THE man who stepped in to Rory Cowan’s shoes in Mrs Brown’s Boys says he didn’t ask the old favourite for advice.
Damien McKiernan also dismissed suggestions Cowan will return to the role.
McKiernan doubts Cowan will return to the show
He took up the role when Cowan stunned fans by walking away after decades with his mentor Brendan O’Carroll.
Damien told the Irish Sun he had “never met” Cowan, adding: “I wouldn’t ring up and ask anyone for any advice about how to play the part of somebody else.
“I’m not him, I can’t act like him. I am a totally different person.
"There’s no comparison but characters change in TV soaps all the time, as they do in films, look at James Bond, and people are now accepting of me in the role.”
The new Rory was unveiled during the Christmas SpecialCredit: BBC
Although Cowan has ruled out any comeback, fans have suggested to creator Brendan O’Carroll a wacky plot would see both Rorys turning up in the same Christmas special.
But the new Rory claims it won’t happen.
Damien said: “Definitely No! I don’t think that’s gonna happen to be honest because Brendan just keeps going forward.
"He doesn’t stop and wait. Brendan wanted somebody to fill Rory’s shoes. He asked me to do it. He told me ‘I think you’d be good’. So that was basically it. As long as Brendan’s happy, I’m happy.”
Damien was speaking in Skerries in Dublin, where the Mrs Brown team are joining forces with the East Coast Motorcycling Club to sponsor the Killalane circuit for the road races on September 7 and 8.
Dublin actor Damien, who first appeared as Rory in the show’s Christmas special last year, said he didn’t have any problems touring Australia and New Zealand with the cast for up to two and a half months — something Cowan had found relentless after three long tours down under in four years.
Rory Cowan left the hit show in 2017Credit: BBC
He said: “I mean, seriously, how the hell could you not like Australia and New Zealand?”
Damien claims making his live stage debut in Australia as the new Rory, gave him the confidence to play the same role in UK and Irish venues.
He said: “It was tough because people were looking for the other guy, because he’s done it for ten or 15 years or something.
"I first appeared in the Christmas special, filmed in October but the first live shows as Rory were in Australia.
“If I had come out on stage in Dublin, people would have gone , ‘it’s not the same guy’ because you’re coming in and playing the same character with the same name.
"But because the first live shows were in Australia, nobody said anything negative at all. Brendan told me to just go out there and enjoy it and ‘be yourself’.”
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