Irish actor Colin O'Donoghue lands role in TV series produced by Leonardo DiCaprio

Colin O'Donoghue

Melanie Finn Twitter Email

July 17 2019 07:40 AM

Once Upon A Time actor Colin O'Donoghue is to star in a TV series produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Drogheda-born O'Donoghue (38) will appear in the series The Right Stuff, based on Tom Wolfe's best-selling book.

The book, about the test pilots who took part in the US's first manned space flight, was adapted for the big screen in 1983. O'Donoghue will portray Lt Gordon Cooper - previously played by Dennis Quaid.

The series will also star Suits actor Patrick J Adams and Mad Men's Aaron Staton. Initially, Colin's role was set to go to Joe Dempsie, who played Gendrey in Game of Thrones.

But Dempsie was forced to exit the series because of visa issues.

The programme will air on the National Geographic channel.

O'Donoghue got into acting by accident after some friends in his local youth theatre asked him to stand in for a reading. He attended the Gaiety School of Acting and won an Ifta award for emerging talent.

After stints on The Tudors, The Clinic and Fair City, O'Donoghue made his feature film debut alongside Anthony Hopkins, following a successful self-made audition tape landed him the role in the American Box Office hit 'The Rite.'

He previously spoke about the surprise he felt when he landed the role.

"It was a shock when I got the phone call saying I was going to do it," he said.

"All of a sudden I was playing the lead in this Warner Brothers movie that cost, I don't know, something like 45 million to make. And that's certainly very different from doing a play in Drogheda that costs maybe €1,000 for the whole run."

The actor is best known to international audiences for his role in ABC's fantasy series Once Upon A Time when he played the part of swashbuckling Captain Hook. The series ran for seven seasons and pulled in sky-high ratings.

O'Donoghue made sure to hang on to his costume after the series wrapped.

"I got to keep my pirate costume. I think I'll put it on display in my house. I'll never say goodbye to leather pants," he said.