![]() The provocative he said/she said storyline and her own nuanced performance work as a deliberate obfuscation ploy.Īt the heart of the story is a loophole in British law – since closed – whereby, although it had been illegal for doctors or teachers to have a relationship with patients or students under the age of 18, this rule did not apply to sports coaches. Physically, she moves like an athlete both on and off the court. It definitely gave me greater purpose in telling this story.” Hyland serves up an outstanding performance. “The shocking thing was during my research finding out how many stories there are. She eventually rebuilds, taking a job as a physiotherapist at Longwood, the elite tennis academy where she once trained before making a serious allegation of abuse against her former coach. Together they almost reach the semi-final of the French Open, only for Justine to suffer a career-ending injury when her wrist is shattered. Her character Justine is an upcoming tennis star being coached by Glenn, played by a brooding Turner. The psychological angle was important, because Fifteen-Love is a darkly delicate exploration of abuse in elite sport, a topical subject that brings to mind convicted sexual abuser Larry Nassar who coached the US gymnastics team. As an actor, that’s just gold dust.”Įlla Lily Hyland in Fifteen-Love: ‘The tennis court is like a kind of stage. When you pick up a sport you get to understand it from a psychological perspective, because that is what they are trying to do as coaches, and also from a physical perspective. It’s just so beautiful, watching Serena there’s so much emotion.” She worked with coaches who had trained young professionals such as Emma Raducanu. The people who we love to watch have all that. ![]() ![]() It’s so passionate and full bodied and dramatic. The tennis court is like a kind of stage. “I did not know anything about that world before, but by osmosis you just start to understand the landscape. The two would train and then spend hours talking about Cavaday’s experiences in the tennis world. Shortly afterwards she moved to London to prepare properly for the role, spending a lot of time with former professional player Naomi Cavaday. I was really embarrassed considering I’d trained for this.” Although I rented tennis rackets recently from a shop around the corner and went to a tennis court and I was like: ‘Oh my god, I’ve really lost it’. “I wanted to play loads and I don’t think I’d want to play if I was, like, absolutely shocking. Did she actually become good at tennis? “I wasn’t terrible,” she says. But I just really wanted to do it.” After winning the role, a cousin gave her tennis lessons, and she began weight and conditioning training while workshopping in Dublin last year with Louise Lowe and the theatre collective Anu. She started the physical preparation during the audition process last year, “which was dangerous because I might not have got the part. Once I’m thinking too much about anything, I freeze.” Anything physical that gets you out of your brain, anything that feels more instinctive as an actor, is my favourite place to be. ![]() “That’s why I loved filming Fifteen-Love. “I was trained by my dad and my uncle in pole vaulting and long jump up until the age of around 16,” she says. Last month her younger cousin Jamie Hyland won gold in the All-Ireland schools championships. Her grandfather Dinny Hyland was a record-breaking Irish pole vaulting champion. A sporty family background helped – she comes from a long line of Irish pole vaulters. It took months of physical training to prepare for her role in the drama as young tennis prodigy Justine. She’s a fair-haired, charismatic young woman with striking blue eyes and a thoughtful gaze. On a Zoom call from her home in Crystal Palace, London, Hyland speaks with a soft, distinct Carlow burr. The Prime Video series was made by the producers of hit shows such as Line of Duty and also stars fellow Irish actor Aidan Turner or, as many of us will forever know the dark-haired Dubliner: Poldark. ![]() Fifteen-Love is a breakout moment for Hyland. The star of the show is 24-year-old Carlow woman Ella Lily Hyland, yet another talented graduate of the Lir Academy in Dublin. With the sublime grass court spectacle that is Wimbledon about to come to a conclusion, the timing couldn’t be better for new series Fifteen-Love, a six-parter set in the high-drama world of elite tennis. ![]()
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