Who is … John Kelleher?

A true Irishman who moved to Denmark in 1994 from Dublin. He can currently be seen in an ad for the media service provider Fullrate as Scotsman McCluskey, and he is the resident quizmaster at The Globe.

CPH POST: So what does it take to have an Irishman put on a kilt?

Not much. I like a fun challenge, and Irish and Scottish people are very similar. In fact, several Scottish people went to the audition but admitted their defeat fast as I looked more Scottish than them.

What a shame people in Ireland don’t see it

Well, actually it is so popular that it has been sold to other countries, one of them being Ireland. My mother called because she had seen it on TV.

Nice to have a proud family

Well, my 14-year-old daughter is embarrassed. They call her McCluskey at school. But as I always say: it’s a father’s job to embarrass his kids and if he doesn’t manage that, then he has failed.

So your kids aren’t proud of your Scottish debut, but what about their Irish roots?

They are very proud of them. This St Patrick’s Day my daughter is planning on getting green highlights and of course wearing green. She and my son will help out at the 3-Legged Charity Race, which is organised by my sister and me.

Are you going to participate?

No, I am too old to run around Copenhagen drinking beer, although I have won it twice.

So drinking for charity is in the past for you?

Well, maybe I will have to do it one more time some day. Right now, my kids are too young to participate in the race, but someday they should do it. And maybe that will be the day I do it again.

Have you done any other acting?

I used to do some ads back in Ireland and when I came here I started doing theatre in Copenhagen with an Irish group called IDEA. I would like to do more, but it is a tough business, so I work full-time in IT.

 





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