A big thanks from Tom Hanks.
Hollywood legend Tom Hanks has professed his gratitude to the late Irish actor Vincent Dowling, a member of the Abbey Theatre company.
Dowling was working at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, Ohio when he discovered a young Hanks, whose first role came in Shakespeare play The Taming Of The Shrew at the age of 20.
Speaking to RTÉ on the red carpet for his new film A Hologram For A King, Hanks said:
“The reason I’m here now is because of a fabulous Irishman by the name of Vincent Dowling from the great O’Herlihy clan.”
“He’s the man who taught me, not only what it’s like to be an actor and to pursue it, but he also taught me that work in the theatre is more fun.”
“I’m very thankful that at a time when I was wondering what was going to come down the pipe, I ran into this Irishman with a briefcase who said to me, “you just might be able to be an actor if you want it… but you have to want it!”
Dowling passed away in 2013, meaning he had plenty of time to see his protege grow to become one of the finest actors in recent history.
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