Twenty-three year old Irish actor Chris Walley knew from the age of eight that he wanted to be an actor because he ‘just loves entertaining people.’ When he left school, he immediately applied for RADA in London, but was unsuccessful. So he returned home to full time study at the Cork School of Music in the BA Drama and Theatre Studies programme. A year later he reapplied to RADA and was offered one of the coveted 28 places from 3,500 applicants.

He starred as Jock in Peter Foott’s film THE YOUNG OFFENDERS, which became an instant hit at the Irish box office and garnered Chris several award nominations. The subsequent TV series was equally popular, winning Chris an IFTA Award. He made his West End debut in June this year as Davey in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE opposite Aidan Turner, directed by Michael Grandage at the Noel Coward Theatre and received exceptional reviews.

TimeOut’s Andrzej Lukowski wrote, “in a uniformly strong cast, special praise should go to Walley. A virtual unknown, he is excruciatingly brilliant as the mullet-clad Davey who meets each new indignity heaped upon him with an impressive mix of resignation and hysteria.” He was nominated for TheStage Debut Award.

Chris signed my drawing at the stage door during the plays final week earlier this month.