Frank Kelly
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Frank Kelly (born 1938) is an Irish actor whose career has spanned radio, TV, theatre, music, writing and films. An educated and learned man, 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. Despite his varied career, he is perhaps best known for playing Father Jack Hackett (an old and somewhat perverse priest who usually only says "drink!" "arse!" "feck!" and "girls!") in the hit comedy series Father Ted aired originally in the United Kingdom in April 1995 and ran through until May 1998.
He was brought up in a middle-class Dublin household; his father was the editor of the "Irish Punch", the famous Dublin Opinion. He claims his desire to become an actor began when he saw a cartoon in which a clown on a stage looked sadly at things being thrown at him. "It seemed to me like a kind of Calvary, kind of triumph over adversity by perseverance and smiling on."
Frank has always been a fitness fanatic taking part in hill-walking, running, cycling and swimming, and took part in Ireland's 'Super Stars' fitness based reality programme in the 80s, coming second. He's a regular gym users, and an all-year-round sea swimmer in Dublin's popular Forty Foot bathing place. (It gets cold in Winter!)
Frank starred in 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.
His work on Hall's Pictorial Weekly established Kelly as one of Ireland's most recognisable faces, and led to him winning a Jacob's Award in 1974.
He has been married to Bairbre Meldon since 1964, and they have seven children. His first ever role in film or television was as an uncredited prisoner in the classic film The Italian Job (1969), opposite Noel Coward as 'Mr Bridger'. He appeared in the film Rat in 2000, and also in the short film, Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom, in 2003. 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 wouldn't talk to him if he was in his Father Jack make-up.
He appeared in the film Taffin in 1982.
He released a single, Christmas Countdown, which reached number 8 in the Irish Singles Chart in 1982 and peaked at 26 in the UK Singles Charts, a full twelve months later in 1983, and 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. Many of his popular sketches started with the sound of him putting coins in an old phone coin box, and when the phone rang and was answered, his words were, "Hello! Guess who?"
He does regular voice overs, and TV advertising work, and recently appeared with Mr. Tayto, in the recent popular campaing for Tayto crisps.
His work for various Irish charities, although unpublicised, has been formidable.
In February 2008 it was confirmed that Kelly has been suffering from Bowel Cancer. Following an operation and chemotherapy, he has since made a full recovery and is back to his daily regime of swimming in the sea at the Forty Foot. He is due to take part in a play London's West End in August 2008 as well as several other projects as yet unannounced.|accessdate=2008-05-09}}
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