Eddie Marsan has built a career spanning films like Sherlock Holmes, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, but his latest project, No Ordinary Heist, takes him into new territory—a bank heist thriller rooted in true events. Inspired by the 2004 Northern Bank robbery—one of the largest cash heists in UK and Irish history—the film follows two feuding bank employees forced into an unthinkable situation when criminals kidnap their families and coerce them into carrying out Ireland’s biggest robbery.
For Marsan, however, No Ordinary Heist isn’t defined by the scale of the crime, but by the human story at its center. Rather than a conventional thriller, the film becomes a powerful study of conflict, consequence, and uneasy understanding between Richard (Marsan) and Barry (Éanna Hardwicke). In the interview below, Marsan opens up about his preparation process, the emotional demands of the role, and what’s next, including season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Learn where you can watch No Ordinary Heist here. Watch an exclusive clip of the film titled “What’s Your plan?”
No Ordinary Heist is something beyond a typical crime story. What initially drew you to the project?
I was drawn to it because it’s a story about two men who are in an impossible situation. They have a kind of hatred for each other and they have to overcome their own prejudices in order to save the lives of their loved ones. I think that’s what I love about the movie. It’s not really about the heist, but about the two men overcoming their differences in order to succeed.
What did pre-production look like for you on the film? Did you do any research before diving into this?
Yes, I did lots of research. I worked with the director to work out where he would have lived, what music he would have liked, where we would have gone to school. Then I created a kind of back history based on that. I also worked every day and trained like a boxer with a voice coach to get the accent right.
What attracted you to the character of Richard specifically and how did you approach bringing him to life?
I thought he was a brilliant character because his own marriage is falling apart and he prioritizes his work above everything else. Then he’s asked to rob the bank in order to save his wife’s life. So he’s been faced with the consequences of the mistaken choices he’s made over the last 20 years. I think that’s fascinating for me as an actor to play. And I wanted to play someone different. I’ve never played someone from Northern Ireland before. I always like to change things up all the time. I don’t like doing the same thing over and over again. Whatever I do, it has to be different from what I did before.
Is this a role that plays into your strengths or did it push you into new territory?
I think every role pushes you into new territory. I think that can be your strength as an actor. You have to be prepared to go into new territories. You have to be prepared to lose sight of the shore across the ocean. I think one of my strengths as an actor is that I don’t sit back on repeating myself. I’m always trying new things. At the moment I have No Ordinary Heist, The Rings of Power, Campeón Gabacho that just won an award at SXSW and Prisoner coming out for Sky. So my job as an actor is to make sure I keep doing things that I’m not comfortable with.
How much time did you have between all these projects? Did you have free time or were you literally going from one to the next?
I’m always going from one to the next. I’m always working, always filming, I’m always prepping one, filming one, and promoting one.
Do you have a favorite scene from the film and why was it your favorite?
The scene at the end of the film was probably the most challenging and my also favorite because I realized that Éanna and I had reached an understanding and a level of work as actors. When I worked with him, I realized that we’ve reached an emotional crescendo, but we’ve done it together. The film’s about a relationship between two men. So, both were very difficult, I’m very proud. I knew as an experienced actor of over 34 years, I knew we were nailing it. And we were nailing it because we were working together.
Did you have a relationship with Éanna before you started working on this film? Or was it just through this film you kind of met him?
No, we only met through this film. We have a very good relationship. He’s a really good lad.
Heist films often rely on precision and timing. Did that affect how scenes were rehearsed or shot?
In the film, there’s a clock that’s always ticking to give a context of the limitations and pressure. We were very much aware of that as actors within our character, within the story. Colin, who wrote it with Aisling, was brilliant at telling it where we were at every moment. It was shot out of sequence, so we had to know where we were at every moment of filming.
Are there any themes in the film that resonated with you personally?
A lot of things in the film appear retrospectively. One of the themes of the film that I never realized while we were making it, but I’ve realized now after watching it, is the theme of money. The film is a lot about who has money and who doesn’t. Who controls money. Richard has prioritized the shareholders above the human beings he works with. He has to do something that is completely against his own moral compass to save human beings and his loved ones. It isn’t a film about troubles, it’s a film about two men.
What do you hope audiences walk away thinking or feeling after watching the movie?
I think they will go on the roller coaster ride with us. I think it’s a fascinating study of two men. From the reviews I have seen, the tension and stress is palpable when you watch it. You are really with these two characters all along the way. It’s really a story about 2 men who have to overcome their prejudices in order to rob a bank.
What is your favorite film that you could watch over and over?
The Godfather.
Since you are going into The Lord of the Rings world with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power do you have a favorite Lord of the Rings film?
I think the last, the third film in the Lord of the Rings series. That was the one I really enjoyed the most.
Is there a role that you haven’t played yet that you would like to?
There are loads of roles I’d love to play. But I don’t have time to play all the roles I’d like to play. I just like to keep playing and being as vulnerable as possible. I hate to be pigeonholed. I have no control if I’m going to be a big movie star, but I do have control over if I have an interesting career. I try to make it as interesting as possible.
Thanks to Eddie Marsan for taking the time for this interview.
