61Jane Hardy
is a feature writer who has interviewed a few of
J the big names from Arlene Foster to Mrs Thatcher.ust before talking to Belfast-born actor
Geraldine Hughes down the line from
America’s East Coast, Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody
in Blue’ jitterbugs on the radio. It turns
out Ms Hughes’ favourite work by the jazz
age composer is ‘Summertime’. “Gershwin’s
brilliant. I know somebody who plays him so
well, and I love it when he does ‘Summertime’.”
It’s appropriate as the performer, now 48 and
a US citizen, is currently walking on sunshine.
She says, with the slightest of New York twangs:
“I’ve never been happier. I was married (to actor
Ian Harrington) for ten years, then got divorced.
I’ve been with the love of my life, Conor from
Galway, ever since. We met here in New York 10
years ago at a party at the British Consulate.”
Their life in a house in the plush
Connecticut countryside sounds pretty idyllic.
Geraldine reveals that on the Fourth of July,
she and Mr Allen, during the week head of
technology at a bank, chilled. “We had plans
for a barbecue but they fell through so we
went hiking in the country with Abe. I live
upstate in the country and it’s so beautiful.”
Abe, named after President Lincoln as
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movie about the 16th US president before
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chocolate Labrador. “We don’t have children
or didn’t until we got our rescue Labrador,
Abe.” She captions the picture of this
attractive hound ‘Abelicious!’, and he is.
Yet the autobiographical show that
Geraldine Hughes is bringing on its swansong
outing to the Lyric Theatre this month isn’t
laugh a minute. It deals with Geraldine’s
upbringing in the Divis Flats at the height of
the Troubles. “Our concern every day was
would we survive, would we come back in the
evening.” She saw things and experienced
things that don’t belong in childhood. “Like
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from post-traumatic stress and see a therapist
to this day. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I
am bringing it to Belfast. The show, in which
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quite a bit of bleak humour.” The play has
been presented in New York and London to
great acclaim, described as “a delight” by one
reviewer, with Geraldine dubbed a character
actress in a million. Watch out for Eddie and
Margaret, the neighbours from hell, and take
some Kleenex for the scene where the teenager
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2003 work based on an autobiographical
short story - “it’s my story, not theirs” - but
she will have family support when treading
the boards in Belfast. “Yes, my mother Sheila,
who’s 80 and is incredible, will be at the Lyric
every night with her hair dyed and nails done!”
The story of Hughes’ success goes back
to the sixties. As a child, Geraldine was
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She attended St Louise’s College in west
Belfast and one of the teachers, Fidelma
Hawkins, fostered her evident talent. Funnily
enough, although petite and uber-feminine,
Geraldine’s ability to take on character meant
she always played the men. “I got all the male
roles from the Artful Dodger to Mr Higgins in
My Fair Lady.”
Geraldine hiking with
her beloved dog Abe.Geraldine and her
partner Conor Allen.She went to America at the age of 18 to seek
her fame and fortune and never used the return
ticket. One early role she had upon arriving
in Hollywood was as nanny for the family of
Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. She said: “As
you would imagine, they were fabulous to work
for. We are still good friends.”
However the silver screen beckoned and
Geraldine’s career spans some big movies
opposite big actors. She acted in Gran Torino
with Clint Eastwood and has said, “He gave
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has never happened to me before. He’s an
amazing person and sits at lunch with people
he doesn’t know if there’s a seat. You don’t
audition for Clint Eastwood and I was in the
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working with him is like ballet, with everything
choreographed and calm.” She also appeared
alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa,
playing Marie. She got the role after Stallone’s
casting director saw her in Belfast Blues and
Geraldine has said: “They asked me to meet
him and I went and it was incredible - he was
delicious and easy. It was a big deal. Growing
up in ‘70s Belfast, boxing was huge and
everyone had the poster on their walls. He was,
though, lovely and easy.” The result was an
acclaimed performance.
Yet when you ask whether she recognises
herself in the interviews which often refer
to her Hollywood status, Geraldine says not
entirely. “You know, whenever I see that
headline ‘Hollywood star returns home’, I
think ‘Oh my God’. A friend said to me when I
told her: ‘But in our eyes, you are.’”
As an American citizen, Geraldine Hughes
takes her responsibilities seriously. “I wouldn’t
say I am a political animal. I am conscientious,
but I was there at the local polls for the Senate
elections recently as I think we need to get the
right (Democratic) Senators in and take back
control.” Asked her views on the President,
who would probably make a good dramatic
character in the play some Hollywood director
is no doubt planning right now, Geraldine
spits. “Trump is a disgusting man and you
can print that. We have been distracted by
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children being imprisoned, not about him.”
Hughes says that she is pleased her home
town has undergone a transformation since
she was a permanent resident. “I like the factyou can get a great meal at OX or Muddler’s
Club. It’s great.” She returns regularly to visit
family, including her siblings and a growing
tribe of nieces and nephews.
But her life, emotional and professional, is
in New York State. Professionally, Ms Hughes
has ambitions to transfer to the director’s
chair. “I directed Jonah and Otto by Robert
Holman two Januarys ago. I dreaded it but the
play is wonderful, about two people who met
a young man on Beachy Head, then have a
conversation about hope and life and death
and everything. I loved it.” When relaxing, Ms
Hughes watches the same programmes as the
rest of us, including Big Little Lies, but adds
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“I don’t actually watch that much television,
although it is having a moment as a genre. I’m
a purist, I ache for simple, beautiful stories.”
We debate the thorny issue of the MeToo
campaign which has highlighted the sexual
exploitation in Hollywood and elsewhere that
has blighted the acting profession. Geraldine
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Weinstein have. But there was a moment in a
play some years ago when I had an inappropriate
approach from an actor. I told the director who
spoke to him but I think these things should be
dealt with in public and immediately. It was awful
because at one point I felt I was the problem.”
On a lighter note, Ms Hughes reveals that
there are certain food items friends and family
bring over to remind her of home. But not
soda farls. “No, I’m gluten intolerant and have
ended up in the emergency room seriously ill
a couple of times before they worked out what
was wrong. It’s Barry’s tea bags and Cadbury’s
chocolate, those big £1 bars. In fact, they bring
so many I’ve had to ask them to stop.”
Later, Geraldine divulges that she will be
cooking Conor a frittata that evening, then
getting to work on Belfast Blues. She asks me
to bring to the theatre an example of the new
dark creamy chocolate bar by her favourite
chocolate makers.
Finally, I ask her when she knew she was
going to make it, when she sensed she might
win in the precarious acting profession.
Geraldine laughs, “I forget how old I am, I’m
still waiting for that moment.”
Belfast Blues runs at the Lyric Theatre
from 6-11 August 2019.