One thing we are lucky to all have in this country is a sense of humour, not all of us are brave enough to actually put that humour out there on the big stage though, but for Irish comedian Aisling Bea, it's something that has always come very naturally to her.
If you don't know of Aisling yet, you should get to know her. The comedian/actress managed to become the second woman in twenty five years to scoop the Edinburgh Fringe So You Think You’re Funny Award back in 2012 and has appeared in the likes of Holby City, In With the Flynns and even made her acting debut in good old Fair City playing Cliodhna Norris back in 2009.
You can also see Aisling in the upcoming season of Sky 1's Trollied which returns next week. The comedy about employees in a fictional supermarket named 'Valco' returns for its fourth series and will see Bea in the role of Charlotte, who is the hopeless daughter and heiress of the man who owns Valco.
We had a chance to catch up with Aisling recently to find out how she feels about entering the world of Trollied and everything else that's going on with this upcoming Irish star...
Tell us a little bit about your character in Trollied?
My character is called Charlie and she is the daughter of the owner of the Valco chain of supermarkets. To put it politely, she is a bit of a dope. She is naïve and loving but has been brought up surrounded by a soft cushion of cash and privilege. She lives inside her head and very much not in the real world.
What's it like coming into an established comedy show in the fourth season?
Fine and dandy. No one bullied me and there were a few newbies to hang around with in the playground.
Any funny stories from filming with the cast/meeting them?
Miriam Margoyles announces loudly to the entire cast and crew about six times a day that she is going to pass wind and we should all make some space.
Which appeals to you more, the standup or acting?
Neither, I wish I worked in a kitchen chopping vegetables, but here I am instead with the clown factory paying my wages.
Standup seems like a daunting world, what drew you to it?
Things are only daunting if they are very far away from your main skillset. I can’t play the guitar so the thoughts of playing one onstage at a festival makes me quiver, but I’ve been blabbering away in front of people since I was a child, so talking for a living isn’t the most daunting thing to do. I’m not saying I don’t get nervous, but that’s more to do with the stakes and what you have to lose if you feck up on certain jobs.
Any comedy TV shows (in the whole wide world!) that you would just love to be cast in?
YES! Please send this response to Modern Family.
Where do you get your sense of humour from? Anyone growing up or the like?
Well apparently my father was funny, I didn’t really know him, but people have theories that the gag-smith gene trickles down through the blood amongst other terrible traits like a big nose and a temper. My aunt Maire is also very entertaining nun - not so much in a Sister Act jazz singer, but more in a seanchai wonderful storyteller.
Would you consider more serious roles down the line or is comedy where it's at for you?
Yep, I’ve already been doing that for years. I trained in London as a classical actor, but you’ve no idea what way your career will go. I’m very happy and lucky to be working and paying my bills from my job and I’ll hopefully get to keep working for a long time, so there’ll be room for as many things as you can squash in.
Catch Aisling Bea in Trollied each Monday night on Sky 1 from 3rd November.