It’s one thing to be a movie actress portraying a character in a secretive anti-government group, but it’s a far different to be a person in real life battling a government every day. In movies, guns fire blanks; in real life, they shoot bullets.
So, when actress Rose McGowan told reporters at a Toronto film festival press conference for her new movie ”Fifty Dead Men Walking” that if she had lived through Northern Ireland’s ”Troubles,” she would have joined the Irish Republican Army, she almost immediately drew a protest from the very man upon whose life the film is based.
“I imagine had I grown up in Belfast I would have 100 percent joined the IRA,” said McGowan, 35, who plays a high-ranking IRA femme fatale in the movie, alongside British actors Jim Sturgess and Ben Kingsley.
“My heart just broke for the cause and I have a lot of respect for the intelligence and the honor that these people carried.”
“Fifty Dead Men Walking,” which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday, is based on Martin McGartland’s best-selling 1997 memoir of a young Catholic hustler living in Belfast in the late ’80s who was recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate the IRA.
McGartland, who is still in hiding and lives under a false identity on the British mainland, responded with a statement on Thursday slamming McGowan’s off-the-cuff remarks.
“Such comments are deeply offensive and hurtful to victims of IRA terrorism,” he said.
McGowan, whose father is Irish, was born and raised in Italy. Could she really know what it meant to be an IRA member just because she was in a movie? Are statements such as hers made by actors ”deeply offensive and hurtful” to people on both sides of an issue who have suffered in real life? They are interesting questions, and we’d like to know readers’ views.
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Anyone who think they can understand terrorest / murders or just anyone who has lost someone in conflict from around the world, need there head examining. Frankly let this stupid women go and talk to the families who have lost loved ones, hear their stories and then see if she would agree.
- Posted by daveIf we Americans have to listen to the likes of the Corrs bash the US and claim that 9/11 was a government conspiracy - then turnabout is fairplay. She can say what she likes, it’s a free country and she is entitled to an opinion whether one agrees with it or not. Worse has been said about the US by ignorant celebs - but that is applauded no matter how fanciful.
- Posted by SueThere are some very ill-informed revisionists writing on this forum
Rose McGowan has every right to say how she feels on the subject even if it is seen from a more romantic point of view. Living in the north wasn’t glamourous, it just so happened that the civil rights movement, like their counterpart in the US, decided that their people deserved the basic equal rights. Anyone who has read the history understands the reason people joined the IRA, it wasnt for glory, it was to fight for their beliefs and rights against the oppresive british government and their planted overseers.
You may disagree with what happened on all sides but there would not be a level of tolerance and equality in NI today if it wasnt for this uprising, it is very unfortunate that there had to be casualties.
To say that unionists were not well treated by the british government is a farce. Universities and education was denied to most catholics, civil service jobs were off limits, basically if you weren’t from a certain religion your options were limited. Thankfully thats changed somewhat.
Some statistics mentioned here by other posters are just wrong, I implore people to check their facts first and don’t listen to made up numbers.
- Posted by GarthThese comments are outrageous. “My heart broke for the TERRORISTS”. She’s thoroughly Out of Order and the comment the that William Frazer, member of victims group FAIR made the perfect succinct;
“She may as well add that she would have joined al-Qaeda and flew those planes into the twin towers had she been born a disgruntled Muslim”.
This household certainly wont be contributing to anything she’s ever been involved with until there’s some sort of apology.
- Posted by SamI think that Rose has made a fair point. If she had been born in Italy she might have been a Communist, a Fascist, a mafiosa or even an anarchist. Because she lives in Los Angeles now she isn’t a member of the IRA then. Imagine if Saddam Hussein and George W Bush had been born in each other’s situation!
- Posted by BalticaIs it the over indulgent lifestyle in which actors live that perverts their minds, making them such shallow people? Only the entitlement of celebrity culture could spurn such despicable thinking. How much of a ‘lost person’ does one have to be, to aspire to murderer people, in a country in which you have little-to-no association with? The IRA killed people I knew, these were real people, who lived good honest lives, I’m sure they would have been nothing but courteous to Rose McGowan, if they were given the opportunity to meet her. She should be careful not to fantasize about being a murdering thug in public, people don’t forget.
- Posted by StuartAs an Irish-American student that recently spent an extended amount of time in Belfast, I speak from experience when I say that Rose McGowan has ABSOLUTELY no idea what she is talking about. If she knew anything, she would know to keep her mouth shut about this contentious issue, no matter how strongly she believes. Let her live in Belfast, maybe she’d get a quick re-education.
- Posted by StudentJust the rantings of a silly, ill-educated publicity seeker and all this ranting about her just gets her the publicity she wants. As dumb and bigoted as Jade Goody, only prettier.
