Jenny Dixon hopes her twin babies love acting as much as she does – but won’t pressure them into following in her footsteps.
The former Fair City actress welcomed daughters Bella and Capri with husband Tom Neville in February 2023 and is already giving them a taste of her career.
Her girls will star in short film Shush, which airs on Halloween night on RTE 2. The psychological thriller tells the story of Ruth, a mother who decides to set off with her baby daughter Fia without telling anyone.
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The short stars Mark Huberman and Liv O’Donoghue, while Bella and Capri share the role of Fia.
Jenny was approached by a casting director to see if the girls would be a suitable fit, as twins are commonly cast in infant roles on TV to lessen the workload, and is delighted that they got the part.
So, will Bella and Capri follow in their mum’s footsteps? That is for them to decide, says Jenny.
She tells RSVP Live: “Acting is fantastic for everybody. Like we train in the gym, I think it’s a lovely thing to train in. I didn’t know acting would turn into a career for me, but I’m so thankful that it did.
“I’d like them to learn the skills of acting, but, and I know it’s a cliche, whether they want to be an actor or not is up to them. I wouldn’t push them in one direction or another, but I would let them experience the sheer joy of studying acting and performing on stage.
“If they want it to become a career, that would be their choice.”
This decision is a long way off, as the little ones have only recently celebrated turning 18 months old.
Jenny says this time is “such a fun, lovely stage” and she and Tom love watching their personalities develop and their bond grow stronger each day.
She says: “They have a great bond, you really notice it when they have little inside jokes with each other.
“It’s lovely to witness them belly laughing together. It doesn’t matter if me or Tom are in the room or not, they know their joke, whatever it is that they find funny and it’s very sweet.
“They do also torment each other at times, like grabbing the teddy off each other, but most of the time it’s lovely. One of them will give the other things if she is crying.
“They are lovely moments when they really look out for each other. Most people are not twins, so it’s a pretty special thing to watch.”
At the moment, Jenny is preoccupied with Bella and Capri. But that itch for acting never goes away, especially when she recently spent time on set with them for Shush.
“Of course, you do get a pang for creating a beautiful scene or character,” she tells us.
“I am busy juggling a load of things right now, but it depends. If the right production and character came up, that itch is always there.
“I don’t think that ever disappears, another role and the experience of being on set again is something that I look forward to.”
Shush airs Thursday October 31st at 10.35pm on RTE 2 and RTE Player.
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