ANDREA CORR is to star as a psychologist in a film about suicide due to be shown at the Cannes film festival next month.

The lead singer and youngest member of the Corrs, the Dundalk family of pop stars, filmed the lead role in the dark thriller in Shepperton Studios in England last month.

The 30-year-old has been forging a career in acting alongside her music activities since she first appeared on screen in The Commitments. In the 1991 film based on Roddy Doyle’s book she played Jimmy Rabbitte’s sister Sharon and famously told him to “Go and shite, Jimmy”.

The singer’s roles have become more serious since then. In The Bridge she plays a troubled psychologist called Mary, who loses her job at a hospital after one of the patients takes his own life. The short film tells how she then gets the opportunity to save the life of a frail old man when she stumbles across him on a freezing night.

The Irish actress stars alongside Leonard Fenton, who played Dr Legg in EastEnders, in the 17-minute movie which will have its premiere at Cannes. It is based on an original screenplay by Ludwig Shammasian and is directed by Richard Raymond, a British film director.

“We’re thrilled to have Andrea on board this special project, it’s electrifying casting. She’s one of the most famous and beautifully talented women in the world today,” said Raymond.

“It’s a very interesting story about forgiveness. It gives the young psychologist the opportunity to save the life of someone else after a patient commits suicide. It becomes a bit of a thriller.

“We sent Andrea the script and she jumped at it.”

Raymond said that Corr was “amazing” in the film. “It was great working with her. She was a total professional and really good fun to work with.

“She’s an incredible woman, very focused, very talented. She is a great screen actress. It was a very difficult role. In a short film you don’t have that much time to bring the character out. We’re very excited about it.”

He said that he came across the original script for The Bridge many years ago and immediately connected with its understated messages of love and loss.

On Thursday Corr attended the Irish and UK premiere in Belfast of her latest film, The Boys from County Clare. The film stars Colm Meaney and Bernard Hill, King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings, as two brothers competing in a traditional music competition. John Joe and Jimmy, who have not seen each other for 25 years become rivals in an all-Irish ceilidh band competition.

Corr was named best female actress in a comedy at the Colorado film festival for her role as Anne, a fiddle player who falls in love with a flute player in a rival band.

Corr and Shaun Evans, who played Teddy, her love interest in the film, are currently dating.

The Corrs first performed as a band when they auditioned to play in The Commitments. John Hughes, the movie’s musical director, saw potential in the band and became their manager.

Corr also had a small part in the film Evita, opposite Madonna, as the mistress of Juan Peron.

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