Denise Gough finally breaks through

Broadway is abuzz about the upcoming revival of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America,” and Irish actress Denise Gough is preparing to make her Broadway debut in the production. But things weren’t always so rosy for her.

For more than a decade in London, Gough scraped by with babysitting and waiting tables while she waited for her big break. She was just starting to think about quitting show business when, in 2015, she got the proverbial role of a lifetime — starring in a new play called “People, Places & Things” at Britain's National Theatre. She played an actress who is an addict in recovery.

The performance won her rave reviews and big awards, including the Olivier and the Critics Circle Award. 

Gough explains her approach to acting and why she can’t stand method actors: “It's like people who spit a lot when they're on stage. Wipe your mouth! Or when they're crying, and there's snot everywhere, and you'd think, ‘Wipe your nose!’ You wouldn't do that in real life!”