Fair City [News, Spoilers and Discussion]

Beans_On

whats the story with christy/carol story?

havent seen it in weeks and cant make out if he knows or not!

robo

Dean made the same cup-cakes that Superquinn are selling

Gingersnaps

whats the story with christy/carol story?

havent seen it in weeks and cant make out if he knows or not!

He definitely knows.

STIG83

Neasa looked so different without make up

angel01

Fittle wrote: »

Could anyone figure out the date neasa actually had her first date with turlough and her, over-wraught with grief:rolleyes:

They had their first date 23rd January.. :rolleyes:

JonathanAnon

angel01 wrote: »

They had their first date 23rd January.. :rolleyes:

You gotta be kidding?? I think it was at least three days more than that.. I wonder will they be calling Neasa "The Black Widow" round Carrigstown now..

angel01

JonathanAnon wrote: »

You gotta be kidding?? I think it was at least three days more than that.. I wonder will they be calling Neasa "The Black Widow" round Carrigstown now..

I posted on the 26th January the following:

Neasa and Turlough went on a date together in Vinos on Sunday night.. I am behind in episodes but am catching up now ...

So it was the 23rd of January for definate!!

dirtyghettokid

wow not even a month together... fastest relationship ever!
i think it's silly to bring back a character only for a few weeks and then dump em off for good! :rolleyes:

JP Liz V1

Did Ray say last night than Una wont make it back for Turlough's funeral surely the funeral could be held off or not shown on screen so Una could be at it :rolleyes:

kippy

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

wow not even a month together... fastest relationship ever!
i think it's silly to bring back a character only for a few weeks and then dump em off for good! :rolleyes:

I agree, a bit unrealistic on the timing side but if you think about about it a character is just a "device" in whatever that character is in.
It appears that the writers used Turloughs character for two reasons.
1. They needed something to change Neasa. She was pretty........boring to be honest. Who knows how she will change now and perhaps she will get a wad of cash out of it which leads to other storylines.
2. Bob. Turlough has helped bring Bob back into the fold, people have new found respect for him, bob has changed (or has he) and also bob is no longer poor, he has a couple of hundred k in his pocket which I am sure will add some spice to upcoming storylines. I suspect he will by the share of the garage which has been doing the rounds in the past week with it for a start.

SoapFan27

kippyQuote:
Originally Posted by dirtyghettokid
wow not even a month together... fastest relationship ever!
i think it's silly to bring back a character only for a few weeks and then dump em off for good!

I agree, a bit unrealistic on the timing side but if you think about about it a character is just a "device" in whatever that character is in.
It appears that the writers used Turloughs character for two reasons.
1. They needed something to change Neasa. She was pretty........boring to be honest. Who knows how she will change now and perhaps she will get a wad of cash out of it which leads to other storylines.
2. Bob. Turlough has helped bring Bob back into the fold, people have new found respect for him, bob has changed (or has he) and also bob is no longer poor, he has a couple of hundred k in his pocket which I am sure will add some spice to upcoming storylines. I suspect he will by the share of the garage which has been doing the rounds in the past week with it for a start.

Yes looking forward to seeing what Bob does with the money....he is a brilliant actor.

Also agree with the comments on other posts about Dean, they are turning him into an a**hole - cannot believe Caoimhe did not walk out of the pool room that night!

Looking forward to some fireworks with Louies wife coming into the show, It might have been better if they sent carol off with christy and for louies wife to be behind the bar or somewhere like that when she got back...:D

angel01

Interesting to see what happens with Louie's exwife, no doubt it will all be Carol being jealous not being centre of attention for once...

To think they didn't cast me for the role.. the cheek of them! especially after I encouraged Brigie to bring back his exwife and kids!! :eek::eek:

Gingersnaps

STIG83 wrote: »

Neasa looked so different without make up

Yeah. But she's still Hot Hot Hot! I wouldn't mind comforting the grieving widow.

(I know she's not actually a widow as they weren't married,...but you know what I mean)

deelite

SoapFan27 wrote: »

Yes looking forward to seeing what Bob does with the money....he is a brilliant actor.

D

I think Louie is going to have to sell the pub to help out the ex wife - giving Bob a chance to take back his rightful place, and louie will be broke and Carol won't want him any more and he'll go back on the coke. Reversing the roles of him and bob..;);)

jos28

deelite wrote: »

I think Louie is going to have to sell the pub to help out the ex wife - giving Bob a chance to take back his rightful place, and louie will be broke and Carol won't want him any more and he'll go back on the coke. Reversing the roles of him and bob..;);)

I reckon you are on the right track there, Dee !

deelite

jos28 wrote: »

I reckon you are on the right track there, Dee !

I hope so.:D

dirtyghettokid

haha would be entertaining, but i don't want to see any coke heads on the show

deelite

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

haha would be entertaining, but i don't want to see any coke heads on the show

Louie was mad into the coke (I think that's why he and the wife separated) and he also got Zumo to get him some coke last year. I think it would be interesting to see them exploring Louie a "coke head"....:D

angel01

Sunday

Bob taunts a frustrated Louie over being forced to sell Vinos. Louie tells Carol he is depressed about the imminent sale. Orla confronts Keith over his reluctance to quit a role that he obviously hates. Neasa confronts Bob and asks him where the €200,000 draft is. They both argue who had a right to it. He tells her that she has no legal rights to it and it was made out to him. Bob then goes to the Dillons' home and tells Judith and Tommy that Neasa is accusing him of horrible things and she needs to be looked after.

Philip calls to the Dillons but his lie is exposed when Caoimhe opens his bandage and they realise that it is only made from marker. He tells Dearbhla that he only did it to impress her and they agree their friendship is too much pressure but end on good terms. Bob attacks Neasa when she calls the guards to complain about him and he accuses her of being used by Turlough, calling her a gullible, empty headed bimbo. A distraught Neasa runs home and reveals Bob's abuse to her parents. She agrees to stay there for the night and relaxes in the warmth of her family.

