The Rocky Road

Terry O’Neill is a former Irish international boxer turned actor and comedian. During his years in the fight game, the Dubliner won national titles and represented his country across Europe, winning Four Nations gold. His current show, Rope A Dope, is an international hit, featuring twice at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s based on his years in the sport and some of the comic elements he came across during his time in the ring. As he says, mental things have gone on over the years, so why not give them a run in the sun? It’s joke heavy but it’s also about the loss of a dream. Terry dreamt about becoming a professional champion like his idol, Rocky Marciano, but has new ambitions these days in showbusiness. Here, he talks about fighting on the fringes of the high performance revolution in Irish boxing and how emotions often got the better of him around his biggest fights, for better or worse. He discusses his new way of channelling that energy, through performance, the joys of being typecast as a ‘Dublin scumbag’ and his ambition to follow classmate and fellow boxer Barry Keoghan all the way to Hollywood one day. It’s a frank and open discussion, and Terry kills – especially when he talks about landing one of his biggest roles. He also takes the Boxing Movie Quote challenge with hilarious results.