James Norton ‘worked hard’ to perfect Dublin accent for House Of Guinness

British actor James Norton has said he “worked hard” to perfect his Dublin accent for his upcoming series House Of Guinness.

Norton, 40, plays Sean Rafferty, foreman of the Guinness brewery, in the eight-part Netflix series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

House Of Guinness brings to life the real scandals, power struggles and generational secrets of Ireland’s most famous family.

The series reimagines the fallout from Sir Benjamin Guinness’s death, set against the backdrop of 19th-century Dublin and New York.

The Happy Valley actor said he was adamant to get the accent right.

“I worked hard. I was aware that many actors have gotten it wrong, and the Irish are a proud bunch so if you get it wrong, you hear about it,” Norton told the PA news agency.

“I worked hard and had great guidance from my fellow cast members.”

Norton, who recently starred in and co-produced historical drama series King & Conqueror for BBC One, said he learned a lot about 19th century Irish history from the Guinness show.

“It’s always a privilege, and part of our job is being given the opportunity to explore periods of history we might not otherwise encounter,” he said.

“For me, it was a massive revelation. I hadn’t realised how influential the Guinness family was on Dublin’s architecture, or the extent of their welfare and philanthropic efforts, like the pensions and support they provided, which are portrayed in the show.

“They were also pioneers as a brand, becoming one of the first multinational drinks companies and dominating North America as the biggest beer brand of their time. It was both eye-opening and an incredibly thrilling journey to delve into all of that.”

The show explores the impact of Sir Benjamin’s will on the futures of his four adult children: Arthur, played by Derry Girls actor Anthony Boyle; Edward, portrayed by Enola Holmes star Louis Partridge; Anne, played by The Responder actress Emily Fairn; and Benjamin, portrayed by Normal People actor Fionn O’Shea.

Boyle, 31, whose character is homosexual, said he drew inspiration from Irish poet and writer Oscar Wilde for his role.

“I looked a lot at Oscar Wilde, particularly because of the threat of someone finding out about your sexuality at that time and you could have resulted in 20 years of hard labour, which is essentially a death sentence, which is what Oscar Wilde was sentenced to,” said Boyle.

“And reading a lot of his work, like the Ballad Of Reading Gaol.”

Boyle, who leads the series, said he is particularly proud that the programme showcases Irish culture.

“I’m really, really proud Irish culture is having such an amazing moment right now on the global stage and I feel really, really proud of having artists like Kneecap and Fontaines DC being on the soundtrack. It’s class.”

Knight, 66, who is writing the script for the next James Bond film, said the series’ ability to showcase Irish culture is like a “Christmas present”.

“It’s not an effort to force it in, it’s already there. And then there’s that whole generation of Irish music, along with this incredible generation of young Irish actors,” he said.

Knight added that the Guinness family provided an excellent stimulus for dramatic storytelling.

“I was immediately surprised no one’s done this because the story is dynamite, the characters are so interesting and the dynamic of the family. It’s all there ready for you,” he said.

“There’s the reading of the will, which is a dramatic moment. Sir Benjamin Guinness leaves millions of pounds, along with land, lakes and castles. Yet his four children are all left unhappy with the terms. They must then go on and live their lives. It’s fantastic.”

House Of Guinness premieres on Netflix on Thursday.