be a real training ground for young British talent such Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel and yourself. Was it a formative experience for you?
HM: Hugely formative. A lot of the cast see Skins as their college experience because of the age we were, what we learned from doing the job, and the friends we made. It was very character driven and gave complicated roles to young people, letting us dive in and explore deep. And then it was a big success, which was really exciting. It was a great learning curve for all of us.
VM: Was it a big decision to go to college after that?
HM: It was kind of a step-by-step decision. I didn’t apply to college when everyone else did; I took a year out. Then I got really good A-level results, so I just applied to see where I got in, and I got into Cambridge, so it would’ve been kind of stupid not to go! I thought I’d see how it goes but keep auditioning, because acting was my number one priority. Luckily, I kept getting jobs that fit in during the summer holidays, so I finished my degree, and I’m really grateful that I did.
VM: Has studying literature impacted your work as an actor?
HM: Definitely. The Cambridge course is really focused on practical criticism, so you do loads of close analysis of texts, which is exactly how I work on scenes now. That’s really what’s informed my basic process. But it also really developed my taste, because I was reading so widely for those three years. It helped me know what I like, what I wanted to do, and what I cared about in writing.
VM: Did you ever envision being on Game of Thrones for seven years? And how has it shaped your life?
HM: I knew theoretically it could go on for this long, but it’s very rare, so it was year-by-year. It was an amazing family to be a part of while I was going through my twenties, becoming an adult, changing and developing and learning and growing. It gave me a lot of freedom in my career; I could do experimental and low-budget projects in between, instead of being dictated by money.
VM: You’ve portrayed a lot of women in bleak situations. Has that been a conscious choice?
HM: It does look very dark when you line them all up, but I think the roles have chosen me more than I’ve chosen them. A lot of the time it feels quite fated and weird. When I was a teenager, I remember hearing about the Manson murders and thinking, “I want to make a film about that.” Then 15 years later I ended up doing Charlie Says. When I got sent the script, I had this sense of, “This is mine, this is what I’m going to do next.”
VM: As Game of Thrones is coming to a close, what’s next for you?
HM: I’m actually really excited about writing at the moment. It feels very
fulfilling. I’m working on a couple of projects. I think I want them to be
movies. I have stories I want to tell, and I think I want to be not just an
actor. That’s how I see the next few years. Particularly as I’m turning 30 this
year, I want to step into a slightly more empowered creative phase.
