He has a Bachelor of Law from University College Dublin and despite being called to the Bar he has never practiced law in Ireland.
Frank Kelly was born on December 28, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to Irish immigrants. His father was a bus driver and his mother was a homemaker. He has four brothers and sisters. He attended Catholic schools and graduated from high school in 1956. He then attended Brooklyn College.
Kelly’s career began in the 1960s when he appeared in Off-Broadway productions. He made his Broadway debut in 1967 in “The Ruling Class”. He also appeared in the films “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” (1971) and “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” (1973).
In the 1980s, Kelly became known for his role as Father Jack Hackett on the sitcom “Father Ted”. He also appeared in the films “The Field” (1990), “The Commitments” (1991), and “Angela’s Ashes” (1999).
Kelly won an Emmy Award for his role on “Father Ted” in 1998. He retired from acting in 2000.
Kelly was married to Bairbre Dowling from 1967 to 1974. They had two children together. He was married to Maura O’Connell from 1977 to 1981. They had one child together. His third marriage was to Noeleen Doyle, with whom he had two children.
Kelly died on February 28, 2016, at the age of 77.
General Info
Full Name
Frank Kelly
Died
February 28, 2016, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Profession
Actor, Comedian, Singer, Author, Lyricist
Education
University College Dublin
Nationality
Irish
Family
Spouse
Bairbre Neldon
Parents
Charles E. Kelly, Cathleen Kelly
Siblings
Pauline Bracken
Accomplishments
Awards
Guy Medal, Rollo Davidson Prize, John von Neumann Theory Prize
Nominations
Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical
Movies
Tea With The Dead, Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie, Waiting for Dublin, The Deal, My Name Is Yu Ming, Cowboys & Angels, Evelyn, Rat, 35 Aside, War of the Buttons, 69 and Dead
It took me two hours to be made up as Father Jack. I found it repulsive. If I was in costume, nobody would sit beside me. And I don't blame them. I had vaseline coming out of my ears as discharge, incontinence marks on my trousers, prosthetic teeth which I took out to eat, and one blind eye with an opaque lens.
Facts
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Fact
1
Died on the 18th anniversary of Father Ted (1995) co-star Dermot Morgan's death. Morgan died on 28 February 1998, Kelly on the same date in 2016. Both actors died on a Sunday.
2
Reader of the Audiobook of "Well Remembered Days" by Arthur Matthews.
3
He has a Bachelor of Law from University College Dublin and despite being called to the Bar he has never practiced law in Ireland.
4
Scored a UK Top 30 hit in December 1983 when the humourous 'Christmas Countdown' (a spoof of The Twelve Days of Christmas) reached 26 in the UK singles chart. He later received a letter from the Queen explaining how the record had given her "great pleasure".