OWEN ROE plays P a u l  D o o l e y.
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"Paul Dooley has had a fairly big climb-down in life and it doesn't sit that well with him," explains Owen Roe of his alter-ego in Ballykissangel. "In the early days, when he was a local councillor with higher aspirations to greater political office, he really saw himself as the man to take over Ballyk. "But since he went to prison, he's been humbled a lot. He does try to be good but his essential quick-fix character still comes through - he becomes very bored trying to do things through the usual channels. There's no real malice in him, he's just one of those people who can't stop being a bad egg no matter how hard he tries."

One of Ireland's busiest actors, Owen has played major roles on other television series, including The Ambassador, Making The Cut, The Governor and Shannongate. His feature film roles include Michael Collins, The Treaty and When The Sky Falls. Owen is also an award-winning playwright and has written a commissioned work, Good Boy, for BBC Radio 4.

Despite the variety of roles he's played in other productions, Owen always welcomes the seasonal return to the Ballykissangel set. "It is a very easy job in that everybody wants to enjoy themselves. Look at the great locations we work in and the storylines we play out. For me, it's like working in an Ireland I know never existed. More than anything, it's quirky and eccentric. Traditionally, most Irish dramas were heavy emotional pieces. In Ballyk, that drama is still there, but much more fun to play."

A Dubliner born and bred, Owen continues to live there with his wife and two daughters.

While his more gritty and contemporary roles in shows such as Making The Cut and The Ambassador offer a wonderful contrast in terms of challenge as an actor, Owen Roe finds Ballykissangel remains a joy to work on.

"Ballyk is not a cop show, nobody gets shot and most things get worked out in a civilised way. Of course, it's a fantastical place - but who wouldn't want to work in a place like that for six months of the year?"


 		 

 
 

THE CAST
Here you can find synopses of your favourite Ballyk episodes, brush up on your Ballyk "History" (useful for our quiz), research at your leisure etc.
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