Carol indirectly seeks reassurance from Yvonne that nothing will ever happen again between Ingrid and Louie. A relieved Keith finds a way out of his new role, saying it wouldn't be fair on Ray if he kept it on. Ray and Keith then meet in McCoys and celebrate their reunification as comrades. A supportive Carol tells Louie he is doing the right thing to sacrifice his property for his children.

Tuesday

Yvonne bumps into Damien and tells him that Bela would love if he called to him and that he misses him. Neasa tells her mum and dad that she is heading back to Turlough's house and refuses to move home, saying she is going to get the better of Bob. Decco disappoints Eileen by refusing to help her move stolen goods by pretending he has a sore arm. She forces Zumo to help her instead. Judith approaches Deegan about the money Bob took from Turlough but she learns he has beaten her to it and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Caoimhe goes up to Dean in the Hungry Pig but he refuses, pretending that he has a date with a surprised Damien. He confides in Damien that while he likes her he is not serious about their relationship. At the surgery, Vivienne learns that Judith bends the rules so some patients can claim on a medical card, even if it is illegal. Ingrid tells Louie that the lawyer is over on business and will be meeting them to discuss their agreement. He meets Russell, who attempts to be very formal with him.

Carol takes the kids so they won't be around the discussions, but learns that Russell is Ingrid's Dad. She panics and calls Louie warning him of this. He turns to Ingrid and Russell demanding the truth and they reveal that they are together. He angrily tells them he is going to fight for custody. Dean jokes that he likes flirting with Yvonne, especially when it gets her angry. His throwaway comments hurt Damien. Eileen is stood up by Zumo and Ray gallantly helps her lift the boxes.

Suzanne arrives at Vinos and surprises Yvonne with her return. Dean tries to prevent Damien from seeing her and they have an awkward exchange. Decco calls to the surgery much to Judith's annoyance. He tells Caoimhne that he is interested in applying for colleges and asks her for her help. A smitten Eileen asks Zumo to give Ray chocolates as a thanks and he grows suspicious of her motives. He calls to the house and is put in an embarrassing position when Deegan goads him for giving chocolates to Ray.

Bela is delighted to learn that Suzanne is back and give her a big hug and a welcome. Damien clashes with Dean when he tries to advise him on how to handle Suzanne's return. Carol urges Louie not to be so rash and to think of the kids when he is dealing with Ingrid. Suzanne contacts Damien and asks to see him. They meet outside the flat and he tells her he wants her to leave him alone and that if she respects him she will. He leaves her tearful and shaken.

Wednesday

Louie announces that he doesn't want to sell and Carol accuses him of letting Bob influence his thinking and actions. Vivienne refuses to let Decco move back in, much to Charlotte's disgust. In Vinos, Yvonne begs Bela to give Sarah another chance. He agrees but when Suzanne mentions that they could go to family therapy he storms out. Zumo is surprised that Eileen has such strong feeling for Ray. When he points out she is much older she states she can 'still do up [her] own shoes and laces - without bending [her] knees!'

Judith calls a staff meeting with Robert, Vivienne and Caoimhe. She hides her concern when it is concluded that it could be her or Decco who did it. She insists that Decco didn't do it. Louie tells a horrified Ingrid that the deal is off. Louie and Russell lose it and he mentions Louie's drug past, prompting Louie to ask him to go outside for a fight. He later tells Carol that he'll use Bob's money for a lawyer. Ray is shocked when Eileen makes a play for him.

Decco learns of Judith's accusations and keeps his cool but warns Vivienne that Judith had better watch her back. Neasa agrees to some father-daughter time with Tommy in Kilkenny. A distraught Vivienne confesses to stealing the prescription pads in order to protect Judith from any harm. She cries and pleads her case not to tell Deegan as she needs to help Charlotte. Ingrid breaks down to Louie and tells him it is not an insurance claim but a fraud claim and she could go to jail. She begs him not to separate her from her children.

Tommy collects Neasa's things from Turlough's house and confronts Bob. He tells him if he ever hurts Neasa again he'll kill him. Judith lies to Deegan about not knowing who stole the prescription, so she can save the reputation of the surgery. Ingrid approaches Carol and tells her the truth. She begs Carol to help her and she promises to talk to Louie.

Louie refuses Carol's request to talk to Ingrid and she points out some home truths which give him a wake-up call. Deegan advises a distraught Ray to get away from Eileen as quickly as possible. A cold and calculated Judith fires a shocked Vivienne.

angel01

This week's preview - Ep 029

Tuesday 15th February

Carol and Louie switch off all distractions to have a lie in.
Could Finn's stake in the garage be the reason that Keith is getting a hard time in work?
Neasa is consumed with grief, and Bob offers his support. (That's right Bob!)
Louie's ex-wife comes looking for him.
Dermot puts in a word to Dearbhla for Philip.
An over-wrought Neasa blames herself on Turlough's death.
And Ingrid lays down her demands.

Written by Noel McGee.

This week's preview - Ep 030

Wednesday 16th February

Louie wakes up eager to raise funds.
Judith worries about the influence Philip may have on Dearbhla.
Yvonne offers her support to Louie, and Carol feels like she's out of the picture.
Finn gives Keith a leg up in the garage.
Bob goes running to the Dillons to keep them informed of Neasa's state of mind. Could he have an alternative motive?
Keith throws his weight around the garage.
Louie stands Carol up, in favour of an evening with Ingrid and their children.

Written by Noel McGee.

