‘Derry Girls’ Actress Reflects on Playing a Teenager

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, chances are that you've caught the Derry Girls bug. The Irish teen comedy took Netflix by storm back when it joined the streaming service in 2019 and has been making us laugh ever since. And while sitting on the couch and binging the multi-season series may be a breeze, according to one of the show's stars, filming the show is a whole different story.

Jamie Lee O'Donnell plays the popular series favorite, Michelle. Born in Derry herself, she absolutely tapped into the energetic and chaotic teen spirit of her curse-loving character - and certainly carved a spot for herself in fans' hearts around the world. From relentlessly teasing her British cousin to getting her pals into trouble, Michelle's energy is always off the charts in each episode. And as a 30-year-old actress, Jamie says that bringing that spunk to the set each day can get a little taxing. "It can be slightly hard to switch it off and shake it off," O'Donnell explained during a recent interview with the Irish Independent.

"Playing Michelle can be a bit exhausting because it's intense teenage hyperness that you're bouncing about all day," the actress continued to explain. And, apparently, the energy remained at a 100 even when the camera wasn't rolling! "Because it's a comedy and it's so hyper, between scenes I try and keep myself at a 10," she shared. "At the end of the day, you're still buzzing but you're physically tired." So, how exactly does the millennial actress cool down at the end of the day? A healthy dose of meditation and gym time gets the job done, according to Jamie. And while we couldn't imagine Michelle ever meditating, that's just a testament to O'Donnell's incredible acting capabilities.

If you're like us and waiting (im)patiently for more Derry Girls episodes, stay tuned as season three is set to come to Netflix in the coming months. Until then, stay tuned for more entertainment news - and of course, another binge of the first two seasons is always on the table!