Born:
October 08, 1965
in
Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Northern Ireland
Best Known For:
Playing lovable but gormless Dougal in Father Ted.
Early-life:
Born on October 8, 1965, in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Northern Ireland. He grew up in Dublin, the third child of six of former Irish health minister Rory O'Hanlon. Ardal studied communications at Black Rock College, Dublin, but decided on a comedy career early on. After gaining a degree in communicationss, he made ends meet as a hotel porter, pig farmer and airport worker. He left Dublin for London in 1994 and has never looked back.
Career:
Despite a healthy stand-up career, O'Hanlon didn't become famous until he took the role of nice-but-dim Dougal in the acclaimed Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. The series ended in 1998 following the sudden death of co-star Dermot Morgan. Since then, O'Hanlon has been associated with a number of projects, including roles in the sitcom My Hero and light-hearted drama Big Bad World. He also provided the voice of Robbie the Reindeer in three animated films. He's written novels that were well-received by critics, and starred in West End hit See You Next Tuesday. Other projects include Blessed, Doctor Who, The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, the RTE sitcom Val Falvey TD, and Dublin's Gate Theatre production of God of Carnage.
Quote:
"The funny thing is that when you are wearing a superhero costume you do actually feel like a superhero. The padding on the costume makes you feel pretty indestructible."
Trivia:
Away from showbusiness, O'Hanlon loves football and is a Leeds United and Celtic supporter.