Deirdre O'Kane

Professions :

I'm doing my best to be mindful about how I'm living: to be kind and patient, and not to impose a bad mood on somebody else. Being mindful is as good a way to be spiritual as anything else.

best good be-kind spiritual

Work hard, play hard, dream big, love loads, laugh as much as you can, and give back.

laugh you work love

I get a good colour in summer but go really pale in winter, and it genuinely doesn't suit me, as people ask me if I'm ill. As well as making me look a bit better, I often have to be tanned in the middle of winter to do a show or programme, so I've road-tested every fake tan on the market.

good me winter people

With a new baby, you have a bad day now and again because you're particularly tired, but most of the time, you're fine. You spend a lot of your time trying to figure out how you can get more sleep, but really, you're better off just giving up and admitting that you're not going to, so forget about it.

day you tired time

I'm a great lighter and lover of candles, particularly fragranced ones, as I'm kind of addicted to scent.

lighter lover great scent

Growing up, I was your classic Catholic Irish kid. I went to mass every Sunday. Then in secondary school I went to boarding school, and there was mass seven days a week before breakfast - it may have put me off!

me sunday breakfast school

I was never very good at being an unemployed actor. I always thought that I should have been doing something pro-active. I was never good at doing juvenile leads. I suppose it's because I have this big sarcastic head on me.

never thought good me

I am pretty much as you see me. I don't have deep, dark depths and go home in despair.

i-am me you home

Yes... I miss that everyone in Ireland tries to knock some humour out of every situation. I don't think I appreciated that. It's unique to Ireland.

everyone think situation unique

Waiting to be hired, as an actor, especially, is soul-destroying... There is always something you can do... Create something, a play reading... Anything. But don't rely on other people to come to you. Put yourself out there.

yourself you waiting people

Filling a theatre like the Olympia or Vicar Street on your own name is a very rewarding moment.

street name moment theatre

I have never, ever slept through my child crying unless I have had a sleeping tablet; and I only take a sleeping tablet when I know Steve, my husband, is on duty. We take turns: he does one night, I do the next.

never child husband night

I can't function if I don't have tea. I don't know whether it's psychological or a real necessity, but I just need it.

need know real tea

I love motherhood. I certainly wasn't aware of any mothering instincts until I had babies. I wasn't a person who desperately wanted to have kids, but you don't get it until you do it, and, suddenly, this nurturing instinct exists.

person you motherhood love

I love peppermint tea, as it's much nicer than taking anything chemical for settling your stomach.

your anything tea love

I could probably die happy with a cheeseboard and a glass of French red wine - that's my idea of a perfect dinner.

die dinner red happy

Acting is very much an all-or-nothing job.

much very job acting

I think boarding school does give you an independence.

think you independence school

I kind of flew into a panic that somebody would have already owned the rights, because Christina Noble's life is such a good story. It took us two full years to get Christina to agree and sign the rights.

story good life two

There's a lot I've missed about living in Ireland. You miss family, particularly when you've got kids.

miss you living family

Bob Hope

Brent Weinbach

Buddy Hackett

Bruce Baum

Brother Theodore

Brother Dave Gardner