East 15 provided Hellboy star with “strong foundations” for film career

Actor Hannah Margetson, who has made her cinematic debut in a new Hellboy film, has praised her East 15 Acting School education for giving her the “strong foundations” needed for a career in the limelight.

Hannah, who graduated from the School’s one-year acting foundation course in 2017 before completing a degree at Rose Bruford College, is starring as Cora Fisher in Hellboy: The Crooked Man.

Director Brian Taylor has described Hannah as “an incredible actor and out-of-this-world physical performer.”

Her physicality is one of the skills inspired and developed at East 15.

“I was drawn to East 15 for its reputation for rigorous training and its focus on diverse acting techniques, particularly physical theatre and world performance,” Hannah explained.

“It provided me with a strong foundation in acting techniques, movement, and character development. The training encouraged me to explore different styles and genres, which has been invaluable in my multidisciplinary projects,” she added.

Experiences at East 15 that helped shape her acting include a class led by Dr Adrian James, where Hannah and her classmates observed members of the public in Southend-on-Sea.

“I chose to recreate those observations through dance and physical performance. It was a fascinating exercise that still influences my work today,” she said.

Hannah also developed a passion for the circus at East 15 and says she enjoys “blending physical theatre with circus arts to enhance storytelling.”

Hannah was spotted for the role of Cora by Brian Taylor from her slate introduction. She was drawn to Cora’s “powerful and esoteric nature” and the “opportunity to explore such a complex character with great emotional depth, layered with ancient symbolism.”

One of Hannah’s standout experiences working on The Crooked Man was filming a fully practical effects scene, with no CGI, where her character climbs back into her own skin, transforming from raccoon to human. Other highlights included working with Brian Taylor who she praised for his “grounded energy and intuitive direction.”

With the film on the big screen and now available to stream, Hannah is exploring new opportunities in theatre and film while growing her creative, casting agency and event company Snake Height, which she co-directs with fire-eater Andreas Breilev who she met training at a Danish circus.

“Snake Height was born out of a desire to create a more dynamic and diverse space within the casting and performance industry. My aim is to amplify the voices of multidisciplinary artists and connect specialist talent - circus performers, stunt artists, and movement-based creatives - with opportunities to showcase their skills. It’s about giving a platform to the creative underdogs and those who explore character through various artistic forms," she explained.

Header picture courtesy of Ivan Weiss.