Actor plunders way to stardom

Fans of the hit television show Vikings will recognise a local face when the show continues its fourth season next month.

Hills actress Alison McGirr will feature in an upcoming episode of hit television show Vikings. Picture: Sally Flegg

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Fans of the hit television show Vikings will recognise a local face when the show continues its fourth season next month.

Hills actor Alison McGirr has a role as a townswoman in episode 16 of season 4 part two of the Canadian-Irish drama, which is expected to air on SBS in November.

The television series was inspired by the stories of the legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, who rose to fame following successful raids into England to eventually become a Scandinavian king.

Ms McGirr’s character, Gerd Sursson, seeks out one of Ragnar’s wives, the shieldmaiden Lagertha, to have her marriage dissolved.

The latest role follows a busy few years for the Irish-Australian actor, who has been splitting her time between Ireland, the United States and Australia.

Hills actress Alison McGirr. Picture: Sally Flegg

Ms McGirr attended St Bernadette’s Primary School in Castle Hill and Marian College in Kenthurst before graduating from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 2011.

A year later she landed the role of Molly Brenner in long-running soap Home and Away, which she worked on until 2013.

That same year Ms McGirr travelled to Ireland — where she holds dual-citizenship — on holiday.

While she was there, she met with an agent and the very next day received a call to audition for British-American horror drama television series Penny Dreadful.

She appeared in the first episode of the show opposite actor Josh Harnett.

“It was awesome and it opened up a lot more doors for me,” Ms McGirr said.

Roles in theatre productions and short films followed, including the female-led and directed short film A Single Woman’s Guide to Life, which Ms McGirr produced and starred in.

“It was a massive learning curve,” she said of the nine-month project.

The hard work paid off, with the film winning the people’s choice award at this year’s Chicago Irish Film Festival.

Ms McGirr has also been writing her own short film and will soon begin work on an Australian web series Thirty, in which she plays a successful lawyer.

Ms McGirr said it was “super exciting” to see an increase in roles for strong female characters.

“There’s so many things happening with strong women,” she said.

With so many projects on the go, it is clear Ms McGirr enjoys keeping busy.

“It is a small industry so you have to create your own work,” she said.

“Acting is like going to the gym — you have to keep working (on it).”

Ms McGirr also writes a blog called Breathe. Move. React on the Casting Networks International website about fitness and wellbeing for actors, with a readership of more than 42,000.

Ms McGirr will stay in the Hills for the next few months and plans to return to the United States early next year.