Brendan O’Carroll is going global with Mrs Brown.
O’Carroll was walking through Dublin Airport last weekend when the magnitude of what’s about to happen hit him.
The Irish star was returning from a New York break and everywhere he looked there were advertising hoardings and posters publicising the summer’s big movie release.
This wasn’t the new Transformers film or latest superhero blockbuster. No, staring back at Brendan was his famous alter ego, foul-mouthed Dublin mammy, Mrs Brown.
Friday sees the release of Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie, the big screen version of the hit BBC sitcom, which is filmed in Glasgow, and live show.
“When I came into the airport and saw the advertising, I have to admit it scared the s*** out of me!” grins Brendan.
“I feel a mixture of excitement and terror as I wait for the film to come out.”
The box office for advanced tickets opened a month ago to cope with expected demand and, if sales for the live shows are anything to go by, cinemas could be packed out for the brazen character’s latest adventure.
A recent tour of Australia saw the cast of Mrs Brown’s Boys made up mostly of Brendan’s family and friends treated like rock stars.
An astonishing half a million tickets were sold, with more than 76,000 snapped up for the Melbourne leg of the tour in just six hours.
But 58-year-old Brendan admits the film is a different prospect and creeping doubts have been nagging away at him since filming ended in November.
“I decided I wanted to wait and see the film in the cinema, the same as everyone else,” he explained. “I’ll be sitting up the back and hopefully won’t be leaving on my hands and knees.
“I was sent a couple of clips at the end of filming and it looked like it was going to be hilarious. But as the gap grows between then and the release, you begin to wonder.
“December comes and you think it was all right, and then in January you’re questioning whether it really was OK.”
Replicating the magic the cast and crew creates in the TV studio was at the forefront of Brendan’s mind when writing the film.
“The temptation for television shows that become movies is to take them somewhere else, like off on holiday.
“But I just wanted to show the audience her life in Dublin. The city looks fantastic in what I’ve seen and I think the film will be a beautiful love letter to Dublin.
“Everyone kept their eye on things as we filmed to make sure we didn’t lose the show’s spirit. I asked everyone involved in the production in Scotland to be part of the film.
“We have the same producer, director, set designer, and so on, which I thought was a clever thing to do.”
Recording without a live audience did take some getting used to do, but the Dublin public was on hand to help out.
“At first I was waiting for the gaps in the laughter to deliver the punchline, but of course we didn’t have any. But there were times when we were on location that we got a good reaction.
“We were filming in Moore Street, a busy market street, and there were 2,500 people around the barrier as we were shooting.
“They’re used to things being filmed in Dublin, so when the director shouted action they knew to keep quiet. As soon as he yelled cut, everyone started laughing and clapping, so we had instant feedback on those shots.
“In one of the opening scenes we have a song, like something from Oliver the Musical. At one point we walk through a block of flats where all the washing was hanging on lines.
“As we filmed, everyone who lived there was out on their balconies, stomping their feet and clapping along to the music.
“The director said we’d have to ask them to stop, but I said to put them in the movie and let them sing away to their hearts’ content.
“We had a picture taken of the day, which we framed and gave to each person in the flats.
“The audience support really couldn’t have gone any better. We had to stop traffic coming into the town on the day of a big rugby final. When the motorists found out why they were being held up, they said: ‘Oh, that’s ok then’.”
Loved by the public, hated by critics, millions of viewers have been tuning into the TV show since it started in 2011. But Mrs Brown has been around much longer.
“Like all the best overnight successes, this one took 25 years,” he laughed.
“I’m very proud to see it evolving from a fiveminute radio piece to a worldwide movie. It’s been an amazing journey.
“When I wrote the first book my youngest son, Eric, wasn’t born and now he’s going to be directing one of the next programmes, which will mean all the family is now involved.
“I smashed my dreams so long ago. All I wanted was to be an actor and comedian. Not even a famous one, I just wanted to get by as a full-time entertainer.
“I think 90% of the business is like that they just want to be a part of it and be a working entertainer. It’s not about winning Oscars or Baftas. A fireman doesn’t become a fireman to be a hero, he just wants to do his job.
“When people ask how it’s going, I just say: ‘I’m working’, because that’s all I ever wanted.”
And Brendan’s packed schedule shows no signs of letting up.
“I’m writing the two Christmas specials for the BBC, which we’ll film in October. The bosses have asked to see a script for the second movie in January, but I haven’t signed anything as of yet.
“I’ve also been asked to do something for Comic Relief. I’m thinking of doing Brownton Abbey the Downton characters go on a retreat and the Brown family go over and look after the house.
“It might be 15 minutes or two 15-minute segments, depending on how much I write. I’ve yet to start that.”
In the meantime, Brendan’s focus is all on the brisk widow’s big screen outing.
Brendan laughed: “Transformers is out at the same time. They might be good, but they haven’t faced up to Mrs Brown yet!”
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