Chris Curran (actor) facts for kids

Chris Curran (who passed away on August 19, 1996) was a talented Irish actor, singer, and musician. He had a long career performing on stage, radio, and television.

Born in Cork, Chris started acting very young. When he was just four years old, he made his first appearance on stage at the Cork Opera House. He was part of Frank Benson's traveling show of Shakespeare's famous play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Later, he studied acting with Father Seamus O'Flynn at the Cork Shakespearean Company, also known as "The Loft." Chris continued to perform at the Cork Opera House while also studying engineering at University College Cork.

Early Career in Radio and TV

In 1953, Chris Curran joined the Radio Éireann Players. This was a special group of actors who performed in the national radio station's weekly drama shows. Just one year later, he took on the main role in a radio play called Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen. This play was directed by Tyrone Guthrie, a famous director, and it was his first time working with Ireland's national radio station.

For the next 40 years, Chris had a very busy and exciting career. He acted in plays on stage, appeared in movies, narrated television shows, and performed in pantomimes (fun musical plays, often around Christmas). In the early 1960s, he even did all the voice-overs for the characters in a children's puppet series on RTÉ Television called Murphy agus a Cháirde ("Murphy and his friends").

Famous TV Appearances

Chris Curran's last television roles were in 1995 and 1996. He played Father Jim Johnson in two episodes of the popular Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. These episodes were "Competition Time" and another one where he played the same character. Many people remember him from these funny appearances.

His Family and Later Life

Chris Curran was married to Josephine Scanlon, who was a talented singer (a soprano) from Limerick. They had two daughters together. Chris passed away in Leopardstown Park Hospital in Dublin when he was in his early seventies. He is buried at Shanganagh Cemetery in Shankill.

What Films Did He Act In?

Chris Curran appeared in several films during his career. Here are some of them: