Ceara Coveney on Embracing the Spotlight, On and Off Screen
WRITER: Patrick Grady
The highest of fantasies and one of its leading women: Ceara Coveney, a true force to be reckoned with. As she returns to her royal roots for The Wheel of Time season three, the actor sat down with co-star Ayoola Smart for a candid chat about what’s in store for the next installment. And if their conversation is anything to go by, we’re in for one hell of a ride.
The Swindon born and raised actor first graced our screens as Elayne Trakand in season two as the unyielding queen-in-training and immediately exuded a certain assurance. But, when you’re taking on a role with such an established legacy – thanks to the best-selling books by Robert Jordan and combine that with the fact it was her first big gig – there’s little room for learning on the job. Still, the actor has continuously found her character’s willpower and self-confidence rubbing off on her personal life, a welcome bonus! Her honesty speaks volumes of the passion she has for this particular project. As her role develops in season three, so too does her willingness to dig deeper into Elayne’s constantly evolving state of mind.
Coveney has been steadily honing her craft over the past few years, gradually building a name for herself with roles in Young Wallander and The Amazing World of Emma. Now, having earned her place at the high table, she’s acting alongside the likes of Rosamund Pike. In her refreshingly sincere conversation with Smart, the mutual respect between the two go-getters is palpable and we finally get an insight into what challenges are in store for the enchanting role that’s defined Ceara’s career thus far. If one thing is clear: she’s more connected to her character than ever before.
Season three promises new horizons and growth for Elayne, and Coveney is here for all of it. As she looks back at how far both she and her character have come, there’s an undeniable excitement about what’s next, not just for the role, but for her own journey as an actor. Trust us, she’s one to watch.
Ayoola Smart: Hi, how are you? How are you feeling about the show coming out so soon?
Ceara Coveney: I’m good thank you! I’m really excited, genuinely. I think we all feel as though the show has taken another huge step forward, like each season seems to be getting better and better. It’s so exciting to be able to celebrate everyone’s work this season and be able to really talk about it. Ultimately, it really feels like a celebration. Especially because we worked on it so long ago, and now the time has come for everyone to see what we’ve been up to.
AS: Yeah, definitely. As you said, we filmed so long ago, so it’s nice we get the chance to finally talk about it. It feels incredibly joyful to see season three coming out and be able to shout it from the rooftops. How have you found the shift, both in terms of Elayne but also as an actor, having been introduced last season and now we’re familiar with her – how has that been for you?
CC: I think that’s really interesting because there’s been a real mirroring between Elayne and myself. The scenario in which she was introduced in season two was very much out of her comfort zone, and I feel like that’s how I felt arriving on set. Meeting all of these fantastic people and exploring this whole new environment because it was my first major job! Returning this season, I found a whole new confidence. There’s less navigating of new things and I think that’s exactly where Elayne is at as well. She’s really come into her own. Having survived what she felt was unsurvivable. It was exciting to be able to get into her more this season and explore what makes her tick.
AS: Definitely, you can really see that in this season. I think as an actor, sometimes we get to play these characters that feel very close to us or feel like a huge departure from us but when you’re both going through transitional phases, you get to kind of influence each other a little bit, which is so lovely. Have you ever played a character where you’ve felt a kinship, like, with Elaine or does this feel like a first?
CC: I think Elayne is probably the strongest kinship that I’ve felt to a character. But every character that I’ve played has allowed me to explore a certain part of myself, I maybe wouldn’t have without them. There hasn’t been a part that’s felt vastly different from who I am behind the camera and it almost feels like there is an element of therapy within playing these characters. Elayne is so confident and holds so much strength and I feel like she continually pushes me to find my own. This season was really a continuation of that growth.
AS: Absolutely, we have to really step into the part for it to feel truthful which can force you to confront some things inside of you. We get to see more of an insight into Elayne’s background through her family this season – how did you find that?
CC: It was great to see her family being introduced. I feel like it allows the viewers to see so much more about her and what’s truly going on in her world. The family scenes are so great – they feel so rooted and I feel like you really come to understand how special Elayne is against the backdrop of all of these incredible characters. Especially in terms of the visuals as well. To see all of these gorgeous red hues and the amazing work from the costume, hair and make-up departments expands the idea people might have of Elayne. We’ve only ever really seen her in her novice whites and to suddenly see these elaborate, opulent costumes. It really is a feast for the eyes.
