Louise Clark on The Hub iRadio introduced Fionnuala Corbett, Head of News at iRadio who recently caught up with 16 year old actress, Niamh Moriarty to chat about her upcoming starring role in a BBC drama alongside Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen.
The drama is called 'Best Interests' and Niamh says she is on a mission to spread inclusivity for disabled actors.
The Irish teenager set to star opposite Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Michael Sheen (The Queen) and Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends) in upcoming four-part BBC One series Best Interests written by BAFTA Award-winning writer Jack Thorne (Wonder, Help, The Swimmers, Enola Holmes). Niamh Moriarty from Dublin is just 16 years old and already has an impressive number of stage and screen credits to her name, with the latest being her turn as ‘Marnie’ in Thorne’s nuanced legal drama which centres around a family driven apart by having to make choices no parent would ever want to make.
Couple Andrew (Sheen) and Nicci (Horgan) have two daughters, Katie (Oliver) and Marnie, who has a life-threatening condition. The doctors believe it is in Marnie’s best interests to be allowed to die, arguing that she is in pain and the treatments are becoming too invasive - but her loving family disagree. T
he series is one example of the complex issues that are faced by the disabled community and shining a light on such matters is something that Niamh holds close to her heart. As well as being an incredibly talented young actor, training at Take2 Performing Arts School in Dublin since 2016, Niamh is passionate about advocating for on-screen diversity and disability inclusion. Niamh was diagnosed with a form of Cerebral Palsy in her legs called Spastic Diplegia aged three and uses a wheelchair. Niamh’s goal is to encourage disabled actors who may feel they do not fit in the industry and hopes to change this narrative through her work. Niamh also wants to encourage a disabled audience, young and old, to be the change they want to see.
Currently a Transition Year student, Niamh has a bubbly personality and love for performing, with an amazing versatility as an actor. She previously played ‘Tiny Tim’ in the Gate Theatre’s 2019 10-week run production of A Christmas Carol, scripted by Jack Thorne and directed by Selina Cartmell, and recently appeared in Toy Show The Musical, January 2023. Niamh voiced characters in Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (2021) on Netflix and played ‘Ellis’ in the 2019 short film My Mother’s Shoes.
Niamh’s next role will be as ‘Daisy’ in Amazon’s young adult fantasy feature-length film Silver, based on the popular novel series of the same name by Kerstin Gier.
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