A Clydebank actor has revealed how he went from being told to ‘get his head out of the clouds’ to starring in a Hollywood blockbuster.
Ciaron Kelly grew up in Jellicoe Street in Dalmuir during the 1990s and knew from a very young age that he had a passion for storytelling.
However, the now 35-year-old exclusively told the Post that he narrowly avoided missing out on the role thanks to his “brass neck”.
“The audition process was like that of any other but I didn’t do enough preparation, naively thinking at the time that I was better than I was.
“I was to read a three-page monologue from the film and I bombed really badly. I sat in front of the camera and couldn’t remember a word.
“The audition was meant to take 30 minutes but I was in and out in three. I thought that was it but then two days later I got a call from my agent to say they wanted me to audition for an extra role in the film.
“I took it on the chin and thought ‘In actual fact, I’m going to learn both parts’. I re-auditioned and I did the part that they had asked me to audition for this time and then being a young person from Clydebank I went ‘I’m not having this, I know I can do it’ so I stuck my neck out and said ‘sorry my agent wasn’t sure what part you wanted me to audition for so I’ve re-prepared the role from last time’.
“And the casting director just bolted upright in his seat and gave me the most deathly stare as if to say ‘You knew exactly what part you were auditioning for’.
“But two days later I was told I got the original role, so having that little bit of a brass neck got me the job.”
As a teenager he progressed from putting shows on at home for his family members to attending acting classes at RSAMD’s YouthWorks programme – now the Royal Conservatoire – in Glasgow.
His first professional role, prior to starring in Stone of Destiny, was in British detective drama Rebus where both he and Scottish star Karen Gillan began their careers.
Since then he has been in various TV shows and movies including Outlander.
Reflecting on his career so far, the 35-year-old told of the sacrifices his mum made to support his dream and how he overcame his initial worries surrounding his dyslexia.
He said: “My mum sacrificed a lot for me to get to where I am today. She sacrificed her time and earnings just because I showed an interest in what I wanted to do and I stuck with it.
“We still read scripts together before auditions, she has invested as much time as I have. My grandad was a born storyteller who grew up in Clydebank during the Blitz.
“He was very outspoken about his experiences and I think it really shaped my imagination. He embellished but not in a way that you would lie but so you could smell the smoke and you could feel the heat.
“For high school, I went to Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, they were very helpful as I’m dyslexic and they gave me lots of support.
“However, there was a point in my school life where I went to the career councillor and was asked what I wanted to do and I said ‘I want to be an actor’ and they said ‘I think your head’s in the clouds’.
“That was a defining moment for me. I knew in my heart it was what I wanted to do and when someone says you can’t there is a feeling that you have in your heart that ‘no you’re wrong’ and it pushes you to show them they’re wrong.”
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