In her own words: Tracey Maloney on her most memorable roles

"Una is incredibly damaged, but she's also a fighter. Hers is not my story. I did not have a [sexual] relationship with an adult when I was 12. Awful, awful. But I admire her resilience. People sometimes think that strength is all about showing muscle. But it takes courage and hope to be vulnerable, and she fought hard to have that openness."

"I'm a shy, private person, and being able to play a character who's so loved because of those qualities was an honor. The single-mom thing was really interesting to me, too, because I grew up that way, with a brother as well, who was nothing like Tom. The role felt so familiar but also different, and having to translate her shyness, her feeling of not fitting in, and speaking the words of Tennessee Williams was an honor, night after night."

"Even though she's a victim, she goes down fighting. Desdemona has got a fire in her, a fight in her, and you have to tap that ferocious thing to bring her to full life. Playing it twice, for the Guthrie and Ten Thousand Things, was incredibly hard and scary but also very rewarding."

"Working with director Tim Carroll and with Mark Rylance was a master class in acting. The focus was always on playing what was happening right now, as opposed to trying to re-create the same show night after night. I know it was hard for lighting cues because the blocking was not set, but it was fun, and incredibly illuminating."