Tony Tormey: Just sitting in a damp rehearsal room for a play still excites me and putting 'actor' down on forms still makes me feel proud

Tony Tormey.

I grew up on Baggot Street in Dublin, so my parents knew Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, and the likes. My dad died in a car crash when I was 16 years old. So, it was myself, my sister, my mum and my aunt after that. Everything was about us kids, which is just like how my life is now. My life revolves around my kids. My son Max is 18 and Isabella is 15. Someone once said to me that when you have kids you're no longer the picture, you're the frame. I'm very much a frame right now.

Looking back, I don't think I could have gone into any other career. I was supposed to go to art college before my dad died but after that, necessity took over and I was sent out to work. I've always loved movies, music, and anything to do with the business though. I think it was a path I was always interested in but it wasn't until a friend of mine suggested I audition for an acting course that I actually went for it. I was working in St James's Hospital as a lab aide at the time and the Gaiety School of Acting had just started up with Joe Dowling and my friend was like "why don't you have a go at it" and I did.

I got in and after the course was finished we were told whether we should pursue acting or not. They said they thought I had something and Joe offered me a part and I was on my way. To this day I just love being on set. Even just sitting in a damp rehearsal room for a play still excites me and putting 'actor' down on forms still makes me feel proud.

The biggest challenge I've ever faced is being a father. It's a beautiful challenge that I adore. I get up every morning thinking how lucky I am to have two healthy children, but every day you're also questioning yourself. I question what I should say or hold back on, and they challenge me as well of course. My family is my biggest achievement, the kids and my wife, and the unit we've created.

My wife is the person I turn to most. I turn to her for advice, to talk about work, to run lines, anything really. We've been married for 21 years. My father-in-law is from Cork city actually so we go down there a lot. I love Cork. I have so many friends down there. I love going down to see plays in the Opera House as well. The city is just brilliant.

I think my greatest quality is not judging people. I'm pretty open-minded and I don't think too much fazes me. Well, on the outside I might be cool and calm but on the inside, I could be freaking out.

The lesson I would pass on to others is that 'it will all be alright in the end'. As young people, we worry so much about stupid stuff. I'm in my 50s now and you just realise that everything will come around eventually.

The best professional advice I was ever given was from a director, Gerry Stembridge. It was my first time ever working on camera, I had only done stage before, and he called me over and asked what I was doing. I said that I was trying not to do anything, let my eyes do the work, and he said "there's a big difference between doing nothing, and doing feck all, and right now, you're doing feck all.” As for personal advice, my mother used to always say "find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life" and she was right.

The ability people have to bounce back surprises me. After everything we've gone through over the past year, we're still going. We still have our spirit and we're still here. Last year, we couldn’t film Fair City and even now we should all be in a lot more storylines but we can’t because you can’t share a dressing room and we have to seal our costumes and things like that, but you get through it.

Physically, I’m scared of rats. Emotionally, I’m scared of the unknown I suppose. What I’d like to be remembered for is just being a decent person and a good father. I like to think that being a dad is what I’m best at.

I’ve often thought about where another fork in the road would have taken me. I certainly wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. If my father had lived, I would have been on a different path completely. Who knows where or what I’d be.

I'm proud of my work though. I'm so lucky to be acting. I've been on Fair City for 21 years and I think I'm one of the few people who have been there that long. Now, doing that for so long and not working on anything else can drive you a bit mad, but I'm proud of creating a character that people will remember. They'll never forget the bald git.