When ‘Shameless’ came out, I fell in love with the character Micky. Every Tuesday night I would be in stitches laughing. Who was this guy? Was he really like that in real life?? I have been fortunate to meet the actor Ciarán Griffiths at several events and yes – there are similarities! Ciarán is the first to be featured in my new series of portraits ‘TEN MANC’s.’
Actor CIARÁN GRIFFITHS is an Irish Mancunian with a Welsh Dad. He grew up in Manchester but spent his childhood summers with his Dad in South Wales, where he would go swimming in the sea with his Great Granddad. Ciarán would also go with his Mum to Galway in the west of Ireland to visit family and friends. It was here he first showed his talent for acting. Ciarán explains, “I have been acting the goat ever since I can remember, performing Laurel and Hardy, word for word, in my Irish Granddad’s kitchen
demanding FULL attention!”
At school in Manchester he was encouraged by his drama and language teachers, to take the acting further. He joined workshops run by a man called David Johnson, who taught the students the importance of discipline and time-keeping.
By the time he was in his early 20’s Ciarán was living in London and working on the TV series ‘The Bill.’ His life dramatically changed when his Mum suddenly died. This was a massive loss as he was very close to his Mum who was also his best friend.
Ciarán left London and returned to the north to be close to his family. He soon got a part in the series ‘Shameless’ where he enjoyed playing the character Micky together with a great cast of actors. Now, almost ten years on, he has just completed filming the nineteenth century period drama ‘The Mill.’ Ciarán tells me that he really enjoys being an actor, especially as he does not feel overly confident as himself but when taking on a character all the shyness disappears. His dream rôle would be to play an Irish rebel!
When not working he feels that routine is still essential and gets up early to do a circuit at the boxing club in Moss Side. He gets home for eleven am with time to read scripts in the afternoon and also finds time to run a drama workshop for kids at weekends.
At the end of our shoot I pack the studio lights away. Ciarán gets changed and puts on his old Bob Marley T-shirt. Shoot over, I take a last snap while he stands under the street light as the last bit of twilight is fading over Manchester – the city Ciarán describes as the best place in the world! The ‘snap’ was chosen over the well-planned studio shots as I felt it captured the man behind the actor.