{"id":27761,"date":"2023-03-24T12:51:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T16:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=27761"},"modified":"2023-03-24T12:56:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T16:56:26","slug":"clerks-star-brian-ohalloran-recalls-his-career-and-irish-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=27761","title":{"rendered":"“Clerks” Star Brian O\u2019Halloran Recalls His Career and Irish Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo: Tom Lau<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q&A by Brad Balfour<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it weren\u2019t for events such as the Big Apple Comic Con \u2014 now taking place this March 25th and 26th (www.bigapplecc.com) \u2014 American actor, producer, and podcaster Brian O\u2019Halloran wouldn\u2019t have had the chance to reach out and meet his audience in a friendly setting. But a con like the BACC is totally conceived with the touchy-feely experience in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s no wonder he draws fans to such an event. By playing Dante Hicks in \u201cClerks,\u201d Kevin Smith\u2019s 1994 debut and became part of a low-rent comedy of punkish pop characters that became a cult classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has also made appearances in most of Smith\u2019s View Askewniverse films, either as Dante Hicks or one of Dante\u2019s cousins. Born in Manhattan, he lived in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, since he was 13. A second-generation Irish-American, both his parents emigrated from Ireland. Sadly, the 53-year-old\u2019s father died when he was 15 years old. Once he graduated from Cedar Ridge High School, he pursued acting starting with \u201cClerks.\u201d He returned many times to reprise his role as Dante Hicks in its 2006 and \u201922 sequels \u201cClerks II\u201d and \u201cClerks III.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Halloran is the lead actor in \u201cVulgar\u201d a 2000 film about a small town clown who\u2019s traumatized after he\u2019s attacked during one of his performances. Writer\/director Bryan Johnson wrote the lead specifically with O\u2019Halloran in mind. He has worked on theatre productions since high school. Since \u201cClerks,\u201d O\u2019Halloran has primarily been a stage actor, working with the Boomerang Theatre Company, the New Jersey Repertory Company and the Tri-State Actors Theatre, among others. In 2020, O\u2019Halloran began presenting his own pop culture podcast, \u201cThe O\u2019HalloRant,\u201d on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What is it like being part of a franchise? Did you ever expect that would happen and hope that would happen? And as a result, how has it changed your life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: No. You know, when we first made the very first \u201cClerks\u201d back in 1993, [director] Kevin Smith was just writing about his actual job. The thing that he did was working at a convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey. The fact is that we then shot that film in the store after hours, late at night, and we were able to get accepted into the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, where it skyrocketed in popularity. Then being picked up by Miramax and being distributed around the world \u2013 going to the Cannes Film Festival and things after that. And then getting a deal with Universal and all these great studios, Lionsgate and stuff after that with these other films was a big shock, to be honest with you. Just some guys out of Jersey just doing the thing they loved to do, which is comedy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Were you doing acting before you did that film? Was acting always in your blood? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Yeah, I had started doing theater in high school, college, and then local community theater in the Central Jersey area, Monmouth County. I did some off-off-Broadway stuff here in Manhattan, and was doing that for about three or four years prior to meeting Kevin. Theater is the best training you can do as an actor. To be in front of a live audience, there\u2019s no \u201cStop, wait, oh geez, what was that line again?\u201d It just sharpens your reflexes. It sharpens your interaction. And it definitely sharpens your memory because you have to know an entire show from beginning to end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: \u201cChasing Amy\u201d is probably my favorite Kevin Smith film, and it was a really critically acclaimed film in its time. It was ahead of its time. How has it impacted on you, and how have you seen people\u2019s reaction to it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Well it\u2019s definitely one of the best-written films of Kevin\u2019s career. I mean, it was nominated for a Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. And Joey Lauren Adams, the lead in that film, was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. So, it was giving it more credibility to Kevin\u2019s career. I mean, we had won awards at Sundance and at Con with the original \u201cClerks,\u201d but this was a topic that I thought was never approached in a mainstream way like he did. And it was based on real life experience that Kevin had experienced himself. So, it was good to see that that storyline resonated with so many people in many communities, not only the gay and lesbian community, but also in just the relationship. It\u2019s a romantic story that just so happens to tackle, you know, gay relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So how much of \u201cClerks\u201d was improvised and how much of it was scripted? