Bachelor in Acting, Lucy Johnson; Where are they now?

Thursday 3rd April - 2025

From Vikings to Macbeth, we interviewed Lucy on her experience and career progression since graduating from The Lir Academy.

1. Could you give an overview of your background before attending The Lir Academy?

I enjoyed storytelling from a young age and, like many people, first fell in love with acting at school. If I wasn’t on stage performing, you’d usually find me painting bits of set backstage, composing snippets to a musical or helping with costumes for the next show. What I loved most was that theatre gave me the opportunity to tap into so many different lives, worlds and experiences, and this is still the same today.

Outside of drama, I tried to fill every waking second with sport and music, squeezing in the academic studies where I could. I never wanted to miss out on an opportunity! My mum used to joke that if I could find a career that was my extra-curricular activities, I’d be happy – and I think my dual acting / stunt career is about as close to that as you can get!

2. What sparked your initial interest in attending drama school? What were your aspirations back then?

I knew I wanted to be an actor and drama school felt like the logical choice at the time. I didn’t know anyone in (or, really anything about!) the industry, and it seemed the best way to get the right training and to start to build contacts.

The Lir Academy crossed my radar thanks to my grandparents, who were both graduates of Trinity College Dublin – and I attended the school’s two-week summer acting intensive, before heading to the Oxford School of Drama for a 6-month foundation course. I was drawn in by the ethos, the teachers and the atmosphere of The Lir Academy – it felt like home. During my first-round audition, Loughlin Deegan (the former Head of School) asked me: “Why The Lir Academy?” and my answer was, simply, “Hilary Wood”. Hilary was Head of Acting, and in the two-week summer course she had shown me how much untapped potential I had (waiting with my dragon behind the wardrobe!) and what I might be capable of with the right school behind me.

When I was applying for drama school, I remember people telling me that the right school would choose me, and 100% I believe this to be true. For me, The Lir’s greatest USP is that they give you a myriad of tools to help you reach the emotional, physical and technical requirements of a performance but then give you the freedom to hone these into your own personalised style.

3. What kind of roles were you drawn to? Did you have a particular focus or specialisation within acting?

Early on, I always wanted to play the great tragic roles, like Lady Macbeth or Medea, but with age and experience, I realise I’m much better suited to comedy. The Lir Academy inspired a playfulness in my acting process, and this is something I still use when working – understanding that the surprising choice is usually the most interesting. My background as an international fencer and gymnast also allowed me to tap into highly physical roles.

I was fortunate to be taught by two physical powerhouses of the industry, Bryan Burroughs and Sue Mythen – who, each in their own way, taught me how to use my full body to depict emotion, story, personality, time and space. They were the first true champions of my physical capabilities and still are today – across both acting and stunts.

4. Do you think your training at The Lir Academy prepared you with skills that are useful for stunt work?

100% yes. A misconception around stunts is that the action elements of a film or stage show are somehow separate from the story. Although the industry is moving in the right direction, Action Design remains under-represented and misunderstood – there is still a taboo around using a different person (or people) to deliver a part of performance on behalf of an actor. Your role as a stunt performer, or action designer, is to create a seamless storyline or the character – and so every stunt requires you to act or tell a story, often in a highly physical capacity.

The Lir Academy’s physical theatre and movement training was critical in allowing me to move freely, with specificity, and to take on the attributes of different characters as a stunt performer. I also was able to build a strong foundation in unarmed and armed combat, with Ciaran O’Grady, the Lir Academy’s Fight Director. Ciaran was also the first person to recommend me for a stunt doubling job on Vikings, not long out of drama school. Not only did he recommend me, but he also took the time to work with me on a routine and helped film my fight audition tape – I owe him my career to this day!

5. What made you consider a career in stunts? Did your experience as a fencer play a role in your career progression?

Every stunt performer seems to “fall into” the profession! I had competed as an
international fencer whilst at drama school, and the skills involved certainly helped in my stage combat work. Working on Vikings with Stunt Coordinator Richard Ryan, I learned the importance of storytelling in fights – he would never let anyone move for movements sake and would work hit-by-hit, making sure that each character’s intentions and emotions were clear throughout. Stunts gave me the opportunity to work at a high level from very early in my career, sharing characters with well-known actors and working on incredible sets.

What I love most about the job is that you have the opportunity to perform in front of the camera, like actors, but also get to build the world of the film / TV series behind it, too. Most recently, on Season 2 of Wednesday, I was part of the core team building fight sequences and shooting the “previs” (previsualisation) for many of the action sequences across the series – this part of action design still requires you to focus on character, story and finding the right shots to serve both.

