Enda Oates

Enda Oates
Born	1962 (age 61–62) Roscommon, Ireland
Occupation(s)	Stage actor Film actor Television actor
Years active	1983–present
Spouse	Louise Oates

Enda Oates (born 1962), occasionally credited as Enda Oats, is an Irish stage, film, and television actor. He has received attention for his stagework, but is best known to Irish television audiences as the Reverend George Black in the long-running series Glenroe for RTÉ, and as Barreller Casey in the sitcom Upwardly Mobile.

Background

Oates was born just outside of Roscommon, Ireland in 1962 and moved to Dublin in 1981 where he currently resides. He studied at Roscommon CBS, and earned a Leaving Certificate in 1980. The following year he attended Athlone Regional Technical College before becoming a civil servant for five years before becoming a thespian. His wife is named Louise and the couple have one son named Sam. Oates is also a noted horse enthusiast and has appeared on several television programmes about horses.

Career

Film and television

Referred to as one of "Ireland’s foremost acting talents" by the Roscommon Herald, Enda Oates' career has spanned over twenty years in theatre, radio, television and film. He has worked with both Irish and international actors and directors, and has performed in many countries. Although he made a 1984 appearance in Remington Steele, he turned professional in 1986 after sharing the Evening Herald 'Newcomer of the Year Award' with Aidan Gillan (The Wire). The official opening of the Strokestown International Poetry Festival was performed by Oates.

In 1989, his theatrical connections through John Lynch saw him awarded the part of rector, Rev. George Black in the series Glenroe on which Lynch was producing. Oates played Rev. George from 1989 to 1997 and was the role which made him widely recognizable to the general public.

In 1990, Oates had a minor role in the Pat O'Connor directed film Fools of Fortune, a film about a Protestant Irish family caught up in a conflict between Irish Republicans and the British army. In 1994, Oates played the role of The Garda opposite esteemed English actors Albert Finney and Michael Gambon in A Man of No Importance, a film which dealt with themes of homosexuality. Between 1995 and 1998 he played Barreller Casey in the Irish sitcom series Upwardly Mobile and played a policeman in The Guvnor in 1996. In 1998 he had a small role the film St. Ives (televised in the UK as All for Love), based on the unfinished Robert Louis Stevenson novel. He featured opposite Miranda Richardson, Anna Friel, Richard E Grant and Jean-Marc Barr. He also appeared in an episode of The Ambassador the same year.

In 2000, Oates starred in three episodes of Trí Scéal and played the role of Brian in the crime comedy film Ordinary Decent Criminal. Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, the film is loosely based on the story of Martin Cahill, a famous Irish crime boss and featured Oates in a cast that included Kevin Spacey, Helen Baxendale and Colin Farrell. In 2000 he also starred in the American comedy film An Everlasting Piece as a detective in a film which involves two wig salesmen, one Catholic and one Protestant, who live in war torn Belfast, Northern Ireland in the mid 1980s. In 2001 he appeared in the series Ballykissangel.

In 2003, Oates had a minor role in the Joel Schumacher film, Veronica Guerin, about Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, whose investigation into the drug trade in Dublin led to her murder in 1996.

Theatrical work and recognition

Although Oates has appeared in numerous films and television series, he sees himself as primarily a theatre actor. He has said, "I find that theatre is like a real job in that one goes to work for four or five weeks or longer and plays a part nightly and everyone talks about the play and their roles. Television is not like that. In television one turns on a camera and one plays ones lines in scenes and when the camera is switched off then you are finished. I get greater satisfaction out of drama and theatre roles".

In 1988, Oates appeared at the Gate Theatre in the Sean O'Casey play Juno and the Paycock, playing a furniture removal man. It was also performed at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway between June 21 and July 2, 1988. Then in 1989, Oates appeared in the play Big Maggie at the Abbey Theatre, performed between July 25 and September 26, 1989. In 1991 he appeared in a production of Plough and the Stars in London.

