Styled By Niamh: Irish actress Naoimh Whelton on starring alongside Hollywood royalty in new blockbuster

Before she'd reached the age of ten, actress Naoimh Whelton was already something of a celebrity in her hometown. 

Growing up in the picturesque village of Kenmare in Co Kerry, Naoimh - now a rising Hollywood star - was gigging around the village alongside her music dad and uncle.

‘From the age of about five or six I used to go with my dad and sing in the pubs around the town,’ Naoimh told Styled.

Now she is poised to grace the silver screen starring alongside Hollywood heavyweight Paul Rudd in Oscar-winning director John Carney's latest flick Power Ballad.

‘My dad is a violinist and an accordion player, and I used to do an Irish dance, and I learned all the songs and I would sing along with my dad,’ recalled Naoimh.

This first taste of local fame was what led a young Naomi to pursue a career on stage and screen.

’So even as far back as then I got a  taste and I had the “gra”; I was like “I love this”.  

'We were doing three gigs a night.’

So no sooner had Naoimh finished her Leaving Cert than she was packing her bags and heading for the bright lights of Dublin and beyond.

‘I was busting through those doors after my Leaving Cert,' she laughed.

‘All of my classmates were off to Cork, to UCC, that was the cool college to go to at that time, but I was like “no, I’m going to Dublin to be an actress”.

‘I just needed to get out of there and I just moved straight away. I did some research and I found a course in the arts in Dublin so I was like “right, that's where I'm going.’

'So I got a place in the Gaiety School of Acting.'

But moving from a small town to the Big Smoke was by no means smooth sailing, as Naoimh recalls trekking to endless auditions in between college and her part-time job.

‘You would get bit parts or tiny roles but they kept me going. So after a while I went to Bowe Street full time. 

'I was there for two years and I absolutely adored that whole experience. It was during that time that I really fell in love with the craft of acting.’

 From Dublin Naoimh then decamped to London, where she finally began to slowly but surely break into the acting scene.

‘After Dublin I moved to London and it was around that time that I got a role in Harry Wilde and then I got a part as a journalist in the series Borderline.

‘That was my biggest part when I played Mary Farrell, a journalist in Borderline.'

But her really big break was just around the corner when she was cast in the upcoming John Carney flick Power Ballad alongside Hollywood stars Paul Rudd, and Nick Jonas (of Jonas Brothers fame).

Speaking of her part alongside Rudd, Naoimh said it was surreal.

 Carney, who directed the 2007 film Once - which won an Oscar for Best Original Song with Falling Slowly - and Sing Street, Whelton said the role came just at the right time.

'I had just returned from three months of travelling through Southeast Asia, so I was more than ready to get back working the creative muscle again and this project came at the perfect time’

Naoimh has one pivotal scene in the film, in which she hopes her acting prowess will come to life on the big screen. 'My scene partner Marty Breen was an absolute blast to work with. We laughed a lot, and the whole shoot was honestly up there with one of the most fun ones I've been on.

'Our scene comes at a key turning point in the story. It was wonderful to be a part of.'

‘Paul was really nice. And so that was really fun, just doing that. It was just one day on set, but it was that one day that kept me going, it gave me the buzz I needed.’

Written by Carney and Peter McDonald, the film charts the story of a wedding singer (Rudd), a rock star (Nick Jonas), and the song that comes between them.

'Paul was such a grounded, generous presence on set. He brings this quiet ease to his work that's honestly inspiring to witness up close.

'You don't feel like you're standing next to a "movie star" - and I mean that in the best possible way.'

The pair even had time between shoots for some chats about Ireland, with Paul revealing he's a fan of all things Irish - especially pints of stout.

'He loves Cobh [in Co Cork], but I had to tell him he still hadn't seen Kerry yet. We had a good laugh about that.'

While she may have been enthralled with Paul Rudd’s enigmatic presence she is hopelessly devoted to her real-life love.

Naoimh is smitten with her childhood sweetheart Josh, who she has been dating since they met in secondary school.

'So I am with Josh now over eleven years. We met when I was about 15,’ she smiles.

Josh, who's not involved in the entertainment industry, has moved to London with Naoimh as she follows her dreams.

‘We live in London now and it can be tougher on him at times. But we are finding our feet. We’ve been together for years now and we are in lockstep with each other.'

As for her acting career, the actress - who has also appeared with Jayne Seymour in detective series Harry Wild - said she hopes her years of hard work are finally coming to fruition.

'I believe hard work always pays off, but for me, the real goal is to be doing this full-time - to be a consistently working actor,' Whelton said.

'Until that becomes your everyday reality, it's important to embrace the journey: all the in-between moments, the quiet periods, the lessons you pick up from each job, your own life experiences. Sit with it all. Reflect on it. Try not to be so urgent.

'That time is valuable - it shapes who you are as an artist and adds depth to your work. An acting instructor once told me: "We are human beings not human doings, so just be."

I think of that often, and any time I feel I'm getting ahead of myself in any part of my life. Presence is key and something that takes consistent work, for me anyway,' she said.

She admits the idea of a 'big break' is tempting, but added: 'I try not to focus on that. 'For me, success looks like being in a creative space every day, collaborating, learning, and feeling a strong sense of purpose in what I do. That's the goal.'

Naoimh's role alongside Rudd has given her confidence a reboot. 

‘Like everyone I have huge insecurities, I have doubts, but I know who I am, I don’t wait for a situation to happen, I kind of try to make it happen. I have drive , I’m tenacious and I know where I am going, so I try to make the best out of every situation.’

But she credits her parents with instilling her with self-belief and the ability to dust herself off and begin anew.

‘My mum instilled so much confidence in us ever since we were kids. She helped me , every time I would come she would help me build my confidence and develop other life skills. 

‘She taught me to dust myself off and get back out there if you’ve had a knock.'

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Photography by Evan Doherty

Hair by Jessica Dowdall

Makeup by Ciara O’Neill 

Shot on location at The Dunloe Hotel, Killarney