Evil Comedians

Somebody tried to convince me the other night that, in the autumn of his life, Bob Monkhouse, filled with self-loathing despite his hugely successful career as a demonic light entertainer, persuaded some film director to cast him as the villain, because, and I quote from hearsay: "that's the man I am". The film was apparently atrocious but Monkhouse was credible enough as the baddie. Intriguing, but I have not been able to track it down.

Brendan Grace, the comédien de référence of 1980's Ireland, was also a suitably well-cast baddie when he played the villainous Father Fintan Stack in a memorable episode of Father Ted, and I always felt it a shame that he never got the opportunity to broaden his scope into the movies. Brendan, as well as being a Fianna Fáil lickspittle all his career, also claims that Frank Sinatra was a big fan of his, and to have met him a few times. So he knew plenty of unsavoury people to shape his Method.