Production companies should hire working-class actors if they want to get an authentic portrayal of life in inner-city Dublin, according to one Dublin councillor.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning People Before Profit Councillor Hazel De Nortúin criticised the casting of Bono’s daughter Eve Hewson as an inner-city Dublin single mother.

Dublin-based actor Joe McGucken said the actress' portrayal as a working-class woman was "uncomfortable".

There's something very uncomfortable about watching Bono's daughter playing a working class, single mother, from the flats, in her new film Flora and Son.

I know its made to tailor to an American audience, but my god. It's a shocking, out-dated, out of touch performance! pic.twitter.com/8QzOnbMKUf

— Joe McGucken (@JosephMcgucken) October 3, 2023

Mr McGucken's post stirred debate and host Ciara Kelly defended Ms Hewson's acting.

Cllr De Nortúin, however, has only seen the trailer for the film – but doesn’t plan to watch the film due to her scepticism of Ms Hewson’s role.

“There just wasn’t something coming across on the screen that would’ve made me think it’s an authentic representation of a single mother and all the baggage that comes with it,” she said. 

“I would have loved to have seen more of the difficulties facing people like that.” 

The Drimnagh councillor said she doesn’t think Ms Hewson is a bad actress, but it’s difficult to “disassociate” her from her background. 

“People coming to me were saying, ‘You can’t just put your hair in a high ponytail, put an Adidas tracksuit on, say you’re from the inner city flats and say 'borth-day’ and expect to carry it off’,” she said. 

“There are so many people out there who could portray that role and carry it.”

Eve Hewson and Oren Kinlan in Flora and Son. Image: LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo

Cllr De Nortúin pointed out Senator Lynn Ruane specifically casted working-class actors for her upcoming film Ready or Not. 

“That’s where I think the missed opportunity was [in Flora and Son],” she said. 

“Wouldn’t it be great if you platformed up-and-coming actors who could carry that experience through?” 

'A missed opportunity'

She said she never claimed actors can’t portray characters with a different background from them. 

“I didn’t say nobody can do that, I said I didn’t think Eva had portrayed it,” she said. 

“It doesn’t have to be your background or where you're from... but it’s a missed opportunity to platform people from those areas when you have that budget. 

“If you're acting and you can't pull off the accent or the caricature of what you're playing and you’re overacting... it takes away from the storyline.” 

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