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IRA were some of the nicest people that I ever met, says actor
Friday, 27 February 2009
enlargeUp and coming young actor Jim Sturgess — who stars in the new informer movie 50 Dead Men Walking — has spoken about the “human side” of the IRA and how some of its members were “the nicest people” he’d ever met.
The Surrey-born actor, who plays double agent Martin McGartland in the movie, told how he was introduced to former members of the IRA, who acted as “chaperones” while filming took place in Belfast.
And he claimed they were “passionate people”, who weren’t just caught up in the IRA “for violence’s sake”.
Sturgess was speaking to Empire movie magazine ahead of the general release of 50 Dead Men Walking in April. The movie will also close the ninth Jameson Belfast Film Festival.
His comments about the movie are likely to cause controversy. Hollywood actress Rose McGowan, who stars alongside Sturgess, came under fire last year when she said she would have joined the IRA, had she grown up in Belfast.
Sturgess said he didn’t know what to expect when he first came to Belfast to shoot 50 Dead men Walking.
“It was confusing for me, because I met what I believed were these thuggish terrorists from Belfast that blew places up in England — the IRA was presented to me like that — so when I met these people, and saw the human side, they were some of the nicest people I’d ever met.
“So instantly you start trying to understand what it all meant for them, that they weren’t just doing it for violence’s sake. Some of them were genuinely nice, passionate people.
“And it was a thrilling undercover ride, really. We would go into these pubs that we would never normally be allowed to hang out in, but because of who we were with we were vouched for. I would definitely not do that as an average citizen visiting Belfast. So it was exciting, becoming part of the city — or at least pretending to. Soaking it all in.”
Sturgess, who also stars in Heartless, 21 and The Other Boleyn Girl and has been hailed as “the new James McAvoy” said he wasn’t aware of the dangers facing him until filming had ended.
“We were given kind of chaperones, these people who looked after us, who were ex-members of the IRA and we basically stayed with them for two weeks before we started,” he said.
“It was kept under wraps because, in the areas we were in, he (Martin McGartland) is not a popular man. But even so, afterwards I learned there were times when I was probably in more danger than I realised. I was blissfully unaware, but I think the producers were having mini heart attacks.”
50 Dead Men Walking is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Martin McGartland, who was recruited by the British police to infiltrate the IRA.
He was unmasked by the IRA in 1991 and narrowly escaped death when he leapt from a third floor window in a block of flats.
In 1999 the IRA tracked him down to a town in Whitley Bay and shot him six times, but failed to kill him. McGartland remains in hiding.
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Comments
87 Comments
It seems like the word "terrorist" has become propaganda used by oppressive forces to undermine rebel war efforts. I understand the definition of the word itself, and the general tactical differences between conventional, & guerilla warfare, but if the Irish were to take the British on head to head, they would have been completely annihilated. Labeling the IRA as "terrorists" was just a way for the British to be perceived as heros, and not slimy imperialists. There were atrocites on both sides!
Posted by Patrick | 09.06.09, 20:15 GMT
gosh!your so cute jim
Posted by nikki | 29.04.09, 07:32 GMT
He has not met many people. I feel sorry for him living in seclusion.
Posted by John | 16.04.09, 17:17 GMT
'get your facts rite befor you start mouthing about pain inflicted on people we took it for 800 years i think giving it back for 40 is only fair '
What a compelling arguement you have there Peter...........
Posted by k | 16.03.09, 19:41 GMT
Jim sturgess needs to get his head checked. The I.R.A. are some of the nicest people I have ever met! He is not smart enough to realise the normal con job of I.R.A. propaganda and he fell for it.
Of course if we just ignore that they blew people to bits with car bombs. murdered catholics and protestants in horrific ways. Left families destroyed, murdered policemen, eliminated jobs for the people of Northern Ireland and drove a wedge between the protestant and catholic communities. I suppose Jim would have thought Hitler and Stalin were really nice people too. After all they were so articulate.
Posted by James Martin | 04.03.09, 15:21 GMT
"National Independence, under rule of law, is a vital condition for peace and happiness."
Duke of Edinburgh
Posted by Ard Ri | 03.03.09, 17:24 GMT
Jen
you clearly dont have a clue what you are even talking about
"If the IRA are so fervor about being Irish they should move the 80 miles or so and reside in Ireland proper instead of inflicting pain and suffering onto the good people of NI"
what you think the ira was fighting for in the first place the fact that british forces came over and invaded irealand, ireland is a country whole to the irish people not south irish north british.
get your facts rite befor you start mouthing about pain inflicted on people we took it for 800 years i think giving it back for 40 is only fair
Posted by peter | 02.03.09, 19:50 GMT
I would like to know Mr Sturgess opinion of the bombings which took place in Belfast, attributed to the I.R.A. ,in the early 70s were innocent children were blown up along with their mothers in Belfast Cafe's. Futhermore his opionion on the death of a catholic woman in the Davis flat area of Belfast, whose only crime was to give comfort to a dying soldier. Her remains were never discovered, giving no closure to the young family, until the brave I.R.A. gave up her place of burial decades later. Yes, both sides of the coin were bad, the Loyalists did their share of intimidation and murder, in the name of the people they supposedly represented. These murders of ordinary citizens of Northern Ireland continued for thirty years culminating in the bombing in Omagh, where a massive loss of innocent live occured.These occurances were not of a military type Mr Sturgess, rather that of terrorist organizations. Nice people indeed!