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: The first script was 95% scripted. Kevin was not a big fan of improvisation at all. When he got into, you know, \u201cMallrats\u201d that was straight-up scripted. And \u201cChasing Amy\u201d very much so. Even though Ben Affleck tried to riff, so to speak, from time to time, Kevin would be like, \u201cYeah, why don\u2019t you just come back to my script? You go write your own script there, boy.\u201d And then eventually he did and won an Oscar for it so, who knows. But what was good about that and Kevin is really his dialogue. His strength is his dialogue. And that\u2019s what brings me back to doing work with him all the time. He has such an ear for dialogue that\u2019s realistic, yet funny, yet tackles subjects that you don\u2019t hear normally in movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I believe you have some horror films in your background as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: I\u2019ve never done a horror film straight up. I\u2019ve done a film that’s a mockumentary about making up a horror film called \u201cBrutal Massacre,\u201d a comedy, and that\u2019s about it with David Naughton, Gunnar Hansen, Ken Phiri, and many others. You\u2019re watching a film crew as they make this horror film. Written and directed by Stevan Mena, it\u2019s very funny. I do make a cameo in David Lee Madison\u2019s horror film called \u201cMr. Hush.\u201d I\u2019m towards the end of the film for that one. And then there have been bit parts in other small films as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So now are you making films yourself in the future or that you\u2019re working on? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Well, right now I have a couple of scripts that I\u2019ve been writing that I\u2019m still working on. As far as jumping on the other side of the camera, that is one of my goals right now. I\u2019ve been in front of the camera most of my career, so I look forward to working and jumping to that side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Now let\u2019s talk about the most important bit of your history. Let\u2019s talk about your Irish roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: My family came from Ireland in 1965 here to New York City. We settled in the Bronx. I was born here in Manhattan in 1969, lived in the Bronx until 1979. Then we moved to New Jersey. But every summer we went home, as we would call it, back to the west coast of Ireland, hung out in Galway, went up to Sligo and stuff like that. So, I\u2019m the only one who\u2019s American here. My father used to tease me like, you\u2019re the only one who could be president of this country. I\u2019m like, well, who wants it. But what\u2019s great is I\u2019ve been able to go back numerous times, and I love my Irish heritage. I\u2019ve used it to my advantage a few times because I\u2019m proud of it. I\u2019ve done numerous Irish plays. I definitely would love to do a film over there at some point. The film industry in Ireland is huge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: It\u2019s growing all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: It is growing all the time. And with the tax credits that the Irish Arts Council puts out, it\u2019s really affordable. As you saw the House of Dragon was recently filmed there, many, many period pieces, especially when you film out into the West Coast on the southern coast of Ireland. It\u2019s gorgeous. It\u2019s an untouched country that really gives you that essence that I love. So, the fact that every time I hear, whenever I come to New York City, especially Manhattan, and I hear that accent, I\u2019m like, oh, where are you from? And then we get to chat and then, you know, it only takes me not even a few days when I\u2019m over there to get back into the accent. And it takes me about a week once I\u2019m home here to get rid of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I think there\u2019s a movie in all this. Where\u2019s your Irish movie? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Yeah, there should be, there should be.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: But anyhow, what\u2019s coming up? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: People can follow me on \u201cBrian C O\u2019Halloran\u201d on Twitter and Instagram and \u201cThe Brian C O\u2019Halloran\u201d on Facebook. I\u2019ll be releasing a new website here next year where people can follow me as to what I\u2019m up to. I\u2019m in talks with two production companies right now for films next year. I know we\u2019ve just wrapped up Clerks 3. That was the most recent release, which went really well for us. Hopefully we\u2019re working on \u201cMallrats 2\u201d next year, but we\u2019ll see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Anyhow, I really am glad that we\u2019ve gotten a chance to meet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Pleasure meeting you as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I\u2019m going to make sure we get the word out about your roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BO: Right on, take care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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