Young Offenders star Shane Casey has told how he was working on a building site outside a cinema while the film of the series was being screened inside.
The star, who plays loveable rogue Billy Murphy in the hit comedy, has now gone full-time with his acting career but in the early days he was double-jobbing.
He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “I’m a painter by trade so as I was working in Santry outside the IMC cinema I could see people going in to watch it.
“I would stop people afterwards to ask them if they had enjoyed it. They didn’t realise who I was at the time.
“I remember the guy I was working with telling me he went to see it while on a date.
“He was proud of the fact he knew me, telling people he was working with ‘Billy Murphy’.
“I think he even scored on that night so I was delighted with that.”
Shane’s big break followed the infamous bus hostage scene in the final episode of series one which ended with the hijacker leading a sing-along to the Frank And Walters hit After All.
He revealed: “I knew this was my opportunity. I was still working on building sites until the morning the bus episode was released.
"The night it was televised I got phone calls from painters I worked with over the years and they told me, ‘Shane you are going to have to run with this because you are wasted on building sites’.
“I don’t know if that was because I was good at acting or s***e at the painting.”
Shane, who starred opposite Cillian Murphy in the Wind That Shakes The Barley, counts Roy Keane’s cameo on the hit show as one of his highlights to date.
He said: “He turned out to be a real gent. I have no doubt that he is proud of the fact that it’s a show based in Cork and he enjoys the humour.”
The comedy series, which is back for its second run on RTE, racked up 370,000 viewers for the first episode.
And Shane dismissed any suggestion it gives a bad impression of Cork – something which has been raised on social media.
He said: “Little House On The Prairie is still on the TV if they want to watch that, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
“The series has done so much for Cork, giving employment for taxi and bus drivers, caterers, make-up artists, hairdressers.
"We filmed all over the city and were welcomed with open arms on every location.
“The role has kicked the door open for me and it will always be a part of me. I am very proud when people recognise me as Billy Murphy.”
