ACTING THE PART With a leading
role in a new Irish made film under his belt comedian Dylan Moran is flying
high. But as Ryan Brennan found out there is little chance of the celebrity
status going to his head.
Making assumptions about people before you
meet them is a dangerous route to take, particularly when your point of
reference comes solely from a TV or stage persona. On stage or screen comedian
Dylan Moran has an aura of someone constantly irritated with life. A man who
aims his rants at the small idiosyncrasies in life that many of us care little
about, but he feels needs to be discussed openly. In person while maintaining a
cool style of dishevelment, he has little of the belligerence that has set him
apart from many of his contemporaries. Born in Navan, Co Meath, Moran left
school at 16 with little qualifications and a sense of direction much like his
rambling stage show. His first venture into stand-up comedy came in 1992 at the
now legendary Comedy Cellar in Dublin, a hot bed of humour whose past pupils
include Ardal O'Hanlon. From these lowly beginnings the progression up the
comedy ladder was rapid culminating in becoming the youngest winner of the
prestigious Perrier Award at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival. While many a young
comedian may have set off on years of touring Dylan opted to focus his energy
along other avenues. After starring in the BBC sitcom How Do You Want Me? he set
his sights on tackling his own project. Black Books, the sitcom about a
unsociable drunken book shop owner, was co-written with Father Ted creator
Graham Linehan saw more accolades with the collection of a Bafta in 2001.
"Sitcoms are world unto themselves. I did have a go by myself but it was
much better to do it with someone else. To do it with Graham in particular was
so …good because he was so experienced and had such a natural feel for half hour
comedy," he says with sense of modesty. With a third, and as he admits
probable final series in the pipeline, he has again broadened his horizons with
a forthcoming starring role in the film The Actors. The film is based on a
short story by Neil Jordan, adapted for the big screen by playwright Conor
McPherson, who also takes on the directing duties. Shot in Dublin last summer
The Actors is a engaging tale of two struggling actors who are drawn together by
a desire to get out of the rut they find themselves in. After hatching a plan
swindle a local gangster of his money the pair find themselves in deeper than
they initially planned. Starring alongside Michael Caine, Moran turns in a
performance of understated accomplishment in a role which allows him to take
leap into a full-blown acting career. With only a limited part in Notting Hill
was there any apprehension of taking such a major role? "No I really wanted
to do it, as soon as I saw the script I thought that's for me, I'm having a go
at that. That hadn't happened where I thought that before. I was determined to
take it on. I really liked it, it really made me laugh. You know your
apprehensions and so on goes by the board when you want to do something, you
commit yourself," he says with a sense of confidence that belies an obvious
shyness. "I didn't have any acting lessons. I did meet up with a very
talented voice guy a couple times to do my character bits, who gave me some very
useful advice. At one point we were standing up screaming at each other 'you
fackin' cant'. All that was done to test whether it held, because its one thing
being able to say a word or a line, but to do a whole spiel takes a lot more."
His aptitude for a host of bluff characters and accents in the film is one
of the many highlights, but as he admits this was an important aspect of taking
on the role. "It doesn't really work unless you do. Its totally distracting,
the screen might as well be on fire. It drives you crazy if someone is doing a
cack Cockney or Dublin accent." While the script is sharp the part of Tom is
given the indelible Dylan Moran treatment, with a sense of improvisation
apparent throughout. "They shot lots and got what they wanted down in the
edit. For the character stuff there was plenty of ad-libbing, and not just on my
part. Everybody knew what they were at so it was good to always have a few
options." When pushed on whether this is the start of an acting career Moran
retreats to position of surreal ambivalence. "If somebody offers me a go at
something I'd certainly take a shine to it." A more serious role perhaps? "I'd
play a synthesiser on a cruise ship." Prior to the meeting I had been led to
believe that Dylan had somewhat of an aversion to interviews, but as he
explained it is not so much a dislike as a disinterest. "An interview is a
strange conversation because its not a conversation, its something that's
between levels. Its staged conversation about prearranged topics between two
people who have never met, which is a sketch in itself. "At this stage I
don't mind. It's a strange thing to do. Some people want to know just about the
film and some people want to know where you buy your vegetables, and can't
really be doing with that. Its completely mad, but that's obviously how they
sell films I guess. Who can determine the bizarre workings of selling a
film." While this is his view on media and awards, which he describes as
"balls and cock", his pride in his stage show and his loyalty to his audience is
a different matter altogether, as was apparent on a 30 date tour earlier in the
year. "I wouldn't go out without a show, but things do happen. I don't have a
set list from A-Z that I go through. Its bingo balls really. Whatever one I
catch first is the winner and it kind of progresses from there. "It takes
you a while to crank it up. Its like playing your first game of five-a-side in
ten years. You can't breath, your dizzy, you want to die. You just want the
oranges now. Then it all comes back. There's something going on that you are
not really in control of that's happening far away. Then you suddenly find that
you've got it, whatever it maybe, and then up running." With an acting string
now firmly attached to his bow Dylan Moran has the world at his feet. The only
question that remains is whether he can be bothered to take it any
further.