IRA sympathisers believe the Sinn Fein revisionist history that tells you about a Protestant domination of down-trodden Catholics. The reality - most protestants were as downtrodden by the Catholics, by an elite who happened to be protestant. The reality - IRA slaughtering innocent bystanders and children. The apartheid was reinforced when the Catholic Church refused to back integrated schooling at the time the Presbyterians/Anglicans withdrew from their schools and let the state manage them.
Sean - before you pontificate on Irish history, learn it, from both sides. Its far more complex than Unionist domination. Presbyterians were disenfranchised for as long as Catholics.
- Posted by MinervaGood on Rose McGowan. It is nice to hear that a star has taken time out to understand a situation and came to a fair conclusion. She has been honest and has every right to feel sympathy for the cause of Irish freedom.
She has said nothing that countless ex british soldiers who occupied the North haven’t already said. Before some attack her.
Well done Rose and although I wouldn’t normal want to see anything to do with that criminal McGartland, I think I’ll have a look for this film as it appears that the actors have really got involved in the project.
Good luck to her!
- Posted by TommyGive me a break! She is an entitled to her opinion as all the rest of you spouting off. If you don’t agree, fine, we live in Canada and can say what we want. I’m sure we all don’t see eye to eye on everythign either. She simplt has a arena to say her views WHEN ASKED. SHe didn’t call the press conference, she was asked the question.
- Posted by BarryI love the people who say the IRA was based on sectarianism, when the founder of Irish republicanism was a protestant, and Bobby Sands was half protestant. I also love when people make up that the IRA killed more Catholics than anyone else, which is a blatant lie.
The IRA are part of Irish history and only recently have been branded terrorists. I appluad McGowan for showing her support the volunteers of the IRA who fought against the Unionist apartheid. My family is from South Armagh, and all I have to say is, Up the RA!
- Posted by SeanI am really disappointed with Rose McGowan’s comment, until now, she was one of my favourite actresses. I think what she has said offends people on both sides because of its aloofness and apparent naivety. I can’t see this statement doing her career any good.
- Posted by disappointed fanAre you serious? Ive grew up in Northern Ireland and I can assure you that there is no “honour” with the IRA, like any other terrorist group around. I know many people who have lost family and friends because of their actions.
They are responsible for some of the worst disasters in this country, the Omagh bombing, which killed 29 people including 9 children in a school bus and a pregnant woman with twins.
What “cause” is that. Disgusting. Perhaps she should have carried out more research before opening her mouth.
- Posted by dabriaThis is all about the “I’m an actor so I’m important” idea.
- Posted by BenI mean if I spend 5 minutes learning about china I want to become communist! wait, that is stupid and moronic…
Most people on both sides managed to work for their case by recognised lawful and democratic means.The IRA were Marxist-inspired bombers and backshooters who killed many civilians with arms from Gaddafi and other anti-Western sources.On a day we are remembering victims of terrorism this is obscene.Actors have the right to express opinions the same as everyone else.If those opinions are crass and offensive-as these are-the career damage is likely to provide it’s own redress.
- Posted by rob12make3I cant quite understand what the earlier poster, Athena, sees is so admirable in someone supporting the murder of innocent people to further a “political” cause. The IRA were murderers - look it up in the dictionary if you are unsure what the word means. They were terrorists - look that up too. After doing that, can you really stand back and admire this woman for saying she would have been a member ? And that is without getting into the whole argument raised by the article above - what the hell does she know about growing up in a conflict simply after making a film about it? She grew up in a commune!!! She clearly has not understood anything of what she has been involved in in the making of the film, and has displayed her naivetie and insensitivity at the very least. She should be ashamed, and apologise to the thousands of people, on BOTH sides of the sectarian divide, who were victims. Then she should keep her mouth shut!
- Posted by John SnaresbrookShe has every right to feel sympathy for an organization aimed at freeing Ireland. Anyone with Irish blood, whether or not they were born in Ireland, should never be ashamed to feel anger about the situation in Eire.
- Posted by JohnI love peanut butter, does that make me a terrorist? Maybe in the eyes of the nut. But i dont sympathise for nuts, so why should i care?
If you appie the same logic to the troubles, you might make a sandwich, but does anyone want to eat it? Who knows, cest le vie as the inspirational bewitched once sang.
- Posted by Darren BrennanThis is an outrage and the people of Northern Ireland, Catholic and Protestant want an apology. The IRA killed more Catholics than did the British security forces and Loyalist paramilitays combined, not to mention the 1300 Protestants, over 2250 in total so what’s she saying. The IRAs campaign was one of sectarianism, torture and murder, and this woman says she would have joined, its absolutely discusting.
She may as well add that she would have joined al-Qaeda and flew those planes into the twin towers had she been born a disgruntled Muslim.
- Posted by Johnny AndersonGood on her for her honesty - now wait for the backlash from the hypocrites in the media/establishment.
- Posted by Athena