The Rising | Interview with Emily Taaffe (Maria Kelly)

What drew you into Maria as a character?

I was really interested in showing two things. She was a young mother to Neve, and I thought that often when you see young mothers portrayed onscreen that is the issue. They are often portrayed negatively. I liked the fact with Maria that that was never mentioned. She’s a good mother. She has worked really hard to create a good life for her daughter. So that was partly what attracted me to it. Also in terms of the playing her over the course of the series I was really interested in exploring grief and how that manifests itself. Often you don’t see the ugly side of grief. I liked the idea of exploring that with Maria. When people are grieving, they can be horrible and they can be flawed. It’s not just sitting in the corner quietly weeping. So that was interesting to me. And also the idea of going on a journey with a character who has to learn to let go of her child, which I think is basically parenting, right? But Maria has to learn it in a very extreme circumstance.

Were you able to draw from personal experience with the grief?

Yes, I lost my mother a couple of years ago so that’s there. As an actor you draw on all sorts of things. I am the mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old so being a mother has certainly removed a layer of thick skin. Once you have a part of your heart walking around in the world you become a little bit more attuned to the fragility of things. And it’s just sort of empathising and putting myself in those shoes really or trying to.

You’d worked with lead director Ed Lilly before on VS. What do you enjoy about your collaborations?

Obviously whenever you work with somebody again it’s more relaxed because you think, ‘Well, they mustn’t think I’m awful. They’ve re-employed me.’ Also you have a bit of a shorthand and there’s a trust there. Ed has that thing that I really like in a director, which is that they are confident enough in their vision and what they want to achieve to allow people to bring their own ideas, but he will tell you if he doesn’t think that’s the right choice. For me, that’s how I like to work. And he’s good fun.

Is it exciting when you are working with new young talent like Clara Rugaard?

Neve and Maria’s interactions in the series are limited, but Clara and I really bonded. I love her. She’s amazing. She just has such an incredible presence onscreen and in person. She’s so talented and yet incredibly down to earth. She’s 23 and she’s had these huge opportunities and it hasn’t turned her head. She’s a really lovely person. She led from the front in this. She was an absolute pleasure. If I had a real daughter that turned out as well as my fake daughter, I would be very happy.

Is it quite a strange thing to act in those scenes together where Maria can’t see Neve. You are acting but not interacting…

It’s very difficult. I found it quite hard because acting is all about connecting and reacting. Practically to not be looking at somebody is kind of weird. It was a strange experience. Certainly, that first scene (where Neve comes home) was difficult where Neve is pulling Maria’s arm and I’m not reacting to it.

What were the most emotionally draining scenes to do?

She doesn’t have a lot of laughs, Maria, in this series. The morgue scene was pretty difficult, identifying her daughter’s body and then there is a scene later on where she tries to talk to Neve about not knowing that it was the last time she would see her. Not knowing to savour those moments because they are just part of the every day. I had to go outside and have a few deep breaths after that one.

What preparations were you able to do with your screen family of Alex, Clara, Robyn and Cameron?

We had a little bit of rehearsal time in Manchester. The first time we all met we had a really awkward family photo shoot but actually that was quite good because we got to break the ice. I know Alex Lanipekun from before. We never worked together but we’ve done a lot of theatre at the same time, so we knew each other a bit. We already had a bit of a shorthand. Robyn and Cameron are again just lovely people – really fun, really easy to get on with. So, we all just had a laugh quite quickly. Hopefully that comes across that easy familiarity onscreen.

What do you think Maria’s artwork says about her?

She’s self-taught so hers is a lot more than just an expression. She’s quite a guarded character but I think it comes out in her artwork in abstract form. Maria doesn’t do portraiture whereas that’s more Neve’s thing. I think Neve is still finding her style. Maria works a lot with colour and finds things on a lot more of an instinctive level. There were inspirations from different artists. I think the production design is incredible. The art department did an amazing job. Talking with them adds another dimension to the character with what their understanding is. I think Sami Khan said something in the rehearsal period about Maria being very guarded and it all coming out through her work. I was like, ‘Yes, I’ll have that. Put that in my pocket.’

What did Daniel bring to Maria that was different to Tom? Had Maria outgrown Tom?

No, I think she still very much loves him and will always love him but his drinking and his behaviour as a result of that meant that she couldn’t live there with their daughter anymore. Daniel provides stability. It’s maybe a more mature relationship. Maria had Neve when she was 19. Her and Tom met when they were very young and it was a sort of tempestuous, passionate relationship. Whereas Daniel and Maria have a much steadier relationship, not the highs and the lows. It’s a more even thing.

How was wading out in the lake?

Cold. I didn’t have to do it too many times. Poor Solly and Clara and Oliver were out in it a lot more than I was. I can’t complain.

What do you think makes The Rising feel unique?

Having seen the first couple of episodes the look of it is unique. It feels really different and international. It’s also the story itself. One of the things that did attract me was we have a lot of ‘dead girl’ stories. It’s a tricky thing, right? What I think is really good about this story is that Neve is the subject. She is not the object of the story. She has ownership. And there is no gratuitous showing of violence against her. I think that’s really well dealt with in this story. Violence against women is a pandemic all of its own. It’s a huge problem so it is right that we tell these stories but how we tell these stories is important and I think The Rising deals with that in a way that gives ownership of the story back to Neve. That is something that we can be proud of.

Alastair James is the editor-in-chief of Memorable TV, leading the charge in covering today's must-see television. A lifelong television enthusiast, his passion began with a deep dive into the world of classic sci-fi, culminating in his role as editor of "Beyond the Static," a publication devoted to celebrating iconic sci-fi series. While his love for classic television remains, Alastair's focus at Memorable TV is firmly on the present, analyzing the latest trends in the television landscape, from gripping crime dramas to the ever-evolving strategies of Survivor. His insights have been featured in numerous publications. At Memorable TV, Alastair's goal is to provide readers with sharp commentary, engaging reviews, and in-depth analysis of the shows dominating the current conversation.