This week's preview - Ep 031

Thursday 17th February

Ingrid, Joey and Clara wake up in McCoys.
Neasa leans on Bob, and Bob leans on Tommy.
It's World War 3 in the garage as Ray clashes with the new head mechanic.
Carol questions Ingrid's motives and her rush!
Dermot helps Philip with his tattoo.
And Russell reminds Ingrid of the importance of Louie paying up on time.

Written by Ted Gannon.

This week's preview - Ep 032

Sunday 20th February

An auction goes up over the Hungry Pig, much to the delight of Bob Charles.
Keith's promotion gets him down.
Philip's white lie is exposed by Judith.
Bob's mask finally slips.
Carol susses Yvonne out for information on Ingrid and Louie's relationship.
The McGrath brothers decide to take a back seat in the garage business.
Tommy and Judith welcome Neasa back into the fold.
And Bob, once again, enjoys the high life.

Written by Ted Gannon.
Directed by Gary Agnew.
Location Director Shirley Dalton.

dirtyghettokid

just reading the tom hopkins meet the actors on the fair city website. he is hilarious! love his sense of humour!

JP Liz V1

deelite wrote: »

I think Louie is going to have to sell the pub to help out the ex wife - giving Bob a chance to take back his rightful place, and louie will be broke and Carol won't want him any more and he'll go back on the coke. Reversing the roles of him and bob..;);)

Yes this sounds likely

angel01

Brilliant interview!!

Christy has been unlucky in love in the past when his wife Renee left him for Bob Charles. He briefly thought his luck had changed but he now finds himself with another love cheat! In the words of Cheryl Tweedy, should he fight for this love?

We put some of your questions to Tom Hopkins.

Should Christy give Louie a good seeing to since he has found out that Louie is after Carol?
I have heard the phrase 'a good seeing to' spoken about half a dozen times in my life, mostly from my early sojourn in England, and upon reading this question I had a nagging and vague recollection as to its meaning. So naturally I Googled it. The Urban dictionary confirmed my worst suspicions, to wit;
To give someone a 'seeing to' or a 'good seeing to' is to (expletive deleted but it generally means have unmentionable intercourse with) them
To follow this advice would be counter productive in my humble opinion as it might drive Carol into a deeper state of confusion than she already suffers from if not push her over the edge entirely. Some might say it would make an . interesting scene . but seriously! On the other hand realising how often sex and violence go hand in hand in drama land this question may be asking for an alternative seeing to for Louie. Both Christy and I know this would be a fatal mistake. Don't forget Christy has been down this road and last time he lost. So this time instead of focusing all of his anger on his rival Louie, (who, let's face it Christy likes) he has chosen to make clear and very public his devotion to his beloved, Carol. And who knows, he might win.

Who did you prefer kissing: Renee or Carol?

I enjoy kissing my wife! As for Renee and Carol only Christy can speak for himself.

Christy: When I was going out with Renee first I couldn't stop snogging her, you know, in the garden, in the kitchen, up in the - well I was livin' at me Ma's so we couldn't go up to me bedroom, but everywhere else it was just one long snogfest. We were together for over twenty years and at the end we barely pecked each other on the cheek once a week. I even tried to kiss her in the shop once when she had already moved in with you-know-who but it was like sucking marble, cold and dead. That was sooooo sad. These days when I kiss Carol it's like one of those Halloween sparklers lights up in me chest. It's heartburn of pleasure. She un-creases my wrinkles for me I can tell you that! 'Nuff said?'
End of scene.

Does your wife mind seeing you with another woman on screen?

She knows where I am and who I'm with. Tina and I have been together since 1976 when we met at a local Sports and Social club. We met in August were engaged on the 14th. Of February (yes!) '77 and married on the 14th. February (seriously) 1978. We have two sons, one daughter-in-law and one grandson, as well as three dogs. Me with another woman? Tina would laugh her head off!

Do you think Carol is Christy's last chance at love?
Heck no! Opportunities surround us all the time if we but have the eyes to see them. There are no such things as last chances. Who knows what tomorrow might bring? Last chances are only possible when we give up trying or worse, stand in our own way. And it's true that it sometimes happens when we suffer a knock back in our confidence. A thing like that can make us doubt or even dislike ourselves. When we feel we often find it hard to offer ourselves in love. Put it another way, if Christy dislikes himself how would he have the confidence to offer himself to a new romance? However if he gets past Carol's infidelity and his own selfish need to hold onto her like she is his possession, then he will be able to open himself to receive love as an unselfish act, an act of caring, and maybe he will learn to respond in kind. The question is has he been hurt so much that he fails to recognise true love when it comes knocking on his door?

Will Christy become a misogynist now? If not, why not?
That's a bit of a loaded question. It may be based on a serious misconception of what misogyny is. I took this from Wikipedia:

Michael Flood defines misogyny as the hatred of women and notes:

"Though most common in men, misogyny also exists in and is practiced by women against other women or even themselves. Misogyny functions as an ideology or belief system that has accompanied patriarchal or male-dominated societies for thousands of years and continues to place women in subordinate positions with limited access to power and decision making. [...] Aristotle contended that women exist as natural deformities or imperfect males [...] Ever since, women in Western cultures have internalised their role as societal scapegoats, influenced in the twenty-first century by multimedia objectification of women with its culturally sanctioned self-loathing and fixations on plastic surgery, anorexia and bulimia."

Why would Christy become a hater of women because he was unlucky in love? That does not seem a logical step to me because one woman (ok two!) does not an entire gender make. Christy has been hurt by men too so why wouldn't he become a misandrist by the same logic? Pathological hatred of women is a disease; ideological hatred of women is a perverse political strategy. All hatred has its roots in fear. Christy doesn't fear women per se; he by and large doesn't fully understand them. But he's learning don't you think?

