The dynamic Irish actor talks about his latest role in The Guard, working with the brothers McDonagh and his upcoming directorial debut with Flann O’Brien’s At Swim Two Birds. It’s a Thursday morning in late June, and I am sitting at a table in the empty ballroom of the opulent Beverly Wilshire hotel, waiting for Brendan Gleeson. The press conference scheduled prior to our … [Read more...] about Brendan Gleeson: The Good, the Bad and the Funny
Comedy
The Real Bill Maher
Bill Maher gets real with Kelly Carlin-McCall about life, work and religion. Smart, funny, bold, proverbial line-crosser – all of these words could be used to describe Bill Maher. They also could have been used to describe my father, the late George Carlin. Earlier this year, I got the chance to meet Bill Maher. Unfortunately it was under circumstances I could have done … [Read more...] about The Real Bill Maher
In the Name of the Fada: Comedian Des Bishop
God help the Irish language! Faced with insurmountable obstacles, it’s on the brink of extinction. You’ve heard such doom-laden predictions before, perhaps even in articles I’ve written. But I’ve tired of pessimism. Instead, I’m here to tell you about a new campaign to revitalize the language. It’s spearheaded by one of Ireland’s most prominent Irish-American … [Read more...] about In the Name of the Fada: Comedian Des Bishop
P.J. O’Rourke
“The funniest writer in America” talks to Chuck Leddy about some serious issues. P.J. O’Rourke, one of America’s most popular political satirists, has built his career skewering the absurdities and hypocrisies of political life. Time magazine has called him “the funniest writer in America,” and he’s the bestselling author of a dozen books that blend his laugh-out-loud humor … [Read more...] about P.J. O’Rourke
Ardal O’Hanlon: A Comic Worth His Salt
By Lauren Byrne, Contributor
June / July 2007
June / July 2007
Best known to TV audiences from the sitcoms Father Ted and My Hero, Ardal O’Hanlon decided it was time to develop his “own thing.” He talked to Lauren Byrne after a stand-up gig in Boston. Sitting at an out-of-the-way alcove in the Park Plaza Hotel on his first visit to Boston, Ardal O’Hanlon is describing Ireland’s economic doldrums in the 1980s and how they shaped his career. … [Read more...] about Ardal O’Hanlon: A Comic Worth His Salt