3 days ago
Tributes paid to Strumpet City star Frank Grimes
Tributes have been paid to the Dublin actor Frank Grimes, best known for his roles in Strumpet City and Coronation Street, following his death at the age of 78.
The Irish Cultural Centre (ICC) in Hammersmith, London, announced Frank Grimes's passing after a short illness.
It described him as "a dearly loved friend of the ICC" and one of Ireland's "truly great actors".
In its tribute, the ICC said: "Frank Grimes was born in Dublin, he trained at the Abbey Theatre, and was a member of the Abbey Players.
"He scored an early success as Brendan Behan in Borstal Boy at the Abbey in Dublin, Paris, and on Broadway, where he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor and was voted Most Promising Actor by the New York critics."
"Frank worked extensively in the theatre in London; at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court and in London's West End," it continued.
On television, Frank Grimes was hailed for his role as the naive, young priest Father O'Connor in the RTÉ adaptation of James Plunkett's Strumpet City, winning a Jacobs Award for his performance.
His other television credits included playing Barry Connor in Coronation Street and roles in Mrs Brown's Boys, Doctors, Casualty, Fair City, The Bill, and Blind Justice, among many more.
His film credits included A Bridge Too Far, When the Sky Falls, War of the Buttons, and Britannia Hospital.
Frank Grimes also wrote and starred in the one-man show The He & The She of It - A Portrait of James Joyce.
"We are so sad to have to say goodbye to Frank, but we are also so blessed to have known him, to have worked with him, and seen him perform," the Irish Cultural Centre concluded.
"We send our sincere condolences to his wife Ginnette, his daughter Tilly, his son Andrew, his 7 grandchildren, and to all his extended family."
Paying tribute, Gerry O'Brien, president of the actors' union Irish Equity, described Frank Grimes as "a fine performer who brought a sense of vulnerability and, as a result, a humanity to all his performances".
