Florence Ordesh joins TV Series Departure

Irish actor Florence Ordesh joins Archie Panjabi and the late Christopher Plummer as Rose Tait in the second season of the high-octane conspiracy TV series Departure now airing on Peacock in the U.S.

Irish actor Florence Ordesh has the leading role as Rose Tait in the second season of the high-octane conspiracy TV series Departure that follows TSIB investigator Kendra Malley, played by Emmy® Award-winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife). The late Christopher Plummer returns as Kendra’s mentor. Departure is a six-part event series that follows the investigation into the derailment of an experimental high-speed train, The Apollo. The brilliant investigator, Kendra Malley (Archie Panjabi), is recruited to the US to find the cause of the devastation in rural Michigan. With the eyes of the entire world on her, Kendra and her team unravel a series of interconnected threads which lead to a number of mysterious motives. Was it the tech mogul inventor of the train’s automation software? Was it a mysterious member of a Mexican drug cartel? Was it a disgruntled employee resisting new technology?  Working in conjunction with the FBI, Kendra must race to uncover the truth behind the crash and help to heal the damage caused by the terrible tragedy. 

All six episodes of Departure are now airing on NBC’s Peacock in the US and will air on Universal in the UK. Season one trended #1 on Global TV in Canada. Other cast members include Jason O’Mara, Kris Holden-Ried, and Karen LeBlanc.

In the Irish feature film An Extinction, Florence gives an outstanding performance in the starring role of resilient survivor Aoife, who manages to keep herself and her younger sister Niamh safe from airborne infection. Staying one foot ahead of starvation and sickness in post-apocalyptic Ireland, her character Aoife has managed to stay alive following ‘the extinction of all human, animal, plant and bacterial life on the planet.’ Written and shot long before the current COVID-19 pandemic, “There are similarities because the screenplay is based on very realistic epidemic research and predictions.” Florence says, “The ‘freakish’ similarities between the film and the current pandemic were uncanny, all the way down to the face masks and visors.” An Extinction is currently in post-production and is set to screen at festivals in late 2021.

Florence’s first appearance on the small screen was in 2011 when she landed the leading role in the mini-series Saor Sinn o Olcfor TG4. She became internationally recognized when she was cast opposite Sarah Greene, Killian Scott and Conleth Hill as archaeologist Mel Royce in Dublin Murders, a crime drama television series created by Sarah Phelps for Starz, BBC One and RTÉ. The show was nominated for Best Drama at the IFTA Awards. She also plays Briwan in Apple TV+ big-budget original drama Foundation, starring Jared Harris and Lee Pace, In ‘Cold Courage’, scripted by BAFTA Cymru nominated screenwriter David Joss Buckley and distributed by Lionsgate Florence plays the role of Shakeela Husain. 

She starred in the short film The Observation Level that won the Jury Award at Pink City International Short Film Festival, and she was featured in the short film Buy The Dip that won the Festival Prize Best Story at Top Shorts Film Festival. 

Florence is set to play the lead role of an inmate, determined to escape her sentence in an upcoming jailbreak movie, currently in development.

Florence’s major contributions to the movie and television landscape can be seen through the lens of CastandHire (castandhire.ie), which she founded in 2011. The site has created a unique and vibrant space for actors and filmmakers to collaborate and educate, helping to invigorate this industry of hopes and dreams. Formerly known as Ireland Actors Guide, CastandHire is an ambitious platform that makes it much more accessible to cast actors, hire crew, learn new skills, and for professionals to promote their talent. Today, “The site is buzzing with jobs for cast & crew, and filmmakers are taking digital MasterClasses daily. It’s really exciting to see how much CastandHire has helped so many people.” 

CastandHire is Irelands’ number one collaborative and educational platform, housing thousands of members’ profiles, in addition to digital MasterClasses from industry experts such as award-winning editor Benjamin Mercer and dialect coach to the stars, John Fleming. She brings her non-profit to connect actors and filmmakers delving back into the real world to help bolster the future of film, an art she holds dear to her heart.

Florence is currently a judge for five major film festivals worldwide, including The San Diego Awards and Cinequest. As a committed vegan, she is mindful of the environment and is delighted to also judge at Films of the Forrest, promoting the preservation of the rainforests around the world, including British Columbia. https://filmsfortheforest.org/

This Irish actor and entrepreneur was born in London and brought up in County Meath, Ireland. She studied acting for film and television at the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts before getting her MBA from Trinity College, Dublin, on a scholarship. Since graduating from her acting studies in North America with a spot-on American accent, Florence can be seen in film and TV on both sides of the Atlantic. She left Ireland to film Departure in Toronto and is currently residing between Vancouver and Los Angeles. 

Florence is available for interviews and photos upon request.

Please contact: Lesley Diana | Lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca | 604-726-5575

Talent Agent | Drew Mackenzie info@gnaminc.com | 416 925 2051

Departure still photo credit: Steve Wilke

Lifestyle photo credit: Chris Archer

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