Keeping Mum the key to life of Reilly by Catriona Gray MAKING it as an actor is notoriously tough, but a mother who is prepared to lie to your father can help hugely. That was the view of well-known Hollywood actor John C Reilly - star of the soon-to-be released comedy Step Brothers who told Trinity College's Philosophical Society that 'like most fathers, his was anxious he do something more practical. "He thought I was taking business at DePaul University. Thankfully my mother didn't tell him that I was really at the conservatory of acting." Reilly revealed that growing up in Chicago, with its strong theatrical and musical tradition, he was determined to act. "I grew up ina family of six kids, so by the time I reached 18 I was really desperate to get out of the house. "My father told me that he'd provide me with an education and healthcare
and that the rest was up to
me."
Ignoring his father's advice has paid off, however. Reilly has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in Chicago and twice for a Golden Globe Award. The 43-year-old actor is currently best known for his collaborations with Will Ferrell, firstly in Talledega Nights and now in Step Brothers. "We're good friends, Will and I. We met about six years before we did Talladaga and we've been working together since then. I love the guy." When asked if he was worried about getting typecast as a result of his recent comedy collaborations with Ferrell, Reilly joked that "with a face like this, it's hard to get cast in the first place, let alone typecast". Reilly is no stranger to acting work, however. The character actor has appeared in about 50 films, and he had some advice to
Hollywood actor John C Reilly, who stars alongside Will Ferrell in the upcoming comedy Step Brother, shows off his honorary patron's medal he received from Trinity College Dublin's Philosophical SOCiety. Picture: Martin McKenna budding young actors. "If you want to be an actor, choose to go somewhere where you can work as an actor, not work as a waiter and call yourself an actor," he said.
"New York and LA are incredibly competitive places for actors, so I would say find somewhere like Chicago, where there's 250 theatres and you can always find acting work. You may
not be earning a lot of money, but at least you're always working." Reilly arrived at Trinity wearing an Aran sweater, explaining that it was in .memory of his Irish father,
but seemed sketchy about the details of his roots. "My dad was from the very north ... but who knows if even that's true? He was full of little mythologies."