Cinema student Finnuala quizzes Hugh Jackman on supportive film sets

Finnuala Buckley (right) with Hugh Jackman and fellow content creator Ella Ejiofor

Finnuala Buckley, a second year BA (Hons) Cinema student at the University of South Wales, has shared her experience of interviewing Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman – thanks to educational charity Into Film.

The 20-year-old, from Aberdare, had the opportunity to meet the star of The Greatest Showman and Wolverine while he was in London promoting his latest film, The Son, as part of her role as content creator for Get Into Film, a social media channel that aims to help young people to break into the film industry.

As a teenager, Finnuala gained a place on Into Film’s Young Reporter programme – a scheme for 13 to 18-year-olds across the UK to attend film festivals, screenings, press junkets and other behind-the-scenes events, where she met the cast of Frozen 2, among many other exciting opportunities.

Since October last year she has been creating content for Get Into Film’s Instagram and TikTok channels, focusing on careers within the film industry and making film as accessible as possible to young people.

While interviewing Hugh Jackman, Finnuala asked him how the cast and crew dealt with such a difficult subject matter while filming The Son, which is about a teenage boy’s struggle with severe depression.

He said: “Almost every day on set was pretty tense, as the characters were all swept up in the situation getting gradually worse. But everyone working on the film – every actor, every crew member – had therapists available to them, and we were encouraged to take mental health breaks because the film is quite triggering for a lot of people. We had excellent support from the production company and support from each other, which personally I really leaned on.”

The opportunities Finnuala has had through Into Film have been encouraged by her lecturers at USW, and have given her an insight into different career options after graduating.

“Being able to meet so many fantastic people and really get them to open up about what it’s like to be in the industry has been an unforgettable experience,” said Finnuala, who attended Bishop Hedley School and the College Merthyr Tydfil before starting at USW.

“Studying Cinema is a great way to explore the different career pathways, and I’m currently doing a placement with Mad Dog 2020 Casting in Cardiff. I’m really enjoying learning more about that aspect and would love to pursue it further after my studies.”

Study Film at USW