Posted by David | 01.03.09, 03:16 GMT
Kevie below is exactly 100% right. It is a publicity stunt to attract attention to a new movie. Is Jim Sturgess old enough to know about the troubles? he looks as if he is just out of University? Tell him to study the 70's, and 80's of N.Ireland life properly on both sides.
Posted by canuck | 28.02.09, 18:26 GMT
whoa whoa whoa! I thought Ireland was past all that. I thought Belfast was a safe place to visit. Rethinking travel plans now
Posted by brenda | 28.02.09, 13:24 GMT
The reaction to the comments made by Jim Sturgess is the usual 'IRA bad' if it wasn't for them the NI state would be a lovely wee place kind of nonsense. There are two sides of the coin with regards to violence. Loyalists, the collusion with British security forces and the repressive Stormont regime. This is the other side. Holding the moral high ground over the use of violence only perpetuates the myth that your violence was ok and the others monsterous.
Posted by jonno | 28.02.09, 09:00 GMT
Publicity or not, the comment is despicable. The IRA are terrorists, period. The people of Northern Ireland are peaceful, it's just the few that have disrupted life for the last 40 years. If the IRA are so fervor about being Irish they should move the 80 miles or so and reside in Ireland proper instead of inflicting pain and suffering onto the good people of NI. If not, enjoy the lifestyle that the British economy has afforded them (yes, I know nowadays are harder but no excuse, look at other Countries going through the same thing and don't have terrorism) - try to get a job, work hard and reap the benefits. If your child was born today and knew nothing of the past, I am sure they would (as most are in NI) be a productive member of society and not a criminal. This actor is so naive! Just my take - be peaceful to all!
Posted by Jen | 28.02.09, 04:09 GMT
I am dumbfounded by most of the comments here, would yous all for ever give over.....
he is voicing his opinion!!!!!!
has any one ever voiced an opinion everyone liked, no
is he saying all the ira were nice people, no
is he condoning all the actions the ira took, no
is he a prat, probably.
for gods, ulsters, norn iron, north of ireland, ni, hell, whatever you want to call it, show a bit of tolerance, respect, and forgiveness.
btw, i thank the tilly for the spell checker but not the political stiring of the pot.
Posted by kevin | 28.02.09, 01:26 GMT
Jim Sturgess didn't live through the 30+ years of the ira's murderous campaign so he CANNOT tell us how 'nice' these scumbags were. After all look what they tried to do to the character he was portraying in this film.
Posted by Stuart | 28.02.09, 00:51 GMT
Ni is still a bubbling cauldron of anger bitterness and resentment... isn't it time to let go and move on ?
Posted by david | 27.02.09, 21:45 GMT
All u people venting for either side, need to get over it. War is war and none of it pretty. What Jim Sturgess experienced was what he experienced and reading up on all that happened or visting gravesights doesn't change his own personal experience. That's like hating every German because of the holacost or every Japanese for pearl harbor. Do u all know how we treat prisoners!! Get a grip on reality folks.
Posted by Karen | 27.02.09, 21:17 GMT
This is my man. I will watch any movie Jim does because, regardless of the role, he gives it his all. As a person he has integrity, passion and a purity of spirit that is rare. Thanks for the article.
Posted by Karen | 27.02.09, 21:07 GMT
Jim Sturgess have you any plans for the future to make a film about the shankill road butchers mmm i wonder.
Posted by john | 27.02.09, 20:42 GMT
Whilst accepting that we can all be nice and exude warmth and sentiment for our cause, the paramilitary scum who murdered a completely innocent relative of mine showed no mercy when shooting him 3 times in the head at point-blank range. I'm sure their wives/girlfriends thought they were lovely people.
Interestingly those advocating that we move on in these posts seem to very forgiving of the terrorists. Would they feel the same if the actor had said, 'sure, those UVF boys were some of the nicest people I ever met' or 'that Para on bloody Sunday, only doing his job, nicest guy I ever met' - I doubt it very much. I agree its time to move on, but the rank stupidity/insensitivity of some of these actors comments defies belief
Posted by Innocent guy he never met | 27.02.09, 20:17 GMT
baryy
"hundreds of years of british occupation did not create the IRA"
are you having a laugh im sure hundreds of years of occupation in scotland didnt create william wallace either.
Posted by peter | 27.02.09, 17:43 GMT
87 Comments