‘Did you ask her about the wave machine?’ Derry Girls Jamie-Lee O’Donnell meets Chelsea Clinton

It was a case of art imitating life earlier this week for Derry actress Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, when she met Chelsea Clinton in America.
Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Chelsea Clinton. Picture from Jamie-Lee O'Donnell's Instagram page with her permission.Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Chelsea Clinton. Picture from Jamie-Lee O'Donnell's Instagram page with her permission.
Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Chelsea Clinton. Picture from Jamie-Lee O'Donnell's Instagram page with her permission.

The daughter of Bill and Hilary Clinton, who is also an author and health advocate, was part of a storyline in the series 2 finale of ‘Derry Girls’ when the girls themselves wrote to her.

They wanted her to sample the new wave machine at the local swimming pool during her father’s visit to the city, but much to their disappointment, she did not reply.

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So, when Jamie-Lee, who plays the ever-popular Michelle in the hit Channel 4 series, met Chelsea and her mother Hilary in LA this week, it proved the perfect photo opportunity, which she posted to her social media.

‘What a night, what a pair,’ Jamie Lee told her over 60,000 Instagram followers as she showcased photos she had taken meeting the pair.

In response, Nicola Coughlan, who plays Claire asked: ‘Did you ask her about the wave machine?’ to which Jamie-Lee responded:”Yes! She got involved! So funny!”

Louisa Harland, who plays Orla, replied: ‘I can die now.’

Writer Lisa McGee told the New York Times that the storyline originated from her own tale, when she wrote to Chelsea Clinton asking her to accompany her to see a film at Strand Cinema during her father’s historic visit in 2015. Just like her characters, she did not receive a response.

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However, that could all change now that Chelsea and Hilary Clinton are fans of the show, which is set to return for a third series.

‘Derry Girls’ has been a big hit around the world and has been nominated for a string of awards, the most recent being in the I Talk Telly awards.