Which lady in the cast deserves Christy?
You might not think so but I spent a lot of time thinking about this. Of all the ladies in the cast (by which I assume is meant the characters and not the actresses, because I wouldn't inflict Christy on any of them) the only one who is straight enough to deserve Christy is (drum roll) Carol! Yeah, I know. Surprised me as well, but in some ways it explains her reluctance to come out and tell him she's finished with him. Because you know she really does deserve him, as the ad says she's worth it. And she knows Louie will hurt her. You know he will. Yes you do. Carol likes bad boys.

Do you identify with the character of Christy?
Christy is kinder than I am, more sensitive and less egotistical than I. Many people would describe me as somewhat cold and aloof, over analytical and generally too detached. I think deeply about things Christy feels deeply about things, Christy is a companionable character in relationships and in his community I'm a bit of a loner, I read an inordinate amount, Christy buys the DVD. Are you asking how someone like me can play someone like Christy? I could write a book on that subject. No I don't identify with Christy but I do try and be true to his nature and sideline my own ego.

Christy is quite a funny character, are you a funny person in real life?
Funny-peculiar maybe. But then I'm a bad judge because I don't see Christy as being particularly funny. I think Ray is funny and is a good straight man for Keith. I think Bob is funny and many of the cast are astonishingly funny and have an uncanny ability to breathe comic life and dead-pan humour into the stiffest of speeches. Am I a funny person? I don't think so but people are always laughing at me, does that count?

Are the sweets in Phelan's real and do you ever eat any?
Hmmm.! The sweets in the shop are real, as far as I know everything in the shop is real in the sense that it says what it does on the tin but much of it is past its sell-by date. By and large I'm not a sweets person and I would only ever eat the stock if explicitly directed to do so. I seem to recall Ray and Christy enjoying a lollipop each once. I draw an emotional line between properties and 'real' objects whether those objects are the real thing or the art department's copy. It is not the reality or the fakery of a prop that carries the truth of a scene but the actor/character's response to that prop. If I cross that line the audience is likely to cease suspending their disbelief and the illusion of reality collapses whether the sweets are real or just bits of wood wrapped in silver.

Where is Farrah? Did Christy fall out with her?
Keeping Farrah in Carrigstown proved to be too much for Christy. She was just too devoted to travel. On one of her forays across the Irish Sea she landed a job with a glossy magazine and now she travels all over the world on photo-shoots and interviews and loads of other cool stuff that Christy knows nothing about. This has made it impossible for her to schedule appearances in her old city for such things as funerals, weddings and court cases. But people still remember her fondly and are always asking the poor shopkeeper questions he cannot answer.

Do you prefer work in theatre or TV? Have you been in any films?
Acting is creation and craft. The creative work is all internal, psychologically orienting the appropriate persona so the physical movement and gesture is instinctive and natural. This work is the same for the actor no matter what the medium. All of that internal work has then to be crafted to suit the working conditions. For theatre it is projected into the auditorium at a larger than life ratio whereas for TV it is reduced to a minimum of movement and gesture and possibly slowed down because the camera and the ever present boom mic can capture much more than the singularity of human focus. I love the internal creative side of my job so I enjoy working in either medium and do not have a preference for either one. There are aspects of each that I prefer to the other, for example in theatre I enjoy the luxury of the four week rehearsal process whereas in TV I enjoy the variety of evolving storylines. I have worked on film, generally small independent outfits but never as a main or supporting character so it is unlikely anyone will see any of that work.

Do you miss Eunice?
Do I miss Joan O'Hara? More than anyone will ever know. I could eulogise for the rest of the afternoon about one of our greatest actors and it still would not get to the heart of the silent empty space she left behind. Suffice it to say this, she taught me more about the craft of acting than all the courses, books, teachers and workshops that I partook in all my life. She brought joy to whatever stage she graced and her light hearted humour brought a smile to every face. And that feeling I have tried to incorporate into Christy's loss of his mother. Eunice was a scatter brained, irrational and constantly erupting influence in his life and yet she was his fountain of wisdom in times of trouble. They had that oddly Irish mother-son relationship that is best described in the saying 'the one that gives the most trouble, the mother loves double'. Ironically, since her death Christy has matured into an adult member of society. Is that not true of us all in some respects?

If Christy could open a new business in Carrigstown what you like it to be?
An undertaker's. Plenty of business for that in Carrigstown, but I'm not sure if Christy would approve. God alone knows where the embalming fluid might get to. He has toyed with the idea of running a bookie's office but he's afraid he might be too much of a punter and not enough of a cold hearted realist. A fish and chip shop might be good; he'd only have to open in the evenings when the crowds were coming out from McCoy's. Or he might go back to night school and learn how to cut hair. There is a sore need for a barber's shop in Carrigstown. Have you seen some of the haircuts?

What has been your favourite Christy storyline so far?
That would have to be the death of Floyd and the subsequent trial of Brendan. It offered me as an actor many contrasting and conflicting emotional journeys that were very artistically satisfying. Although I have to say that Christy's current journey of winning Carol by kindness is offering novel and unusual challenges. I'm in the midst of creating the central truth of that journey at the moment and Christy is finding it hard to hold his tongue and remain steadfast to his love for her in the face of her continuing infidelity. I have not yet answered for myself the question of whether it is more important for him to win the battle or win his beloved. If the battle is more important then what will happen to his relationship with Carol when the battle is over? If it is his beloved then can he let her go to where she really wants to be? I love being an actor.

What storyline would you like Christy to have?
There are so many, but the two that jump to mind are the father-daughter relationship in which the father has to deal with an emotionally disturbed daughter as with Bela and Suzanne and the journey Bob had to make in overcoming his anger and working with and for the man who conned him out of both his love and his money. Both of these situations were brilliantly portrayed and it would have been interesting to me to discover Christy's responses given similar circumstances.

