Actress Kate Mulgrew visits McGillin’s seeking clarity on the Philly accent

Three days after Christmas, Haley Burke was starting her evening shift at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the storied Center City saloon. As the young server was pouring water for customers and chatting with a coworker, one of two women seated at the bar asked her what part of the city she was from.

“I said I was from the Northeast, and they started talking about how I had a stronger accent,” Burke, 29, recalled.

Then the woman who had started the conversation asked if she’d come around the bar and talk to them.

“She said, ‘This is my friend Kate.’ When I looked over, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’”

The friend was Kate Mulgrew, the award-winning actress who played Red in Orange is the New Black, Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, and loads of other memorable roles stretching back to Mary Ryan in the old soap opera Ryan’s Hope.

Burke is a huge fan; “if Beyoncé was next to me, I would have been less shocked to see her.”

She said the companion told her Mulgrew was in Philadelphia, working on learning the accent.

Variety has reported that Mulgrew has been cast in the upcoming Apple TV series Sinking Spring, a drug-and-crime drama based on the book Dope Thief by Philly-area author Dennis Tafoya. The series, to be directed by Ridley Scott, costars Brian Tyree Henry, an Emmy winner for his role in FX’s Atlanta, and Better Call Saul’s Michael Mando. The series is about old Philly friends and former delinquents who pose as DEA agents to do a small-time grift and find themselves in a life-and-death enterprise. Mulgrew plays Theresa Bowers, a woman who is a mother figure to Henry’s character.

Mulgrew, an Iowa native who has mastered quite a few accents in her long career, could not be reached for comment.

Burke said her time with the star was nothing like she would have imagined when they met.

“I was expecting intimidation, and it was the total opposite. She was so sweet. She gave me a hug,” Burke said. “You know, sometimes they say don’t meet your idol because you might be disappointed, but she was very, very nice. I liked her a lot.”

Burke said Mulgrew asked her about her family and about where she was from.

They also talked about their shared Irish Catholic roots, and Burke said her family takes pride in theirs.

“‘As they should,’“ she said Mulgrew told her.

At their request, Burke gave them her number in case Mulgrew wanted more accent help.

“I was like, I’m 100% down with that.”

They took a photo, too, and McGillin’s posted it on the pub’s Facebook page.

Celebrity sightings are far from uncommon at McGillin’s. The Eagles offensive line was in after Sunday’s win. Visitors have included rock stars, stars of screen and stage, and major political figures.

So far Mulgrew and Burke’s photo has gotten over 2,000 likes and scores of shares, many of whom are clearly Mulgrew fans. Some folks even posted early votes of confidence in her ability to master the challenging local dialect.

“She would do a great Philly mom,” one commenter wrote.

At least one poster was more reserved: “She can probably get the accent,” one person wrote, “but let’s see if she captures that intense, cigarette-sodden buzz-croak of so many older South Philly women.”

Burke hasn’t heard back from Mulgrew or her friend, but her family’s reaction was priceless.

“Their mouths were hanging open. They love her,” Burke said. “They couldn’t believe it.”

She’d love to lend more of her accent expertise. But she’s happy with the chance meeting she had.

”Just the experience was cool enough for me.”