Barry Ward, an Irish actor known for television work, attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to present his latest film, 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans.' Ward has developed a strong connection with the Czech festival, having served as a jury member in 2023, an experience that led to a casting opportunity with director Olmo Omerzu on the subsequent film 'Ungrateful Beings.' This year he returned to introduce documentary director Grant Gee's narrative feature debut, an international co-production featuring a script by acclaimed writer Mark O'Halloran, which premiered earlier at Berlin.

In the film, Ward takes on a supporting role as Harry Evans, the older brother of jazz musician Bill Evans. Despite the character appearing in only two scenes, Ward invested significant effort in the audition process, motivated by both O'Halloran's writing and the emotional complexity of Harry's position. The character grapples with an impossible choice between supporting his troubled younger brother and protecting his family unit, ultimately deciding he cannot provide the help needed and must direct his brother elsewhere—a decision that haunts him thereafter.