Tributes have poured in for Irish actor Tom Hickey, who has sadly died.
The Kildare native was one of the founding members of Dublin’s Focus Theatre, and was best known for his role as ‘Benjy’ in the RTÉ series ‘The Riordans’.
President Michael D. Higgins has lead the tributes to Tom following his passing, describing him as “one of the greatest actors of his generation”.
"Among his colleagues in the acting community he was regarded as an artist of total commitment to performance, to his art and to his community."
Statement from President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins on the death of Tom Hickey: https://t.co/fmp8P4NdJl
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) May 1, 2021
In a statement, President Higgins said: “It is with great sadness that Sabina and I learned of the death of Tom Hickey, one of the greatest actors of his generation, giving over six decades to his profession. He leaves an indelible imprint on Irish theatre.”
“Having trained with Deirdre O’Connell at the Stanislavski Studio while working as a cameraman at RTÉ, Tom Hickey became one of the founding members of the innovative Dublin Focus Theatre, playing in a number of ground-breaking productions, including Miss Julie, Antigone, Uncle Vanya and The Night of the Iguana.”
“He made memorable contributions as an actor to productions in the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, working in collaborations of original work with directors and playwrights including Tom MacIntyre, Patrick Mason, Tom Murphy, Marina Carr and Garry Hynes.”
“Besides starring in Ireland’s major theatres, Tom will also be remembered for his role as Benjy in The Riordans and his other roles in television, in theatres in the UK and in many films, including Breakfast on Pluto, Inside I’m Dancing, Neil Jordan’s The Butcher Boy and Raining Stones.”
“Among his colleagues in the acting community he was regarded as an artist of total commitment to performance, to his art and to his community. He will be so missed. It was a privilege to know him as a friend,” the statement concluded.
Chris O’Dowd also paid tribute to Tom, tweeting: “We were lucky enough to have Tom Hickey join us on Moone Boy and he was wonderful, as always.”
“Very few are capable of such divelment and empathy in a single look. Rest well Tom, thanks for sharing your talents with us all.”
We were lucky enough to have Tom Hickey join us on Moone Boy and he was wonderful, as always. Very few are capable of such divelment and empathy in a single look. Rest well Tom, thanks for sharing your talents with us all.
— chris o'dowd (@BigBoyler) May 2, 2021