AS: Is there anything from season three that resonated with you from the books, a helpful phrase, or something that stood out to you in a significant way when preparing for this season?
CC: One phrase that really stood out to me, especially for the earlier episodes was her being described as a ‘tower between two dogs’. Between the White Tower and Siuan and her mother. It’s such evocative imagery – I really drew on that. Another passage that jumped out to me was a scene where the bravery of the women around her is revealed and we see Elayne doubt herself not only as a woman, but as the heir to the throne. Her vulnerability really resonated with me. Her figuring out whether she’s ready to ascend the throne and fulfill her role as future queen or whether the path she’s been following, or the one set out for her might not be sufficient. I would say those were my main driving forces for this season.
AS: For sure, there are so many strong female identifying characters who hold such powerful individual journeys and complexities in this show. If you had to be one of the quote-unquote villains, who would you be in season three?
CC: I would love to be Moghedien. Laia Costa, who plays her, is just absolutely incredible and not only that – she just seems to have so much fun with it. Every time she’s on set, she’s really playing around with what she does because that is Magedian, you know, she’s like, this child-like creature. I think that would be so fun to play and really exciting to explore that type of character because obviously I don’t know if they believe that they are bad people. So, I think it would be such interesting psychology.
AS: Was there a particular part of this season that you enjoyed filming the most?
CC: I really enjoyed filming episode six because the characters go to Tanchico, which is just so vastly different to anywhere we’ve seen on the show. It’s really dangerous and dirty, and has this vibe that is just really fun to explore and be immersed in. We see all these new colours in a really dark and twisted energy. She also gets up to some mischief in Tanchico. She really lets her hair down and that was just so much fun to film.
AS: We had a fan screening recently. How did you feel about going into that scenario knowing that all of these fans, both from watching the show and reading the books would be there. And how have you found that experience of interacting with our fans in general, does it make you cautious at all?
CC: I actually really enjoy it. I think it’s really lovely to put faces to the people watching the show and it really helps because we’re so disconnected when we’re filming. We’re away in this bubble and we’re working so hard and doing these really long hours and everyone really wants to do their best and do justice to these characters. So to get to actually meet the people that watch and appreciate the work that we do is just really special. It really reminds you like, ah, this is what all of that hard work was for, because these are the people that are going to appreciate it the most. I think they’re the kindest audience but also the toughest audience as well. Naturally, there’s always a little bit of apprehension or uncertainty but, overall, I think those are the experiences I love the most about doing the show.
AS: It’s such a special thing to get that live feedback from them – to be able to sit with them and watch it was really beautiful. I’m so glad we were able to do that! Do you have any particular unexpected or funny moments from when you were filming this season that you think back and giggle?
CC: Wait, I just remembered something the other day that was actually hilarious. So, obviously my mother in the show is called Queen Morgase and I remember there was a day on set when over the radios, someone said, ‘no Morgase on set’, and everyone got really offended because they thought they were saying ‘no more gays on set’. Just the thought of someone on the radio being like, no more gays allowed on set is just so outrageous. And someone had to go around and explain that, the character’s literally called Queen Morgase. It was just the funniest thing. Sometimes I just remember that and I’m like, oh my god.
AS: On days when you aren’t feeling the most confident, or when you feel like a scene may be getting away from you, is there anything that you do or any kind of wisdom that has been given to you over the years that helps you through those moments?
CC: I think I’m not amazing at pulling myself back. I have to say, it’s definitely something I’m working on, for sure. I think in those moments, I kind of just remind myself that I’m capable and I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t the right person for this and it’s within my capability. And honestly maybe a bit of tough love. I kind of tell myself, the only person who can do this is me and I have to do it or I don’t do it so I need to kind of pull it out the bag from somewhere. The idea of being like, how sad would it be if the reason this didn’t work was just because I wasn’t willing to try, I wasn’t willing to throw myself in and see what happens. And I think that’s a good way to approach life in all aspects. Definitely, definitely on set.
PHOTOGRAPHER Conor Clarke
VIDEOGRAPHER Bella Kemp
EDITOR Archie Dalziel
CAMERA ASSISTANT Billy Carr
MAKE-UP AND SKIN Victoria Bond
HAIR STYLIST Sophie Sugarman
STYLIST Justin Hamilton
STYLING ASSISTANT Lorna Lane
STYLING ASSISTANT Katie Somavia