Normal People star Leah McNamara says part of series’ success was because ‘a lot of people were lonely’

BBC drama was released during the height of the pandemic

Normal People star Leah McNamara has said that part of the reason for the BBC series’ success was that “a lot of people were lonely” when it premiered.

The hit TV series, adapted from the bestselling novel by Irish writer Sally Rooney, was released in April 2020, near the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

McNamara played Rachel, a popular schoolgirl who threatens to come between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal).

In an exclusive interview and photoshoot with the whisky and lifestyle publication Barley, the actor reflected on Normal People’s reception.

“Normal People is a great show, but I always feel like it came at a time where the entire world was void of any human connection and contact,” said McNamara.

“That show was all about deep love, deep human connection, and suddenly that had just evaporated from our daily lives. I feel like a lot of people were lonely and it was a story about connection that many people were able to associate with.”

Asked how it felt to portray a character who jeapardises the show’s central love affair, McNamara admitted that Rachel served as an “obstacle”.

McNamara photographed for Barley (Tim Marsella)

“Rachel is definitely a supporting character,” she said. “She serves as an obstacle within Marianne’s love course, and ultimately, she serves as a vehicle so we can empathise with Marianne and that entire situation.”

McNamara can currently be seen starring in the Sky Max series Then You Run, which focuses on four British teenage girls who get entangled in a web of crime and violence while on holiday in Rotterdam.

McNamara in ‘Then You Run' (Sky)

“I love how [the series] just kind of goes for it,” she said of the show’s adult subject matter. “Yeah, it doesn’t kind of shy away from things. I think it all fits into the story really well.

“Those darker moments get balanced out well by some of that comedic stuff. It moves very fast and I really like that. Ultimately, it’s just very entertaining.”

She filming the series in Berlin and Hamburg back in 2021 alongside co-stars Vivian Oparah, Yasmin Monet Prince and Isidora Fairhurst.

McNamara photographed for Barley (Tim Marsella)

Recalling the experience, McNamara said: “The four of us were away in a different country, away from our friends, away from our family, living in this new city for a good seven months.

“The vibe, the craic, the energy was there straight away.”

Then You Run is available to stream now on Sky and NOW.

McNamara on the July digital cover of Barley (Tim Marsella)

The full interview with McNamara can be read at Barleymagazine.com.