Derry Girls Star Claire Rafferty Shares Swimsuit Photo “Do Not Disturb”

1. Anna on Shetland

Rafferty credits her native Irish accent with landing her the breakthrough role of Anna on TV show Shetland. “They were looking for anyone foreign to the islands as per Anna's character in the original book and were really taken with my Irish brogue,” she says. I went home that month to Belfast for my 30th birthday and had a big do in the house when I received a text from the casting director to say I got offered the part. What a birthday present! My whole family were there when I got the text so it was really special. It’s great for them to be able to share in it all. They have supported me for so long in pursuing acting – from my granny to my wee brother of 12.”

2. The Great Outdoors

Rafferty likes to exercise outdoors whenever she can, and her social media is full of pictures of her hiking. “Light tends to elevate people's mood, and unless you live in a glass house or are using a light box to treat seasonal affective disorder, there's usually more light available outside than in,” say the experts at Harvard Health. “Physical activity has been shown to relax and cheer people up, so if being outside replaces inactive pursuits with active ones, it might also mean more smiles and laughter.”

3. Filming On Location

Rafferty loves being outdoors, and was thrilled to film on location for Shetland. “The indoor shots were all in Glasgow and then all the other shots were on the stunning Shetland Islands,” she says. “The set was always a happy place when you had a backdrop like that. I did have to pinch myself a bit when I looked around at the caliber of actors working with me as well as the director Peter Hoar. Dougie Henshall was great to have as a partner in those difficult police cell scenes and I learned a lot from his whole attitude to acting. He's also a gentleman. All the cast and crew had a scream holed up in the barren landscape with very accommodating country pubs including ceilidh nights organized by the locals. It has a very Irish feel in more ways than one.”

4. Marathon Runner

Rafferty loves to run, and has taken part in at least five marathons. “We’ve found that going for something like a two-mile run a few times a week gets you pretty much the full benefit of running in terms of lower mortality,” says Dr. James H. O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. “The growing consensus in the field is that the benefits of running start to accrue within minutes,” says Dr. Rajesh Vedanthan, associate professor of population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. “The key message here is that any physical activity is much better than none.”

5. Lots of Swimming

Rafferty enjoys a dip in the pool, both for exercise and for fun. "Swimming is a wonderful sport. I definitely recommend swimming for people of all ages," says Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert Dr. Matthew Crowe. "Swimming is easy on the joints, and it's very good for both cardiac health and your core strength. And it also can give you really excellent strength around the shoulders, and hips and knees.”