This much I know: Lalor Roddy

Being a professional actor means holding onto your own persona despite edging towards someone else’s.

It can be a dangerous process at times: holding onto what you are while being someone else.

I regard myself as a shy person. I was a very shy youngster, that’s why I was attracted to drama.

I’ve been lucky enough to teach drama and believe it is a huge part of growing up. It is such a great foundation for so many avenues in life and if I had my way it would be compulsory. Because it helps us to open up — that is exactly why I was drawn to it.

As an actor, the more passionate you are about a play, the more you feel the responsibility and weight of your role in it, but you try not to let that burden you. Desire Under The Elms, the Eugene O’Neill piece I’m in at the moment, is a monster of a play — working on it has been quite a journey. It’s an American Classic.

When I left school, I went to America to study and to play football, it was to get away from home in Belfast as much as anything else. Then I did a psychology course in what is now The University of Ulster.

My father was a very responsible individual. If anything went wrong, he was the guy who bailed everyone out. He died when I was 33 and I think all that responsibility killed him too early, it robbed him of vitality and life. In retrospect, I think that is why I rebelled against a structured nine to five job. At the time I was a clinical psychologist, working in St Michael’s House in Ballymun with disturbed children. I gave it up altogether and got into drama.

Before I made the decision, I’d really only done little bits and pieces — a Sam Shepard piece in the Teachers’ Club in Parnell Square, occasional productions here and there. I thought — I’ll give it a go to for a few years.

I love theatre and never really thought about doing film until five years ago — it always intimidated me. But now that I’ve had more experience of film, I know how to work it a little better.

Integrity is the trait that I strive towards most and the one which I admire most in others.

I’m bloody awful at separating my work and the rest of my life — it’s either or, but it’s always been like that, it’s the only way it works for me. It has to be extreme and the work needs my total commitment.

That’s why bringing up children was so difficult, getting them through their teenage years. That has been my biggest challenge so far. What really surprised me is how important blood actually is. The continuity of myself via my children is more significant than I ever would have expected it to be.

I’ve told both my kids how much they have taught me. They’ve taught me to be more fully human and they’ve taught me how to love. The bottom line is love.

If I could change one thing in our society it would be racism and bigotry. The fact that some people think they are better than others due to the colour of their skin.

My idea of misery would be to inflict pain and to torture people on a daily basis. So being a dentist is definitely out.

Lalor Roddy is appearing in Corn Exchange’s production of Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O’Neill, as part of the 2013 Dublin Theatre Festival opening, Oct 4-13, Smock Alley Theatre.