Nicky Whelan – Last Night in Rozzie

By starrymag | November 3, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for Last Night in Rozzie.

 

A) Three childhood friends are forced to face their childhood trauma. They are brought back together because one of them has fallen ill and hasn’t got long to live.

 

Q) How was your role of Pattie Barry originally described to you?

 

A) She was a woman who had gone through a painful breakup with her husband and because of his actions chose to keep her son away from him. She has lived a tough life as a single mother and has a lot of pain around her past.

 

Q) In what ways did you connect with this character?

 

A) She’s a very real woman living how a lot of women live these days. I don’t have any children of my own, but a lot of my girlfriends do, and they struggle deeply being single mums. I do understand past pain can make you create very strong walls around your life and heart. It takes someone very special to help you open your heart again and face things! I also like that Pattie sticks to a lot of her decisions and is really strong – I relate to this personality type also.

 

Q) Was there anything you added to Pattie based on your view of her?

 

A) I just try to keep her as real as possible in the circumstances she was given.

 

Q) Pattie has completely shut Joey off from his son. Is this to protect her child from the past or protect the past from catching up with her?

 

A) I believe both. I believe she really lost her trust with Joey (Jeremy Sisto) and what he did to an extent is unforgivable. Broken trust can create trauma for life.

 

Q) Does Ronnie’s return spark old feelings for Pattie or is she looking at him based on the man he is in the present?

 

A) I think she is more suspect as to why he’s back. Again, Pattie has trust issues and rightfully so. I think she has a soft spot for Ronnie (Neil Brown Jr.) and is a little surprised at the man he has become. You never know what could have turned out if he had been more confident with her at school!

 

Q) What insight did director Sean Gannet offer while shooting that you took to heart?

A) Sean gave us great space but also guided us beautifully through this movie. We had little time to shoot some scenes and kept the environment so calm and chill.

 

Q) What were some of your most challenging or most memorable scenes to film?

 

A) The most important scene for me was the one where Ronnie and I go at each other and really say what we are thinking. It’s shot on the stairs of Pattie’s home. This was one of the times we had little time to shoot. I really wanted to make sure that read well.

 

Q) This film is pretty intense! How did you shake off a long day of filming?

 

A) I eat a big meal and snap out of it. I call friends and family and watch a movie.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of feedback have you been receiving from the movie?

 

A) It is a character I don’t usually play, and the feedback has really been lovely and supportive.

 

Q) What do you think it is about Last Night in Rozzie that will make it such a standout film?

 

A) Both Neil and Jeremy’s performances. The love the film holds for Boston. It was a very good group of people all so passionate and I think that shines through!