Oscar-Nominated Actress Talks Staying ‘Calm Under Pressure’ In New WWII Movie

Published: May 20, 2026

By India McCarty

Oscar-nominated actress Kerry Condon opened up about what she learned from her role in the upcoming WWII movie, PRESSURE.

“Kay was sort of just doing her job, and her job was to be an aide to Eisenhower, and so her job was to assist him in making this big, massive decision,” she told Movieguide® of her role as Kay Summersby in the movie.

Condon shared that she read a book about Summersby to prepare for the movie, from her work with Eisenhower to her stint working as an ambulance driver.

“She was obviously very calm around stressful situations,” the actress said.

Summersby’s calmness is something that Condon has internalized, especially when it comes to the people that she loves.

“[When you’re] showing up for someone that you love, I think it’s important to not project anxiety to other people,” she explained. “If they’re already stressed out, you don’t want to then add insult to injury. You need to sort of remain calm under pressure and come with a clear head, so I think [my character] was good at that.”

PRESSURE tells the story of Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and Royal Air Force meteorologist Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) “as they weigh the risks, including dangerous weather, in the days leading up to the 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy, France, to begin the liberation of Western Europe,” per The Hollywood Reporter.

“The weather is something that literally dictates every single human being’s day, every single day,” Scott said. “And it’s something that is so embedded in our consciousness that we almost sort of discard it: Do I need an umbrella? Do I need a coat? Am I going to be cold? It’s so omnipresent in our lives that of course it’s going to influence some of the greatest things that ever happened in the world.”

In an interview with USA Today, Fraser spoke about tackling the role of Eisenhower, particularly the pressure he was under to make the final decision.

“Eisenhower listened to everyone but had the onus of being the supreme commander,” he explained. “He was the one to make the final decision, and that was no small feat. It took a leap of faith and an intuition and trusting in an area that you had no expertise in necessarily, but really had to rely on those he trusted to give the best information.”

Fraser continued, “I’m hopeful that audiences come away from this with the deeper appreciation for what that kind of leadership looked like then, and that they would be reminded of why that war was fought at all. And compare that to not only our current day but to the future, too.”

PRESSURE premieres in theaters May 29.

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