Fair City actor Eric Lalor said he loved being paid 'to be an a**hole' on RTE soap
The comedian became one of Ireland's most recognised faces playing Fair City's evil crime boss, Cathal Spillane.
Actor Eric Lalor has admitted he would return to Fair City “in a heartbeat” – saying he loved being paid “to be an a**hole”.
The comedian became one of Ireland's most recognised faces playing Fair City's evil crime boss, Cathal Spillane.
Eric said: “Cathal was a nasty piece of work. That was a real eye opener (Fair City). I knew it was big bit I never realised how big. My character was a nasty piece of work and then after some of the episodes, I’d be up in Dunnes in Charlestown Shopping Centre pushing a trolley and there would be older women coming over to me hitting me with a handbag. People believe you as a character. It’s great.
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“It was so much fun playing the villain. You get paid to be an a**hole.
“I loved my time there and if they asked me to come back, I’d be back in a heartbeat. It was great fun,” he told us.
But the Dubliner said when he first arrived on set, he got a “culture shock”.
“One thing I learned with Fair City is you really have to be prepared. It was a real culture shock to me on the first few days when I started filming with them. Learning the lines and then they go action, you do it and think you’ll do better on the next take but they just move on.
“It teaches you to be ready from the get-go. It’s a good discipline in that respect.”
Eric returns to stand up comedy with his new show, Lol-er By Nature at the Liberty Hall Theatre on September 19.
And since Covid he said he has learned to appreciate work a lot more.
Eric previously revealed he took a job as a delivery driver during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lack of work when the country shut down.
He said: “It was a pretty desperate time. I went through a dark time myself with my mental health.”
But he said the temporary job was “the making of me”.
“Thankfully I got this job and it was the making of me because it got me out of the house. It gave me a sense of purpose.
“It kept me busy. I did it for a while and it got me out of the rut I was in and then slowly the doors started opening and we started doing more gigs.
“When I went back to comedy after it, I really valued it. I loved it. I don’t take any performance or gig for granted. I’m happy as a pig in sh*t when I’m walking up to a venue to do a show,” he added.
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