‘We both know how we feel about death and dying’: Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney on their brutally honest Parkinson’s drama

Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney star in Onwards and Sideways, a BBC film set in Norfolk and directed by John Madden. The project, written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, who has Parkinson’s disease, follows a couple who bond over their respective diagnoses of the neurological condition. The actors noted that while the subject matter is devastating, the narrative is laced with humour.

Ahead of their first collaborative job, Ifans and Linney skipped the standard “chemistry read” to assess their compatibility. This decision was notable given the intense physical and emotional demands of their roles. In the film, Ifans’s character nearly throttles Linney during night terrors, while her character collapses in his arms after bankrupting herself through a gambling addiction. Both dramatic scenarios stem directly from the Parkinson’s disease affecting their characters.