Hollywood star Chris O’Dowd said he only wants to play Irish characters - saying he’s tired of seeing Irish actors playing Americans.
The Co. Roscommon born actor plays Miles Daly, a tough Irish enforcer for a Las Vegan loan shark in TV series Get Shorty.
And proud of his thick Boyle accent showcased on full display in the American drama, O’Dowd, 40, revealed he has a strict rule about sticking to his roots on screen.
When asked if he ever considered trying an American accent for the show, he said: “I don’t know. I think Miles was always going to be Irish when I was cast.
“I don’t do it[American accent] a lot.
“I did it in Girls, and then a movie with Andie McDowell last year.
“I have a very simple rule, which is: unless there is a very real reason not to be, I want to play Irish characters.
Speaking to GQ, the Bridemaids’ star explained: “Because I’ve travelled around an awful lot and we’re everywhere. And we’re oddly not represented.
“Like, we are represented in terms of there’s loads of fucking actors, but they’re all playing, you know, Americans and whatnot.
“And then from a selfish level it’s just one less thing to worry about.”
He added: “I love the way that we dealt with in Bridesmaids where we kind of just didn’t.
“I think Kristen [Wiig] says something like, ‘Can you be a cop in this country?’
“And I say, ‘Well, you can’t unless you’re really big and strong.’”
The funnyman, who rose to fame on UK sitcom the IT Crowd said he was spectical of his new role at first.
However, seeking a break from his usual comedy scene, he said he was ready for a different challenge.
He said: “I was, to be honest, fairly skeptical going in... But I had been looking for something to stretch myself on the page.
“I’d come off the back of doing a couple of comedies and I thought it would be fun to play a character who’s physical.
“I don’t play a lot of physical characters, and that is actually more part of my personality in real life than I would probably care to admit.
“A huge part of my life growing up was as this large presence in a room. I was quite awkward.”
Describing the character as a ‘an artist stuck in a heavy’s body’, the Irish talent said he related the role to his own father.
And revealing how he preparred for the role, he added: “In terms of getting ready to do it, I just took up boxing, which I used to do a lot.
“And then what I found, particularly in the first season is, I just don’t need to do anything.
“I think in comedy, you’re desperate to be noticed in a way because you’re trying to get laughs and in this, I felt like the less I do, the darker it feels.”