I have also used my fighting skills, alongside acting, in motion capture shoots for video games – a huge industry which is still growing. Currently I am also using my acrobatic and stunt skills while performing at The Globe’s “Playing Shakespeare” run of Macbeth. The director Lucy Cuthbertson has brought the supernatural to life with gymnastic, fantastical witches and ghosts – it has been incredible to see how this has transformed the story and how it engages audiences.

6. What kind of further training or certifications did you pursue?

There are many different avenues to pursue when building a stunt career. Once I decided I wanted to split my time between acting and action design, I focused on training my “on-set” skills to make me employable – developing fight skills in new weapon sets, learning how to perform on wires (essentially acrobatic tricks while “flying”) becoming comfortable with partial and full body burns, and learning how to shoot and edit action sequences. It can also be useful to be part of a “guild” or “register” in stunts to get your name out in the industry – in Ireland, I am on the Irish Stunt Register, and am submitting my final application to join the British Stunt Register in the UK.

It can take many years and, realistically, a lot of money to pass the very rigorous assessments in e.g. marital arts, gymnastics, swimming, driving, horse riding etc. A lot of the training process is balancing building your career, training to gain contacts and making ends meet financially.

7. What are some of the most exciting or memorable projects you’ve performed in?

As with any job in this industry, every project is different and special in its own way. Some of the highlights of my career would come from working on the feature film, Batgirl, back in 2022. I was part of the full-time core-team, testing and building fights and large action sequences over five months and was lucky enough to be given a few “once in a lifetime” stunts from Scott Rogers, the Stunt Coordinator – being set on fire and flying off moving vehicles (both on wires and onto the tarmac!).

I also got to double Batgirl for one of the large action sequences at the end of the movie. Seeing your reflection with the famous “bat-ears” is quite something! I also loved being part of the world of Wednesday last year. The “Nevermore” sets are truly astounding, and it was inspirational to work with and learn from female Stunt Coordinator, Eimear O’Grady.

8. What are some common misconceptions people have about stunt performers and the work you do?

For me, there is a misconception is that stunt contributions should not be celebrated or fully recognised. Sometimes this manifests on set, but it is mostly seen in the lack of industry awards that recognise “outstanding action design” or “outstanding stunt performance”. There is a welcome shift with SAG introducing an “outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble” category – but it is just a start. It can be difficult for the industry to recognise individual performances, as stunt doubles are often “sharing” characters with their actor counterparts – the lines blur quickly and productions
trying to sell a “bad-ass” character may find it easier to build an image purely on the actor. Ryan Gosling’s work on The Fall Guy and his subsequent promotion of the film was a welcome recognition for the stunt industry. The world of film, TV and theatre is very much a team sport.

9. Do you have any fond memories of your time at The Lir Academy?

I have so many happy memories of my time at the Lir. Getting to spend three years studying yourself, the world outside and telling stories is a great privilege. Looking back, it’s the little moments that stand out. Our class dancing around to the Pina soundtrack at the end of Sue Mythen’s movement class; spending four hours getting “drunk” on water in real time with Hilary Wood one afternoon; the industry Director, Wayne Jordan, inspiring my “Messenger” in our second-year Greek tragedy play to become a kick-ass wedding planner, showing me the power we have as actors to make impact out of the smallest of roles.

In three years, the Lir built a family out of our year group, as well as a cast of incredible actors – and I wish I’d appreciated more the lunchtimes laughing in the green room with my classmates. It is one of the best times of your life, before the reality of the industry (and “real life”) hits you.

10. What advice would you give to someone contemplating training as an actor?

You have to really want this career to make it work. When I started my actor training and joined the industry, like so many, I dreamed I would be the exception and just get the “lucky break” that would open all the doors. In reality, it has been hard graft. I have built my career with grit, persistence, and passion, making it work no matter what. I have found multiple avenues in this industry that allow me to tell stories and build worlds for a living – whether acting, stunt performing, directing or designing action. The skills learned at drama school have even bolstered my alternative head-hunting career (which requires me to speak to strangers and confidently pitch corporate work, daily) which pays the bills in slower months.

If you’re serious about training as an actor – go for it; you will learn so much about yourself and will build skills that are transferrable inside and out of the industry. Dream big, but take action step-by-step, and surround yourself with people who believe in you and your work. Finding the right drama school is the first step – and is priceless in developing your craft – but you must continue to find those people who vouch for you across your entire career. The people you surround yourself with – those you work with, your agent, your friends, your family – are the people who will pick you up when you hit the inevitable dip in the road. Scott Rogers said to me at the end of Batgirl – “just keep showing up, no matter what, and the next job will always come – you just have to wait long enough”. I’ve held true to this and (backed by many supporters and loved ones along the way!) I am so lucky to have reaped the rewards of the graft and persistence.