Life as an actor is far from a walk in the park, and for many, it can be an intense time, not knowing when the next paycheck is coming in; something Ruth Bradley knows all too well.
Knowing from a young age that she wanted to be an actress, the harsh reality of what it entails soon hit home when she was living in London, working two jobs and trying to make it in the business.
However, the Dublin star stuck with it but has spoken of some of the tough challenges along the way.
Going from strength to strength, Ruth has appeared in some of Ireland's most memorable dramas such as The Clinic, Rebellion and of course, how could we forget her as Cora, Darren's sister in Love/Hate.
Sitting down with the Irish Independent, she is excited about her latest gig, Slow Horses, where she is working alongside the one and only Gary Oldman.
Looking back to her early days, she said, 'I moved here (London) at 18 and I didn't have any kind of work behind me. I mean, I'd worked at home, but it was a big struggle when I was a teenager here with nothing.' At one point, her situation got so bad that she found herself living behind someone's sofa in a shared house.
Working freelance can put pressure on you that no one can ever imagine at such a young age, but with persistence and determination, Ruth was not going to give up.
Working beside some of the best in the business, she often gets flashbacks to those days when money was tight.
'When I'm like 'Oh God,' I'll be on the streets, I have to tell myself 'No, you're not 18, you have a body of work and you will work again. That's a big thing for freelance self-employed people, you have to check in sometimes and talk yourself down.'
In the past, she found that her twenties were often a tough time for directors and producers to look beyond a certain role for her, such as a girlfriend or best friend.
As she gets older, she says, 'I feel very lucky to be where I am at this stage in my career because parts are getting way more interesting. When I started as a kid working with older actresses, there was a lot of talk about how work dries up and there's only work for women in their 20s...But I've grown with the times, so I've never felt a moment where everything has dried up because it's always changing...'
With this latest piece with Gary Oldman on her resume, we have a feeling Hollywood could be calling quite soon!
