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Goss meets.. Mrs Brown's Boys star Rory Cowan: 'I started out as Brendan O'Carroll's PUBLICIST'

He’s one of Ireland’s most loved actors thanks to his role in Mrs Brown’s Boys.

But Rory Cowan wasn’t always on the road to stardom – not at all.

However that all changed when he met Brendan O’Carroll, the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

In an exclusive interview with Goss.ie, Rory revealed how he started out as a publicist earning £20 a week – before shooting to superstardom.

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Happy: Rory with our reporter Ruth Martin

The Mrs Browns Boys Movie did really well in Ireland and the UK, were you surprised by the success?

No, we knew it would do well. You’d never expect it to do as well as it did, it was just massive. The difference is when people recognize you from the television the reaction to the movie is different, you become much more recognizable, it’s unreal.

It’s also done so well in other countries like Canada and Australia, what’s that like?

We went to Australia earlier this year and we played in front of 400,000 people, we had to go to Melbourne three times – six shows the first time, five shows the second and then another six. It’s amazing. We’re going back next year and doing New Zealand and Canada too.

Do you feel like you’ve proved the critics wrong?

Oh yeah. I look at half of the critics – and years ago I was the marketing manager in EMI – I left in 1991 and I was the press officer before that around 1982, half of the critics at that time are now reviewing our film, were reviewing albums and CD’s for me.

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Movie: Rory at the premiere of Mrs Brown’s  Boys D’Movie | BRIAN MCEVOY

They have never developed of moved passed it and I don’t know what they think they’re doing. They may as well be in the civil service because they have never moved on.

The critics get stuck in a rut and never get out of it. I don’t hold them to any esteem, I don’t hold their opinions, it doesn’t bother me at all.

How did you get involved with Brendan O’Carroll?

I’m very lucky. I started off working in a record shop, and was on £21.50 a week and within 7 years I was the marketing manager of EMI.

When I was working at EMI myself and a friend were told there was a very funny comedian on in the Sandford Inn in Ranelagh. We went round, it was £2 on the door, and I thought Brendan was the funniest thing I’d ever seen.

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Co-stars: Rory with Jenny Gibney and Brendan O’Carroll | BRIAN MCEVOY

When I left EMI I was managing Christy Dignam. He was out of Aslan at the time, and I put them into a venue in Finglas. After the two gigs the pub manager was very pleased and asked me did I know of anybody else, and I said I’ve seen a comedian called Brendan O’Carroll, I’ll try and find him.

We booked Brendan for a gig and I swear, if the fire officer had come in he would have shut the pub down, the place was wedged. After promoting a few gigs, Brendan thought I knew what I was doing and offered me a job as his publicist and that’s how it started.

And how did you end up on stage?

When it went on the stage there were a few actors who played Rory before me. I’d never any ambitions to go on stage. One day Brendan said, ‘An actors just left, you know the lines, we’re in Liverpool tonight you have to do it’, so that’s what I did.

Do you ever get nervous?

I was nervous the first time we went on stage, but I don’t get nervous anymore. I never do. Even going out in front of 10,000 people. But what works for me is I’m blind as a bat so I don’t see the audience. I hear them, I don’t see them so it works in my favour. If I was to see that amount of people I’d probably panic.

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Star: Rory on Mrs Brown’s Boys

Any word on the next Mrs Brown’s Boys movie?

Yeah, they do want a second one, but when that’s going to happen I don’t know. It’s all down to when Brendan writes it, but there’s no time frame on it, it’s just they want a second one.

It was such a nice experience making this one, we should do another one. I don’t know if it’s going to be next year because we’re doing the UK and Ireland tour, then going to New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

We’re also going to do two Christmas specials. Everything is going great, so I can’t complain at all.

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