What would be your dream role in a movie be?
I'm not sure I dream that way. Let me see if I can answer this. I watch a lot of movies and I love everything from romance, to mystery, to thriller, to action, to character driven open-ended dramas. But I would never instinctively desire to replay a character created by another actor. In the matter of character creation I like to approach an empty space as it were, a blank page upon which to circumscribe and eventually mark the character's territory. If I was offered a part that had once been created by another actor I would totally ignore his work and instead of trying to mimic him I would start all over again from the beginning. The practical answer to your question is my dream role would be one that brought a seven figure payday with it.

Some Fair City cast have become authors. Do you have any interest in writing? Is there a book you wish you had written?
I've been trying to write a novel since my twenties. Not the same novel, but different ideas at different times. My problem is not starting but finishing. I have no problem putting words down on paper as you might guess, but after about two weeks of that I reread what I have written and almost invariably pick holes in it and shelve it. I know! I'm trying to get it perfect the first time around. I wish there was a personal trainer for first time novelists. On the other hand I wish that I had written a book on acting. I think I have an original approach that others might find interesting. I think acting (not drama, but acting) should be taught in schools, because the art and craft of it impart so many useful self-development and social interaction techniques. Not to mention the benefits of personal self-awareness. One of these days ...

What was your favourite job apart from acting?
In another lifetime in the nineteen sixties I was a conductor on the Blackpool trams. Can you imagine? Yes, it was all that!

If you weren't an actor what would be?

A civil servant or dead. Which leads us nicely to.
Why & how did you get into acting?
I was working in the lower ranks of the civil service in what was known as the Land Commission. During a political frenzy of 'de-centralisation' in the seventies many of the department were dispatched to Castlebar and some of their colleagues decided to do something a little different for their send-off. They came up with the idea for a sketch, based on Frank Hall's Ballymagash Urban District Council trying to figure out how they were going to handle this sudden inrush of 'people from Dublin'. They advertised for volunteers on the notice board and yours truly put his name down. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we formed a full-fledged Amateur Drama Group and I realised that my life was in a rut working where I was. With the support of my sainted wife I gave up that job and decided to go out on my own to work in theatre. If not as an actor in whatever capacity I could. After many adventures in Community Theatres as actor, director and producer, I was getting older and our family was growing so I decided to take a more responsible view of my situation and give up acting. I thought I might make a go of teaching Drama and went to a college in Coolock where I formally studied Theatre as a subject. This led to me getting a place as a mature student in the Theatre Studies Course in Trinity College. This was a four year course and in my third year, in dire need of funds, I heard about an open casting for a TV advertisement. I went along and happily got the job. When the ad aired I got a call from the producer of Fair City who asked if I would be interested in auditioning for a part. So I was an actor again. If I had stayed on in the Land Commission I have no doubt that I would be in the ground today, in spirit if not in reality.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer someone hoping to become an actor?
To me acting is like a religion. I will go further it is my religion. There is no one piece of advice, one magic formula for becoming an actor. There are many roads and ways to achieving success in this profession. Some actors are formally trained some actors are self-taught. Some actors rely on technique some actors are pure instinct. But everybody can benefit from training. While talent may get you the job it's training that gives the stamina to sustain performance night after night or episode after episode. Of more importance to my mind is that you ask yourself, and honestly answer the question 'why do I want to be an actor?' If your answer is 'I want to be famous,' then let me tell you that there are probably about ten million unknown actors in the world for every famous one. If your answer is 'I want to be rich,' then let me tell you there are probably one hundred million broke actors in the world for every rich one. So when I use the word success I don't mean becoming rich and famous. Ask yourself this, 'why do all those unknown broke actors in the world go on doing it?' The answer is whether rich or poor known or unknown we love the work we do, and we do the work we love. There is a lot of standing around in this business waiting for the right light or the next scene and one of my colleagues has this to say about it: "They pay us for waiting around, the acting we do for nothing." If you truly want to be an actor and nothing can stop you, and you are prepared to put up with anonymity, not much money and partly empty halls, and you will persevere because this is what you want to do with your life, then get training, get an agent and treat every piece of dramatic writing as if it were scripture.

Who would you like to play you in a movie of your life?
Dustin Hoffman. If he's not available the turkey could probably hack it.

kippy

angel01 wrote: »

Brilliant interview!!

Christy has been unlucky in love in the past when his wife Renee left him for Bob Charles. He briefly thought his luck had changed but he now finds himself with another love cheat! In the words of Cheryl Tweedy, should he fight for this love?

We put some of your questions to Tom Hopkins.

Should Christy give Louie a good seeing to since he has found out that Louie is after Carol?
I have heard the phrase 'a good seeing to' spoken about half a dozen times in my life, mostly from my early sojourn in England, and upon reading this question I had a nagging and vague recollection as to its meaning. So naturally I Googled it. The Urban dictionary confirmed my worst suspicions, to wit;
To give someone a 'seeing to' or a 'good seeing to' is to (expletive deleted but it generally means have unmentionable intercourse with) them
To follow this advice would be counter productive in my humble opinion as it might drive Carol into a deeper state of confusion than she already suffers from if not push her over the edge entirely. Some might say it would make an . interesting scene . but seriously! On the other hand realising how often sex and violence go hand in hand in drama land this question may be asking for an alternative seeing to for Louie. Both Christy and I know this would be a fatal mistake. Don't forget Christy has been down this road and last time he lost. So this time instead of focusing all of his anger on his rival Louie, (who, let's face it Christy likes) he has chosen to make clear and very public his devotion to his beloved, Carol. And who knows, he might win.

Who did you prefer kissing: Renee or Carol?

I enjoy kissing my wife! As for Renee and Carol only Christy can speak for himself.

