| Name | Frank Kelly |
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| Birthname | Frank Kelly |
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| Birthdate | December 28, 1938 |
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| Occupation | Actor |
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Frank Kelly (born 28 December 1938) is an Irish actor, singer and writer, whose career has covered television, radio, theatre, music, screenwriting and film. He is best known for his role as Father Jack Hackett in the comedy Father Ted. He is the son of the cartoonist Charles E. Kelly.
Career
Theatre
He has played a wide variety of roles in Irish theatre over many years, and he has toured extensively in the
U.S. and
Canada.
Movies
His first ever role in
film or
television was as an uncredited prison officer in the classic film
The Italian Job (1969), opposite
Michael Caine as Charlie Croker. He escorts Croker down the stairs out of prison in the opening sequence of the film.
He appeared in the film Taffin in 1988.
He appeared in the film Rat in 2000, and also in the short film, Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom, in 2003.
Television
He starred in the popular
RTÉ children's programme
Wanderly Wagon alongside
Eugene Lambert and Nora O'Mahoney from 1968–1982, playing a number of different characters and writing many of the scripts.
Kelly's work on Hall's Pictorial Weekly (1970–1982) established him as one of Ireland's most recognisable faces.
He memorably portrayed councillor Parnell Mooney, a send-up of a backwoods Local Authority figure in rural Ireland.
In the early 1980s he featured in the RTÉ TV show for Learning Irish Anois is Aris at the end of the programme speaking in a telephone, gradually putting in phrases in Irish.
In 1999 to 2001 Frank also starred in Glenroe as Maurice.
In 2001 he played a priest called Father Pickle in the TV series Lexx, in series 4, episode 6 called The Rock.
He had a major role as John Smith, leader of the Labour Party, in the controversial 2003 UK Television drama The Deal.
In 2007 he acted in the TG4 political drama Running Mate, about an election campaign. He also appears in the TG4 series Paddywhackery.
He does regular voice-overs and TV advertising work, and recently appeared with Mr Tayto in the recent popular campaign for Tayto crisps.
Father Ted
Despite his varied career, he is perhaps best known for playing
Father Jack Hackett in the comedy series
Father Ted, which aired originally in the
United Kingdom in April 1995 and ran through until May 1998. Father Jack was an old and somewhat perverse priest who usually only says "drink!" "feck!" "arse!" and "girls!" Also for one episode when three Bishops come for a visit
Father Ted teaches him how to say "that would be an ecumenical matter" in order to prevent him from insulting them with crude answers.
For his role in
Father Ted, he is said to have worn
contact lenses (to show Father Jack's blank eye) and he said that people would not talk to him if he was in his Father Jack make-up.
Emmerdale
On September 29th 2010, it was announced that Kelly has joined
ITV1 soap
Emmerdale, playing the role of Dermot,
Declan Macey's father.
Recording
He released a single, "Christmas Countdown", a comedy song based on the "
12 Days of Christmas" carol, (penned by
Hugh Leonard) which reached number 8 in the
Irish Singles Chart in 1982 and peaked at 26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984. , He also released an album,
Comedy Countdown, which featured a sketch taken from his radio show,
The Glen Abbey Show. The show which was on RTÉ during the 1970s came on at 2.30 pm each weekday.
Radio Comedy
Many of his popular radio sketches started with the sound of him putting coins in an old freckle coin box, and when the phone rang and was answered, his words were, "Hello! Guess who? Is that you Nuala?" Kelly would act the part of an English
BBC reporter interviewing rural inhabitants about local customs, such as watching bacon being sliced, or "ha-hooing" (shouting a
Rebel yell) competitions. Typically the village was called Ballykilferret and described by the BBC man as being in "the Republic of Eer-ah" (a mispronunciation of
Éire, designed to annoy purists). A compilation of his sketches was released on a CD in about 2000.
Tracks included the Ayatollah Ceili Band (a pun on the Tulla Céilí Band), Magnum Farce, Incoming Call, Festive Spirit, Hymn Of Praise, Call Of The Wild, Festive Note and Siege Mentality.
Awards
Kelly won a
Jacob's Award in 1974 for his work on
Hall's Pictorial Weekly.
References
External links
Category:Irish television actors
Category:Irish film actors
Category:Irish comedians
Category:Jacob's Award winners
Category:1938 births
Category:Living people
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
![Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010[1][2]) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media.[2] He was the subject of a 2003 documentary.](http://web.archive.org./web/20101210220731im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/82/28/6d01abae75c80aba7dbdf595b6d6_grande.jpg "Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010[1][2]) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media.[2] He was the subject of a 2003 documentary.")
![View of the golf course from the North Shore Towers. The North Shore Towers Political Action Committee frequently organizes events to show support for lawmakers and to raise awareness on a number of important issues. [20] Politicians running for office often visit the North Shore Towers during their campaigns in an attempt to win the Jewish vote](http://web.archive.org./web/20101210220731im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/02/94/d970453e67f77cb4703d92a2b340_grande.jpg "View of the golf course from the North Shore Towers. The North Shore Towers Political Action Committee frequently organizes events to show support for lawmakers and to raise awareness on a number of important issues. [20] Politicians running for office often visit the North Shore Towers during their campaigns in an attempt to win the Jewish vote")
![Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010[1][2]) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media.[2] He was the subject of a 2003 documentary.](http://web.archive.org./web/20101210220731im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/82/28/6d01abae75c80aba7dbdf595b6d6_thumb.jpg "Frank Frazetta (February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010[1][2]) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media.[2] He was the subject of a 2003 documentary.")
![View of the golf course from the North Shore Towers. The North Shore Towers Political Action Committee frequently organizes events to show support for lawmakers and to raise awareness on a number of important issues. [20] Politicians running for office often visit the North Shore Towers during their campaigns in an attempt to win the Jewish vote](http://web.archive.org./web/20101210220731im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/02/94/d970453e67f77cb4703d92a2b340_thumb.jpg "View of the golf course from the North Shore Towers. The North Shore Towers Political Action Committee frequently organizes events to show support for lawmakers and to raise awareness on a number of important issues. [20] Politicians running for office often visit the North Shore Towers during their campaigns in an attempt to win the Jewish vote")
