Limp is a chilling, abstract Irish horror from writer/director Shaun Ryan which follows Mr. Grot; a troubled man so desperate for companionship, he murders a woman he is infatuated by just so they can be together. Through his twisted mind, he begins a relationship with her corpse. However, it isn’t long before both begin to deteriorate and Mr. Grot must face the reality of what he has done.
Dublin native Eoin Quinn stars as Mr. Grot and has previously worked on the likes of Fair City and Irish feature film Portrait of a Zombie. Previous to this, Eoin studied acting at the Gaiety School of Acting as well as in Los Angeles.
I recently caught up with Eoin about Limp, and what it was like to play the character of Mr. Grot…
For anyone who hasn’t seen/heard of Limp yet, how would you describe it?
Limp is a film centred around the life of a character called Mr. Grot. He is a lonely man that longs for love and companionship. Limp is so many things to so many people; some see it as a horror; some see it as a love story. That’s why I think it is a very original and special film.
Are there any other films you’d compare it to?
As yet I have to honestly say no. It’s so different from anything I have seen before.
How did you hear about or come to be involved in Limp?
I saw the casting notice up on the web and the storyline caught my attention immediately. I forwarded on my details and the director, Shaun Ryan, sent me the script. When I read it I just knew I needed to be a part of it, no matter how small. I auditioned, got the part of Mr. Grot and was obviously delighted.
As this was a voluntary role – in terms of cast and crew donating their time to the film for free – you must have been very passionate about it, were you?
I was and still am. It was such a challenging role and every actor wants to be challenged. All cast and crew did an amazing job and the talent in front of and behind the camera was immense. Keep an eye out; stars of the future.
Is there anything in particular that drew you towards (playing) the character of Mr. Grot/the film in general?
Well as I mentioned before, I knew it would be a challenge. Acting alongside Anne Gill who played Catherine who was a corpse for a lot of it was a surreal experience. Her performance was excellent and really helped me react off her.
Mr. Grot is a very dark, intense character. Did you find that difficult?
Once I got into his mindset, his behaviour and his persona it was okay, but getting there was quite difficult. To understand how someone can even think about doing what Mr. Grot did was quite tough.
How did you prepare for such a role/did you do anything to help yourself get into such a mindset?
I spent some time shut away from others and tried to think what life would be like living it on your own with no friends or partner, and as if the whole world was against you the way Mr. Grot saw things.
If you were to go back to the beginning of making the film, is there anything you would do differently?
Absolutely not. The first time I saw it I was like, ‘I should have played that differently’ and so on. I think we are our own worst critics, but I have been so lucky to have got some amazing reviews that I know I must have played it right!
What do you like best about the character of Mr. Grot, and Limp in general?
What I love about Mr. Grot is that even though he has done a deplorable act, most people can relate to him. Everyone wants love and companionship in their life, and deep down that’s all Mr. Grot was longing for. After a few screenings, people said to me that they felt sorry for him and towards the end of the film they found themselves rooting for him.
I loved the script for Limp from the first time I read it. I didn’t want it to end. It’s so original, so well written. The shots are beautiful and Kevin Minogue (Director of Photography) did a superb job behind the camera.
How did you find working with your co-star/s (Anne Gill, Laura Canavan Hayes, Shane Lennon), writer/director Shaun Ryan and DOP Kevin Minogue?
I loved working with them all. Every day on set was fun, as it should be! They are all extremely talented and have very bright futures ahead of them. We were like a little family on set and I consider them all great friends.
What was the filming process like?
The film took about 15 days in total to shoot, but that was spread out over about 3 weeks due to other commitments. We filmed around Dublin City Centre and Howth Head. Some long days during the hottest Summer Ireland has seen in years!
What has been the most rewarding part of working on Limp?
Definitely the challenges it brought in playing Mr. Grot and also learning from other great actors and the crew. No amount of training will teach you that.
What have you taken away from your experience working on Limp?
So many great memories and the confidence to know I did the character justice and that I can play a great role like that and hope that there are many more to come.
Is Limp the type of film/genre that you would go see/like yourself?
Yes, for sure. As I said, it can be so many things – love story; horror; thriller. And who doesn’t like a good love story?
Why, in your opinion, should people see it?
It’s like nothing else out there at the moment. It’s original, visually stunning with great performances and all done on a budget of €900.
What’s next for Limp?
Limp and I are off to Seattle next week where it is being screened at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.
What’s next for Eoin Quinn as an actor?
I am about to start filming a new feature film called The Devil’s Woods alongside award-winning actress Aoife King. I was cast in it after the director saw me in Limp so that was nice.
Limp will be screened at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival Thursday May 8th at 6pm. Tickets are available here.