Christy: When I was going out with Renee first I couldn't stop snogging her, you know, in the garden, in the kitchen, up in the - well I was livin' at me Ma's so we couldn't go up to me bedroom, but everywhere else it was just one long snogfest. We were together for over twenty years and at the end we barely pecked each other on the cheek once a week. I even tried to kiss her in the shop once when she had already moved in with you-know-who but it was like sucking marble, cold and dead. That was sooooo sad. These days when I kiss Carol it's like one of those Halloween sparklers lights up in me chest. It's heartburn of pleasure. She un-creases my wrinkles for me I can tell you that! 'Nuff said?'
End of scene.

Does your wife mind seeing you with another woman on screen?

She knows where I am and who I'm with. Tina and I have been together since 1976 when we met at a local Sports and Social club. We met in August were engaged on the 14th. Of February (yes!) '77 and married on the 14th. February (seriously) 1978. We have two sons, one daughter-in-law and one grandson, as well as three dogs. Me with another woman? Tina would laugh her head off!

Do you think Carol is Christy's last chance at love?
Heck no! Opportunities surround us all the time if we but have the eyes to see them. There are no such things as last chances. Who knows what tomorrow might bring? Last chances are only possible when we give up trying or worse, stand in our own way. And it's true that it sometimes happens when we suffer a knock back in our confidence. A thing like that can make us doubt or even dislike ourselves. When we feel we often find it hard to offer ourselves in love. Put it another way, if Christy dislikes himself how would he have the confidence to offer himself to a new romance? However if he gets past Carol's infidelity and his own selfish need to hold onto her like she is his possession, then he will be able to open himself to receive love as an unselfish act, an act of caring, and maybe he will learn to respond in kind. The question is has he been hurt so much that he fails to recognise true love when it comes knocking on his door?

Will Christy become a misogynist now? If not, why not?
That's a bit of a loaded question. It may be based on a serious misconception of what misogyny is. I took this from Wikipedia:

Michael Flood defines misogyny as the hatred of women and notes:

"Though most common in men, misogyny also exists in and is practiced by women against other women or even themselves. Misogyny functions as an ideology or belief system that has accompanied patriarchal or male-dominated societies for thousands of years and continues to place women in subordinate positions with limited access to power and decision making. [...] Aristotle contended that women exist as natural deformities or imperfect males [...] Ever since, women in Western cultures have internalised their role as societal scapegoats, influenced in the twenty-first century by multimedia objectification of women with its culturally sanctioned self-loathing and fixations on plastic surgery, anorexia and bulimia."

Why would Christy become a hater of women because he was unlucky in love? That does not seem a logical step to me because one woman (ok two!) does not an entire gender make. Christy has been hurt by men too so why wouldn't he become a misandrist by the same logic? Pathological hatred of women is a disease; ideological hatred of women is a perverse political strategy. All hatred has its roots in fear. Christy doesn't fear women per se; he by and large doesn't fully understand them. But he's learning don't you think?

Which lady in the cast deserves Christy?
You might not think so but I spent a lot of time thinking about this. Of all the ladies in the cast (by which I assume is meant the characters and not the actresses, because I wouldn't inflict Christy on any of them) the only one who is straight enough to deserve Christy is (drum roll) Carol! Yeah, I know. Surprised me as well, but in some ways it explains her reluctance to come out and tell him she's finished with him. Because you know she really does deserve him, as the ad says she's worth it. And she knows Louie will hurt her. You know he will. Yes you do. Carol likes bad boys.

Do you identify with the character of Christy?
Christy is kinder than I am, more sensitive and less egotistical than I. Many people would describe me as somewhat cold and aloof, over analytical and generally too detached. I think deeply about things Christy feels deeply about things, Christy is a companionable character in relationships and in his community I'm a bit of a loner, I read an inordinate amount, Christy buys the DVD. Are you asking how someone like me can play someone like Christy? I could write a book on that subject. No I don't identify with Christy but I do try and be true to his nature and sideline my own ego.

Christy is quite a funny character, are you a funny person in real life?
Funny-peculiar maybe. But then I'm a bad judge because I don't see Christy as being particularly funny. I think Ray is funny and is a good straight man for Keith. I think Bob is funny and many of the cast are astonishingly funny and have an uncanny ability to breathe comic life and dead-pan humour into the stiffest of speeches. Am I a funny person? I don't think so but people are always laughing at me, does that count?

Are the sweets in Phelan's real and do you ever eat any?
Hmmm.! The sweets in the shop are real, as far as I know everything in the shop is real in the sense that it says what it does on the tin but much of it is past its sell-by date. By and large I'm not a sweets person and I would only ever eat the stock if explicitly directed to do so. I seem to recall Ray and Christy enjoying a lollipop each once. I draw an emotional line between properties and 'real' objects whether those objects are the real thing or the art department's copy. It is not the reality or the fakery of a prop that carries the truth of a scene but the actor/character's response to that prop. If I cross that line the audience is likely to cease suspending their disbelief and the illusion of reality collapses whether the sweets are real or just bits of wood wrapped in silver.

Where is Farrah? Did Christy fall out with her?
Keeping Farrah in Carrigstown proved to be too much for Christy. She was just too devoted to travel. On one of her forays across the Irish Sea she landed a job with a glossy magazine and now she travels all over the world on photo-shoots and interviews and loads of other cool stuff that Christy knows nothing about. This has made it impossible for her to schedule appearances in her old city for such things as funerals, weddings and court cases. But people still remember her fondly and are always asking the poor shopkeeper questions he cannot answer.

