Ardal O'Hanlon

Ardal O'Hanlon was born on October 8, 1965 in Carrickmacross, County Monagham, Ireland. Before O'Hanlon began acting he was a stand-up comedian. As a comedian he toured the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium, Montreux, Montreal and New York. His act was broadcast on television in the UK. O'Hanlon's first acting role was as the oblivious Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted (1995-1998), a character he says he modeled after a dog. After Father Ted, he appeared in several television projects, including My Hero (2000-2006), in which he plays the twin lead roles of George Sunday and ThermoMan! and the Ben Elton-scripted Blessed. He has also provided the voice of Robbie the Reindeer for the Comic Relief Christmas Day specials Hooves of Fire (1999) and Legend of the Lost Tribe (2002). His most recent TV appearance was guest appearance as a "space cat" named Brannigan in the third season of Doctor Who.

In addition to being a successful stand-up comedian and actor, O'Hanlon is a successful author whose work has landed on the UK bestseller list. He wrote Knick Knack Paddy Wack (UK Title: The Talk of the Town), the story of a single, wild weekend in the life of Patrick Scully, a Dublin security guard with a chip on his shoulder.