Ardal: actors queued up to replace Ted
Father Ted
Monday May 24 2010
COMEDIAN Ardal O'Hanlon has revealed that there were actors lining up to become Father Ted (right) in the aftermath of Dermot Morgan's sudden death.
In a revealing interview, he also spoke of his frustration at being typecast as the gormless priest, Father Dougal -- which he partly based on the character traits of a cocker spaniel.
"In the days and weeks that followed Dermot's death, casting agents and agents were ringing up the production company offering the services of various actors, some esteemed, some not so-esteemed," he said.
"We just wouldn't have done it. There were other suggestions there would be spin-offs without Father Ted, which wouldn't work either.
"With the best will in the world Mrs Doyle, Fr Jack and Fr Dougal were foils for Father Ted.
"Father Ted was the only three-dimensional character. It was a superb creation."
In a BBC radio interview yesterday, he said the writers, Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, had already decided they would write no further episodes of the iconic series.
"They wanted to keep the quality high and they were adamant they weren't going to make any more anyway if Dermot hadn't died," he said.
- Lynne Kelleher
Irish Independent
