The Irish king of comedy - Ardal O'Hanlon talks about his New York stand up show and life after "Father Ted"

Exclusive interview with the genius behind the wide-eyed eejit beloved to generations, Dougal

It's the expression on his face. Complete innocence meets complete ignorance meets total surprise. No other Irish actor has produced such an unforgettable look, that signature deer in the headlights expression of Father Dougal, the awful eejit sidekick to Father Ted.

If he wanted to, Irish comedian Ardal O'Hanlon, 47, could bask in the glory of that hit comedy show for the rest of his days. All of Ireland and a good proportion of the the rest of the world would be happy to let him do so.

But O'Hanlon started out as a standup and the itch to perform has never left him, leading him down some interesting roads – to stage plays, films, and writing his own memoirs.

Life has obviously moved on for him since the glory days of Father Ted – he's a husband, father of three and a working actor – but there's no question that the Irish public still adore him for his work on that classic show.

Now on November 16, the Irish in New York will get a special treat when O'Hanlon headlines the third annual Craic Comedy Festival in New York City (sponsored by  by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and Con Edison).

It's a billing that's sure to be a sell-out so you'd be advised to book your tickets for the show at 116 MacDougal now.

O'Hanlon's role in Father Ted has long become the stuff of legend. Irish people quote that show to each other with more enjoyment than just about any other.

Did he know at the time it was comedy gold? When did it start to occur to him how big it was getting?
“I knew it was funny from the first time I read a script but genuinely thought it would be at best a cultish show buried in schedules late at night,” O'Hanlon tells the Irish Voice.

“I thought the subject matter was too obscure for a mainstream British audience. There was nothing in the writers’ resume that suggested they would produce a massive hit. But I do remember shortly before the series was aired for the first time, a few of us sat down in Graham Linehane's (Father Ted's writer) flat and watched the first six episodes back to back.

“And I have to say I was thrilled with the result. I suspected we were on to something. Even though initially the reviews weren’t great, I was confident they were wrong. And soon the show started picking up awards. And then we were off.”

For people who know and love Father Dougal, and there are millions of them, seeing O'Hanlon in person is quite an experience. He's long ago moved on with his life and career, but it must be interesting to see how the character gets confused with the actor playing him?

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Nster.com