Emer O'Kelly of Irish Independent panned playwright Jim O'Hanlon's 2004 production of Pilgrims in the Park. While noting that the cast did "best with this rubbish", he expanded that "only Enda Oates as the husband and Barry Barnes as the priest have even moments of credibility."

Reporting of Oates' in Alan Stanford's 2006 production of MacBeth, the Irish Times wrote that his work as McDuff was "thoroughly impressive". And also in 2006, the production of Little Green Men reports that "Well known Irish actor Enda Oates who takes one of the lead roles as Michael Greene in the new play said that he was ‘hooked’ on the idea after the success of the first production.

In their review of Alan Stanford's 2007 production of the Brian Friel play Philadelphia, Here I Come!, The Irish Independent wrote "Among the theatrical high points is the poignant visit and awkward embrace of Gar from old schoolteacher, Master Boyle (Enda Oates)..."

In 2008, Oates played Shylock in the Merchant of Venice in the Helix Theatre. The Irish Times' review of the 2008 production of The Merchant of Venice offered, "...That leaves Shylock with Enda Oates putting his individual stamp on him. He shrugs aside servility to present a strong character in revolt against a lifetime... ". As reported in Roscommon Herald, "An Irish Times theatre critic described his performance as riveting and one which was maintained to the end."

Of his work in Zinnie Harris's Further Than the Furthest Thing (2008), Sophie Gorman of The Irish Independent wrote, "Enda Oates as the laconic island patriarch radiates suppressed force of character".

Donegal News reported Alan Stanford producing Macbeth again in 2008, with "a large cast of sixteen, some of whom are returning to their original parts, most notably Enda Oates, as MacDuff..." The Irish Independent, while noting the violence of gore inherent in the Shakesphere play, found "the production is nonetheless strangely bloodless and passionless" due to a "very odd interpretation of the central role by [thespian] David Shannon". Even with its flaws, it was noted that Oates was "a powerful Macduff".

Theatre highlights

• Studs (Paul Mercier) 1986
• 1987- Jacques Brel is … (Noel Pearson) 1987
• Juno and the Paycock 1988
• Big Maggie (Abbey Theatre) 1989
• Plough and the Stars (Young Vic) 1991
• The Field (Gaiety Theatre) 1994
• Uncle Vanya (as Astrov) Field Day, Tricycle London) 1995
• True Believers (Tricycle Irish Tour) Fishamble 1999
• Gulliver’s Travels – Gulliver (Ireland and Wales) 2001
• En Suite, 2002
• The Chastitute, 2003
• Pilgrims in the Park, 2004
• The Tempest (as Prospero) Corcadorca Theatre Co 2005
• The Ha’penny Bridge, The Point Theatre Dublin, 2005
• Little Green Men, 2006
• Macbeth – Macduff – Second Age Theatre Company 2006/2007/2008
• Philadelphia, Here I Come! Second Age Theatre Company 2007
• The Merchant of Venice 2008
• Further Than the Furthest Thing 2008
• The Dead School 2008

Partial filmography

Television

• Remington Steele (1 episode, 1984)
• City Limits (1986)
• Errors and Omissions (1987)
• Small World (1 episode, 1987)
• Glenroe (1989–1997)
• Upwardly Mobile (1995–1998)
• The Guvnor (1996) Cop
• The Ambassador (1 episode, 1998)

• Trí Scéal (3 episodes, 2000)
• Ballykissangel (1 episode, 2001)
• Showbands (2005)
• Aifric (1 episode, 2006)
• The Stardust (2006) (Mini-series)
• Killinaskully (1 episode, 2007)
• The Clinic (2 episodes, 2005–2008)
• Val Falvey TD (2008)

Film

• Fools of Fortune (1990)
• A Man of No Importance (1994)
• Crossmaheart (1998)
• St. Ives (1998)
• Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)
• An Everlasting Piece (2000)
• Chaos (2002) (I)

• Bachelors Walk (2002)
• Veronica Guerin (2003)
• The Return of Gelert (2003)
• The Longest Ditch (An Diog is Faide) (2004)
• Rógairí (2005)
• Eden (2008)

External links

• Enda Oates at the Internet Movie Database