Do you prefer work in theatre or TV? Have you been in any films?
Acting is creation and craft. The creative work is all internal, psychologically orienting the appropriate persona so the physical movement and gesture is instinctive and natural. This work is the same for the actor no matter what the medium. All of that internal work has then to be crafted to suit the working conditions. For theatre it is projected into the auditorium at a larger than life ratio whereas for TV it is reduced to a minimum of movement and gesture and possibly slowed down because the camera and the ever present boom mic can capture much more than the singularity of human focus. I love the internal creative side of my job so I enjoy working in either medium and do not have a preference for either one. There are aspects of each that I prefer to the other, for example in theatre I enjoy the luxury of the four week rehearsal process whereas in TV I enjoy the variety of evolving storylines. I have worked on film, generally small independent outfits but never as a main or supporting character so it is unlikely anyone will see any of that work.

Do you miss Eunice?
Do I miss Joan O'Hara? More than anyone will ever know. I could eulogise for the rest of the afternoon about one of our greatest actors and it still would not get to the heart of the silent empty space she left behind. Suffice it to say this, she taught me more about the craft of acting than all the courses, books, teachers and workshops that I partook in all my life. She brought joy to whatever stage she graced and her light hearted humour brought a smile to every face. And that feeling I have tried to incorporate into Christy's loss of his mother. Eunice was a scatter brained, irrational and constantly erupting influence in his life and yet she was his fountain of wisdom in times of trouble. They had that oddly Irish mother-son relationship that is best described in the saying 'the one that gives the most trouble, the mother loves double'. Ironically, since her death Christy has matured into an adult member of society. Is that not true of us all in some respects?

If Christy could open a new business in Carrigstown what you like it to be?
An undertaker's. Plenty of business for that in Carrigstown, but I'm not sure if Christy would approve. God alone knows where the embalming fluid might get to. He has toyed with the idea of running a bookie's office but he's afraid he might be too much of a punter and not enough of a cold hearted realist. A fish and chip shop might be good; he'd only have to open in the evenings when the crowds were coming out from McCoy's. Or he might go back to night school and learn how to cut hair. There is a sore need for a barber's shop in Carrigstown. Have you seen some of the haircuts?

What has been your favourite Christy storyline so far?
That would have to be the death of Floyd and the subsequent trial of Brendan. It offered me as an actor many contrasting and conflicting emotional journeys that were very artistically satisfying. Although I have to say that Christy's current journey of winning Carol by kindness is offering novel and unusual challenges. I'm in the midst of creating the central truth of that journey at the moment and Christy is finding it hard to hold his tongue and remain steadfast to his love for her in the face of her continuing infidelity. I have not yet answered for myself the question of whether it is more important for him to win the battle or win his beloved. If the battle is more important then what will happen to his relationship with Carol when the battle is over? If it is his beloved then can he let her go to where she really wants to be? I love being an actor.

What storyline would you like Christy to have?
There are so many, but the two that jump to mind are the father-daughter relationship in which the father has to deal with an emotionally disturbed daughter as with Bela and Suzanne and the journey Bob had to make in overcoming his anger and working with and for the man who conned him out of both his love and his money. Both of these situations were brilliantly portrayed and it would have been interesting to me to discover Christy's responses given similar circumstances.

What would be your dream role in a movie be?
I'm not sure I dream that way. Let me see if I can answer this. I watch a lot of movies and I love everything from romance, to mystery, to thriller, to action, to character driven open-ended dramas. But I would never instinctively desire to replay a character created by another actor. In the matter of character creation I like to approach an empty space as it were, a blank page upon which to circumscribe and eventually mark the character's territory. If I was offered a part that had once been created by another actor I would totally ignore his work and instead of trying to mimic him I would start all over again from the beginning. The practical answer to your question is my dream role would be one that brought a seven figure payday with it.

Some Fair City cast have become authors. Do you have any interest in writing? Is there a book you wish you had written?
I've been trying to write a novel since my twenties. Not the same novel, but different ideas at different times. My problem is not starting but finishing. I have no problem putting words down on paper as you might guess, but after about two weeks of that I reread what I have written and almost invariably pick holes in it and shelve it. I know! I'm trying to get it perfect the first time around. I wish there was a personal trainer for first time novelists. On the other hand I wish that I had written a book on acting. I think I have an original approach that others might find interesting. I think acting (not drama, but acting) should be taught in schools, because the art and craft of it impart so many useful self-development and social interaction techniques. Not to mention the benefits of personal self-awareness. One of these days ...

What was your favourite job apart from acting?
In another lifetime in the nineteen sixties I was a conductor on the Blackpool trams. Can you imagine? Yes, it was all that!

If you weren't an actor what would be?

A civil servant or dead. Which leads us nicely to.
Why & how did you get into acting?
I was working in the lower ranks of the civil service in what was known as the Land Commission. During a political frenzy of 'de-centralisation' in the seventies many of the department were dispatched to Castlebar and some of their colleagues decided to do something a little different for their send-off. They came up with the idea for a sketch, based on Frank Hall's Ballymagash Urban District Council trying to figure out how they were going to handle this sudden inrush of 'people from Dublin'. They advertised for volunteers on the notice board and yours truly put his name down. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we formed a full-fledged Amateur Drama Group and I realised that my life was in a rut working where I was. With the support of my sainted wife I gave up that job and decided to go out on my own to work in theatre. If not as an actor in whatever capacity I could. After many adventures in Community Theatres as actor, director and producer, I was getting older and our family was growing so I decided to take a more responsible view of my situation and give up acting. I thought I might make a go of teaching Drama and went to a college in Coolock where I formally studied Theatre as a subject. This led to me getting a place as a mature student in the Theatre Studies Course in Trinity College. This was a four year course and in my third year, in dire need of funds, I heard about an open casting for a TV advertisement. I went along and happily got the job. When the ad aired I got a call from the producer of Fair City who asked if I would be interested in auditioning for a part. So I was an actor again. If I had stayed on in the Land Commission I have no doubt that I would be in the ground today, in spirit if not in reality.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer someone hoping to become an actor?
To me acting is like a religion. I will go further it is my religion. There is no one piece of advice, one magic formula for becoming an actor. There are many roads and ways to achieving success in this profession. Some actors are formally trained some actors are self-taught. Some actors rely on technique some actors are pure instinct. But everybody can benefit from training. While talent may get you the job it's training that gives the stamina to sustain performance night after night or episode after episode. Of more importance to my mind is that you ask yourself, and honestly answer the question 'why do I want to be an actor?' If your answer is 'I want to be famous,' then let me tell you that there are probably about ten million unknown actors in the world for every famous one. If your answer is 'I want to be rich,' then let me tell you there are probably one hundred million broke actors in the world for every rich one. So when I use the word success I don't mean becoming rich and famous. Ask yourself this, 'why do all those unknown broke actors in the world go on doing it?' The answer is whether rich or poor known or unknown we love the work we do, and we do the work we love. There is a lot of standing around in this business waiting for the right light or the next scene and one of my colleagues has this to say about it: "They pay us for waiting around, the acting we do for nothing." If you truly want to be an actor and nothing can stop you, and you are prepared to put up with anonymity, not much money and partly empty halls, and you will persevere because this is what you want to do with your life, then get training, get an agent and treat every piece of dramatic writing as if it were scripture.

