An appearance on what was then known as Crimeline on RTÉ in the early 90s was a moment of realisation for Ardal O'Hanlon.
It hit the comedian, who would go on to appear in Father Ted and Death in Paradise, that he would need to get out of Ireland if he was going to further his acting career.
"I still watch it - it can be really gripping television," O'Hanlon told Jarlath Regan's An Irishman Abroad podcast.
"I played a small time hoodlum who was shot in the back of the legs outside a flats complex in Dublin. I remember it for all sorts of reasons; first of all, it was a fairly humiliating job.
"I didn't have to audition but I do remember the director telling me that I was bit over the top. I was a bit taken aback; how can you be over the top being shot in the back of the legs?
"I improvised slightly and screamed, which wasn't in the script. I went 'Aaahhh' or something. He told me to tone it down.
"The other thing I remember quite distinctly we were shooting it on location in the actual place where the shooting took place. I remember that I was just outside the door of the flats.
"The people around there was not having any of this. They were having a great laugh at our expense. They were throwing bags of water down on top of us. At one point during a take, someone opened a door and wielded a fake gun.
"I kind of knew then that it was time to get out. This was it. This was the pinnacle of my career in Ireland and how far it could go in terms of acting anyway."
Ardal O’Hanlon’s time in the world of organised crime was brief but eventful. Enjoy the full chat now wherever you get your pods. #IrishmanAbroad pic.twitter.com/M2CusKmbch
— Jarlath Regan (@Jarlath) May 17, 2020
