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Irish Examiner

'Getting set on fire at work is pretty cool': Meet Ireland's female stunt performers

Niamh Hogan would rather set herself on fire than work a 'nine to five' and has done so, quite literally, on many an occasion. The 38-year-old Dublin woman is known to go up in flames for her art. She is part of an elite group of female stunt performers making a living from her passion in Ireland. Her work includes doubling up for Hollywood stars like Florence Pugh, who she performed alongside in the 2022 film The Wonder. The movie, adapted for the screen from a novel of the same name by Irish author Emma Donoghue, follows the story of a nurse who is tasked with observing a young "fasting" girl who seems to able to survive without eating. 'Florence Pugh is an absolutely beautiful human being,' she tells the Irish Examiner. 'For that film, my arm was on fire along with the side of the character's dress, which was very cool. Unfortunately, what happened with the final take was not as impressive. The footage where the flames were nice and high weren't used. Stunt performer Niamh Hogan with movie star Florence Pugh during filming for the 2022 film 'The Wonder' "The most impressive stunts don't necessarily lend themselves best to the story. It's just the way it goes but I was delighted to have the opportunity.' One of Niamh's most daring stunts featured in season two of Vikings: Valhalla. 'I was one of the people who was on fire in the boats at the end of the season. Being set on fire for camera is always very cool. There are many safeguards and systems in place. We were wearing Nomex, which is like an under layer of clothing similar to what racing drivers wear. This is usually coated in a freezing cold flame proof gel. "It's also put all over any bare skin that's exposed, so basically your hands face and neck. They put accelerant on your hands, neck and face and in your hair as well. On top of all that, we had someone on hand to make sure we didn't drown after jumping into the water. 'I have two older brothers who think what I do is really cool,' she said. 'I can tell my dad about what stunts I have coming up but I can't tell my mum because she worries too much. If I'm being set on fire I'll usually wait until after the job is done to tell her. "Mums will worry about their children for as long as they can so telling her I have put myself in any form of danger until after the event is the best way forward for everyone involved.' Niamh, who earned her black belt in karate at the age of 13, has been working in the industry for almost a decade. 'I discovered stunt work while doing a stage combat course. The instructor asked me if I would be interested in pursuing it. It was like a lightbulb moment.' Clare native Charlotte Carway has become a fixture on the circuit since exploding — quite literally — onto our screens six years ago. 'I finished school during the pandemic, which scuppered all my ideas with regard to what I wanted to do,' the 24-year-old says. 'I went for a media studies degree. However, I came out of it as it really wasn't for me. I ended up at an open casting and landed a really small role on the film The Last Duel as a maid with Matt Damon and Jodie Comer.' Stunt performer Charlotte Carway getting rigged up in preparation for filming. The Clare native is one of a handful of female stunt performers in Ireland. She recalled her exchanges with movie star Matt Damon at the time and said: 'We had to do covid tests on set, which always left me with nose bleeds. He was always very kind to me, often asking if he could get me a 'Kleenex'. I was 18 at the time. I've always looked younger than my years so people always feel this need to look after me on set.' It was this this baby face coupled with her 5ft 4in stature that resulted in Charlotte's calling. 'I was working as an extra on season one of Vikings-Valhalla when the director needed a child to run through a battle scene. The idea of having the kid was to accentuate the danger. Because kids have shorter hours on set, there was nobody left to do the scene. "Someone pointed at me and said 'that's a child'. One of the stunt guys walked me through and was saying things like 'this is the sword, don't get hit in the face by it' and 'this guy's going to die so you have to jump over him'. All of a sudden, I was in the midst of the battle. Even when I was small, I was more Indiana Jones than Disney princess so it was the perfect place for me to be. "The stunt performers all thought I was much younger than I was and were saying things like 'don't worry sweetheart'. Soon as we were finished, I was asking how they did the stunts. I started to train and it all snowballed from there.' From left, stunt performers Becky Griffin, Niamh Hogan and Charlotte Carway take a break from filming. The trio are among the most sought after stunt performers in Ireland and have worked with Hollywood stars from Hugh Jackman to Florence Pugh. One of Charlottes favourite 'party tricks' involves being hit by a car. 'You learn a lot through your training. It's not like you go straight from the page to you standing there, getting hit by a car. There are a lot of rehearsals. It's all done around timing and making it look like the car is hitting you when it's actually you getting on to the car and rolling off. Of course, you are wearing stunt pads to protect you, which are usually gymnastics pads, baseball pads or motorbike pads. If you're not a little bit nervous then there's something wrong. It's that fear that keeps you alive. It's funny because you have to fight your brain on the logic of it' Charlotte also worked on the new series of Wednesday, which is set to air on Netflix soon. 'The highlight for me was working with the renowned stuntman Vic Armstrong. He is one of the most wonderful people I've ever worked with.' Every day on set is an adventure for Charlotte. 'Recently, for a short film, I got to be a mother of the bride going through a wedding cake. That was fun. I never know what I'm going to be doing next.' Meanwhile, Becky Griffin from Dublin, is also making waves in the industry. It was her skills as a gymnast that set down a solid foundation for a career in stunts. Most recently she worked on set for the film The Death of Robin Hood with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer. 'When I was a child I used to watch James Bond. I wanted to be doing what he was doing but I felt too shy to ever consider acting. It was only when I got older that I realised it wasn't the actor doing the stunts and this was a whole career in itself. "It was amazing to think that I could shine in stunts. I had friends in the industry who told me about the steps to go through to make it happen. It has been a great experience and I've met some really lovely people on set. Hugh Jackman was such a gentleman. He was really interested in what I do. He's the kind of person who will genuinely ask how you are. He could see how passionate I am about what I do and wished me well.' She stressed the job is not always as glamourous as it might seem. 'The aim of the day is to have everybody leave as they arrive. Despite everything a person involved in stunts go through, we will usually go home without a scratch.' Read More Terry Prone: Perils of the potential misuse of the media take centre stage on Broadway