Tom Hanks credits Irish director for giving him his first chance at acting

The actor said he "is here today because of" the Irishman.

Tom Hanks was in Dublin yesterday, Friday June 16, at the Dalkey Book Festival to promote his new novel, 'The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece'. The two-time Oscar winner spoke to a packed out audience about his early days in acting, which he credits in large part to former Abbey Theatre artistic director, Vincent Dowling. "Vincent Dowling of the Abbey Theatre was doing the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival," he began. Doing an impression of Dowling, Hanks then put on an Irish accent to recall the words the late Irish director once told him.

“I think you could be an actor. I would like to give you an opportunity in my theatre. I would like you to join us as an actor, officially in the company," he said.

Although there was a slight catch as he added, "What I cannot do is pay you any money," to which the audience laughed.

Dowling instead offered him something more "valuable" - the experience of working in a professional theatre.

“A bunch of us bought it," the 66-year old said. "And I am here today because of Vincent Dowling."

Hanks is here.#DBF2023@tomhanks @acatherwoodnews pic.twitter.com/ZSZMaokTt8

— Dalkey Book Festival (@dalkeybookfest) June 16, 2023

Born and raised in Dublin, Dowling made a name for himself in the 1950s in the radio soap opera, The Kennedys of Castleross, where he played Christy Kennedy. Emigrating to the United States, Dowling became the artistic and producing director of The Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, where he came across a young Hanks. Upon his return to Ireland, he went on to become the artistic director of the Abbey Theatre from 1987 to 1990. Hanks' hour-long talk took place in Dalkey Church on Friday. The US actor also went into detail about his long career in Hollywood, which serves as the inspiration behind his latest novel. Hanks' book, which is his second work of fiction, focuses on a "colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film and the humble comic book that inspired it". Also set to speak at the festival across the weekend are U2 members Bono and The Edge and physicist Brian Cox. The full programme can be found here.

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