Who would you like to play you in a movie of your life?
Dustin Hoffman. If he's not available the turkey could probably hack it.

Now that is a good an interesting interview!
I heard a story of a lad I know meeting him on the pi$$ in Westport a few years ago. Said he was a sound guy. I can well imagine from that interview- witty enough as well.

DeepBlue

Jim Bartley (Bela) could learn a lot from Tom Hopkins (Christy) on how to do an interview.

kippy

DeepBlue wrote: »

Jim Bartley (Bela) could learn a lot from Tom Hopkins (Christy) on how to do an interview.

I really hope that interview with Bartley was Bartley on a very very bad off day....

angel01

When I met Tom on the RTE set, you could easily tell he was a lovely funny guy. A real gentleman as well. I suggested they should bring his natural humour and comedy into the role of Christy..

Jim Bartley couldn't get away quick enough. We were all back at McCoys having a drink, walked into the bar, he was there and left after about 5 minutes. Wasn't impressed with him that day either.:(

Fittle

Aw how nice is Christy:) That was a great interview - I do remember Christy being much funnier back in the day, before he met Carol!!

That was great:D

max life

Fantastic interview...:)

angel01

Cass is coming up next!

Gingersnaps

angel01 wrote: »

Cass is coming up next!

Looking forward to that. It took me a while to warm to his character but really enjoy him now. I'd like to see a storyline involving him and Bob.

Epicurus

Fantastic interview with Tom Hopkins.

STIG83

Jaysus Louis' ex wife is a fine bird!!

deelite

Where's Sean gone - Niamh's brother?

Also Nessa was amazing tonight - fair play to her.

JonathanAnon

Bryan Murray would look at the Fair City script every week and think this is god getting payback for Poga's Wonderland...

Funniest line tonight..

Mrs Dillon (to Neasa, who's just lost the supposed love of her life):
"Are ya okay for toiletries"..

I spat my coffee half way across the room..

max life

Louies' wife......WOW.;)

Eradicate

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Bryan Murray would look at the Fair City script every week and think this is god getting payback for Poga's Wonderland...

Funniest line tonight..

Mrs Dillon (to Neasa, who's just lost the supposed love of her life):
"Are ya okay for toiletries"..

I spat my coffee half way across the room..

U made me LOL :P

STIG83

max life wrote: »

Louies' wife......WOW.;)

MILF

nlgbbbblth

Fair City promo 1994

dirtyghettokid

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Fair City promo 1994

classic!
i clicked on this after
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDarPkp_taU&NR=1

LOL i remember that and all... been a long time since i've seen donal & farrah!

Gingersnaps

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Fair City promo 1994

Brilliant!!!
Jaysus. Paul with hair. Lol

dirtyghettokid

Gingersnaps wrote: »

Brilliant!!!
Jaysus. Paul with hair. Lol

he doesn't look half bad. same aul paul brennan though

Jane Eyre

Funny how Neasa and Bob managed to change the furniture in the sitting room since Turlock died. There was a sofa there last week and now there's two armchairs instead. I guess grief makes you do strange things

dirtyghettokid

said that myself about the couch being gone. but then i thought they probably got rid of the couch cos of the blood and whatnot (over the weekend and all cos he died thurs)
and they could have pulled chairs out of another room.
that's my story and i'm sticking to it

Deise Tom

deelite wrote: »

Where's Sean gone - Niamh's brother?

Another of many of Fair City's unaswered questions. They just forget all about you when you dont appear on screen.

JonathanAnon

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

he doesn't look half bad. same aul paul brennan though

Did he say "ah fer Gooooood's sake" back then as well..

Fantastic interview with Tom Hopkins.

yeah meant to say fair play to the guy.. he looks like he really took a lot of time with it .. as opposed to Jim Bartley, who thought seemed to think he was playing "Ah Ye Ok" with Ray Foley...

STIG83

Whats the story with Philip and Dearbhla?

Silvio.Dante

max life wrote: »

Louies' wife......WOW.;)

My thoughts exactly...:)

Silvio.Dante

I don't quite get why Neasa and Bob are suddenly so close. At the start she didn't want him near her and by halfway through she was hanging on his every word. Also why isn't he off spending his new found wealth...? I'm not being overly critical here but I'm just not joining the dots.

What annoyed me more was the estimation that it would only cost 20K to restock the car sales part of the garage business. Surely we'd be talking about 50K at least..???

angel01

deelite wrote: »

Where's Sean gone - Niamh's brother?

Also Nessa was amazing tonight - fair play to her.

I don't know where he is gone in FC but he is playing a lot of theatre roles I think in real life. He was in panto at Christmas time.