Explosions, gunfire, flames, brawls, and even an underwater scene were all manageable—but cockroaches? That’s where the actress drew the line. Niamh Algar laughs as she recalls, “That was the one stunt we weren’t allowed to do because cockroaches are actually quite dangerous.” With a wry smile, she adds that you can’t exactly train them not to bite. It’s no spoiler to reveal that her character in the new Sky Atlantic series The Iris Affair faces a bug infestation—handled with CGI and props—making her run-ins with corrupt cops, online detectives, and a possibly sinister megaquantum computer seem mild by comparison.
Algar, recently seen in ITV’s thriller Playing Nice alongside James Norton, portrays Iris Nixon, a genius on the run after disappearing with a notebook containing the encrypted code needed to activate a supercomputer. She stole it from Cameron Beck, played by the ever-brilliant Tom Hollander, who has invested heavily to build the machine—nicknamed Charlie Big Potatoes—in a brutalist bunker nestled in the Italian mountains. “Well, he’s not small potatoes,” Beck quips about the most powerful computer ever created. Now, his survival hinges on getting it running again.
The show is fast-paced and entertaining while tackling profound questions about technology, consciousness, ethics, and whether humanity is on an unstoppable path—especially with AI—toward its own destruction. “If you’d encountered a story like this two decades ago, you’d have dismissed it as pure sci-fi,” Algar reflects. “We didn’t anticipate how rapidly technology would evolve. The notion of creating a computer so advanced it could solve major issues, like curing cancer, is incredible—but could it also wipe out humanity? It all depends on who’s in control, and that’s both a terrifying and highly relevant question today.” She notes that Iris is deeply suspicious of the situation, and rightly so.
Little is revealed about Iris beyond her extraordinary intelligence, competence, and physical strength—not to mention her sharp sense of style. Is it challenging to portray a character with so little backstory? “Not at all,” Algar says. “In fact, it’s more intriguing because sometimes a detailed history can feel restrictive.” Still, she crafted some personal history for Iris and shared it with writer Neil Cross (creator of Luther) to ground her performance.
Speaking over Zoom from her London home, Algar describes Iris as unlike any role she’s played before. “It was hugely enjoyable to step into the mind of an enigmatic genius.” Though Iris isn’t emotionally expressive, Algar defends her against accusations of psychopathy, explaining that her journey is more about an adult learning to understand emotions and relationships later in life. “I see her almost as a computer—observing, copying, and storing experiences.”
This role is a standout for Algar, who first gained attention as the troubled Dinah in Shane Meadows’ 2019 Channel 4 series The Virtues and later as a stressed consultant doctor in ITV’s 2023 drama Malpractice. Both characters were resilient and courageous, but portraying Iris—someone not defined by trauma or intense emotion—was, she admits with a light laugh, “really freeing.”
This summer, Algar worked on a film adaptation of Anna McPartlin’s novel The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes in Ireland, which follows a dying woman’sAn is surrounded by family and friends. “It was a beautiful script,” says Algar, adding that it was her first time working on a production with a mental health adviser on set. Just as intimacy coordinators are now common to ensure comfort and safety during sensitive scenes, the emotional impact of acting is being taken more seriously. While it’s acting, Algar notes, “you’re exploring emotions and can trigger something within yourself that you didn’t realize was there. You have to remember that you’re portraying the human condition and not assume your body always knows the difference.”
Algar grew up in Mullingar, Ireland, as the youngest of five children. Opposite her primary school was an arts center where she took drama workshops and discovered her love for acting. “It brought me so much joy. That sense of play is hugely addictive for me—it’s a form of escapism. You step into another world and walk in someone else’s shoes for a while.” Though her family had no ties to the arts—her father was a mechanic, her mother a nurse—becoming an actor never felt impossible. “I saw it as a big, exciting challenge,” she recalls. She moved to Dublin to study design, with her parents encouraging her to pursue a more stable career, but she also took acting classes and wrote and performed in theater. During this time, she worked as a runner and in the art department on film sets.
After moving to London, her role in The Virtues, starring Stephen Graham, allowed her to quit her pub and temp jobs to focus on auditions. Algar had grown up watching Meadows’s films and says, “He gave me a strong sense of ownership over my character and instilled a powerful work ethic.” Was it intimidating to join such a show early in her career? Did she struggle with self-doubt or imposter syndrome? “I think imposter syndrome is unavoidable. I didn’t train or go the drama school route,” she admits. When she first arrived in London, she considered claiming she had attended drama school in Ireland. “But it’s not like medicine,” she laughs, “where you need eight years of experience to do the job.”
Surely, with the career she’s building, she no longer feels that way? “I don’t know if it will ever go away,” she says. Algar remembers Julianne Moore, her co-star in Sky’s historical drama Mary & George, admitting to nerves before filming. “I thought, how can you be nervous? You have Academy Awards and have worked with top filmmakers—it always looks effortless.” She points out that the moment you think you know everything is when you stop learning. “So imposter syndrome has its benefits. Every set is different; it’s like going back to school with each production. I’ve never met an actor who hasn’t said they get nervous.”
Is there extra pressure as the lead? It’s not that she doesn’t think about it, but she takes it week by week. She was inspired by Helen McCrory on the BBC drama MotherFatherSon. It was one of Algar’s early jobs, and she admired McCrory, excited for a big scene with her. When the scene was cut, McCrory personally delivered the news and spent time offering career advice. Algar notes that most lead actors would have had a runner relay the message. McCrory even pushed for a smaller scene to be filmed instead. “I’ll never forget that—it’s the definition of a generous actor.”
Now, leading a production like The Iris Affair, she says, “it’s about being aware that you set the tone.”He says, “Tom Hollander is brilliant in that sense.” It seems their co-star, Charlie Big Potatoes, a quantum computer, didn’t perform as well. The day before our conversation, Algar saw the viral clips of Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actor that has been criticized by actors and performing arts unions. “I believe as humans, we connect with each other on a deeply human level, and I don’t think that can ever be replaced,” she remarks. Then, with a laugh, she adds, “I try not to dwell on it too much.”
The Iris Affair premieres on Thursday, October 16th, at 9 PM on Sky Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful and concise FAQs about Niamh Algars new TV series
General Questions About the Series
Q What is the name of Niamh Algars new TV series
A The series is titled The Doll Factory
Q What is The Doll Factory about
A Its a thriller set in 1850s London that follows a young woman who becomes entangled with a group of PreRaphaelite artists and a sinister obsessive man blending art ambition and terror
Q Who does Niamh Algar play in the series
A Niamh Algar plays the lead role of Iris an aspiring artist who works in a dollmaking factory
Q Who is her costar Tom Hollander
A Tom Hollander is a renowned British actor who plays Silas a curious and unsettling collector of oddities who becomes dangerously obsessed with Iris
Questions About the Themes Story
Q How does technology play a role in a series set in the 1850s
A In this context technology refers to the industrial advancements of the era like the machinery in the doll factory and new artistic techniques which shape the characters lives and the plots tension
Q What kind of terror can viewers expect
A The terror is more psychological and gothic than gory It stems from suspense obsession and the constant threat posed by a stalker in a dark atmospheric version of Victorian London
Q Is this series based on a true story
A No its not based on a true story It is a fictional adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal
Q What is the dynamic like between Niamh Algars and Tom Hollanders characters
A Their dynamic is central to the thriller Iris is trying to build an independent life while Silas becomes her menacing and obsessive stalker creating a terrifying catandmouse game
Questions for Fans Viewers
Q What was it like for Niamh to work with Tom Hollander
