Brendan Sheehan has opened up about his career move into acting after his three business went under during the recession.
Robert Sheehan’s older brother previously had a successful career as a personal trainer but the economic downturn caused his business to collapse.
“I had three different companies at different times, personal training, so it was daunting trying to change my life and face up to my businesses going under, actually accepting that,” he said.
“The experience of that hardened me up so I don’t really get daunted by anything anymore. It was a hard time.
Career: Brendan has switching to acting after his fitness business went under | VIPIRELAND.COM
“There was a lot of soul-searching, it was soul-destroying, but rebuilding and strengthening too,” he told the Irish Independent.
Brendan has decided to take a leaf out of his brother’s book and become an actor, however he revealed it was his girlfriend Joy who convinced him to make the career change.
“When I first met her she said, ‘Why don’t you do a bit of modelling?’ and I laughed in her face and said ‘You’re out of your mind’ but she said she had a friend in the business and I was going to see her tomorrow, and I ended up getting one or two jobs,” he revealed.
“She always said, ‘You’d make a great actor’. So it’s her support and encouragement that made me kind of bite the bullet and go all out for it.
Brothers: Brendan is Rob Sheehan’s older brother | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I wouldn’t be able to do it by halves and if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be able to do it with everything,” he added.
“It’s great to have access to him for the odd question but when I made the decision it wasn’t really anything in consultation with him, it wasn’t relating to him.”
The aspiring actor admitted he did seek advice from his younger brother on the acting biz.
“I sent him one or two self tapes at the start and I look at them now and I can’t believe I sent them – this guy is in the industry and I thank God it was only him that saw them,” he explained.
“I think I was just really bad and he didn’t want to be straight up with me and hurt my feelings! He was being nice.”
