Redstar
Posts : 71
Join date : 2012-02-23
Location : Oregon, USA
 |  Subject: Interview about JRM's "brother" Chris  Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:45 am | |
| Taken from thefreelibrary.com (from the Irish Mirror) 2006:
WHEN Jonathan Rhys-Meyers held aloft his Golden Globe this week it was the pinnacle of his fairy-tale career.
But as millions of people around the world tuned in to watch the Irishman win the award, they were unaware of the secret heartache behind his success.
Only those closest to the talented Cork actor knew that in his moment of triumph, his thoughts were not for himself but for his "brother" who is battling cancer.
Accepting the Golden Globe at Los Angeles' Beverly Hilton Hotel for his leading role in CBS Elvis, Johnny said: "My brother Chris, I dedicate this to you. I love you very, very much."
Later this month when the 28-year-old star returns to Glanmire with his Golden Globe, one of his first visits will be to Chris Crofts' north Cork home.
The former Galway University student, who is the actor's close personal friend, was first diagnosed a year ago.
It was on a visit to America to see Johnny that he fell seriously ill.
On his return to Ireland, a scan revealed the 30-year-old had a brain tumour.
Although doctors in Europe and the US refused to operate on the lump, Chris' family and friends found a doctor in Mexico who was prepared to carry out the procedure.
Against all the odds he defied medical experts and survived the surgery.
It was Chris' father Christopher who brought Johnny into his home and encouraged him to become an actor.
From a working class background, Johnny once said of Christopher: "I knew Christopher before I knew anyone in the film world. He taught me everything, besides, he is my best friend in the world."
It is to dairy farmer Christopher that the actor, who has taken Hollywood by storm, turns to for fatherly advice.
The pair have a close bond that was formed when they met 13 years ago at quasar in Cork's Leisureplex.
Christopher met Johnny, whose father John O'Keeffe had left the Blackpool family home when he was just three, when he needed some direction in his life.
Big-hearted Christopher recognised the talent in the then 16-year-old and without his vital support Johnny would probably never have achieved his true potential.
Christopher, who was not surprised by Johnny's Golden Globe victory, told the Irish Daily Mirror: "He had this presence.
"I cannot see anything in his acting at times because I know him too well but he has a huge screen presence. He has a huge personality, people love him.
"He could also have been a musician, they are a gifted musical family, which he gets from his father."
Despite everything Christopher has done for the new star, he is a reluctant hero.
Christopher added: "We are fairly liberal in our views here. He did not have to try and keep up with the Jones's. He could be himself - if that was ever possible with Johnny. It meant he could be quite candid in anyway that he liked."
And father-of-two Christopher revealed it was as well Johnny ended up on the stage because he was not destined to be a farmer.
He said: "He is the most useless article I have ever met. He can't milk cows. He is frightened of cows. He is bad at driving. He could not even use a brush."
It was while staying at Christopher's old-fashioned farmhouse that Johnny heard the news that he had got his break in acting.
Christopher explained: "We got a call to this house saying they were looking for extras for David Puttnam's War Of The Buttons.
"He was useless on the farm so I encouraged him to go to the casting. He went from being an extra to nearly being a lead role. I remember the telephone call well. They saw the presence he had.
"They could not give him the lead role in War Of The Buttons because it had already been cast and they could not give him a lesser role because he would outshine the lead so he was made an extra."
Amazingly Johnny's training in acting has amounted to just two afternoons at Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting with Patrick Sutton.
Christopher added: "I realised then there was a possible future for this lad so I took him to Lisa Richard's Agency in Dublin."
A short time later Johnny appeared in a Knorr soup ad for which he received 150 pounds.
Johnny, as his friends and family call him, is currently appearing on cinema screens in Woody Allen's Match Point.
Later this year he will return to Ireland to Ireland and August Rush alongside Robin Williams and his Mission Impossible III co-star Keri Russell.
The film, by Irish director Kirsten Sheridan, is about a child musical prodigy who uses his talent to find his parents.
BUT while Johnny has managed to put his difficult childhood behind him, he is still dogged by insecurity.
His current girlfriend of 17 months is teenager Reena Hammer whose millionaire father owns The Spa in Harrods.
Before that he dated Dublin Socialite Cha Cha Seigne for four years and Velvet Goldmine co-star Toni Collette for 12 months.
Christopher said: "It says an awful lot about him and his insecurities. Despite his humble acting beginnings, Johnny's mum always knew her boy had a special talent. Mother-of-four Gerrie O'Keeffe said: "I always knew he was destined to be a star. When he was seven I realised he was going to be on the stage.
"He played Buttons in a class play. He went off the stage the wrong way but he came back on to the stage and said ad-lib, 'Buttons does it again'.
"I knew then that he was never going to work with his hands."
AND when her eldest son brings his Golden Globe home, the reality of his success will finally hit home.
Gerrie added: "I am looking forward to seeing the award. He is bringing it home with him. At the moment I am the proudest mother in Ireland.
"He deserves everything. I admire his courage and dedication and I know this is going to be his year."
"People stop me in the street and say, 'Congratulations' but I say to them what are you congratulating me for, I didn't win the Golden Globe, the only thing I did was give birth to the lad.
"He was my son before he was a Hollywood star and he will be my son after.
"I have to admire Christopher Crofts for looking after him. Johnny will be around as an actor for a long time because he is so level-headed - that's down to Christopher who is like his surrogate father.
"He has always looked out for him."
Last edited by Redstar on Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:16 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
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capulet
Posts : 184
Join date : 2012-03-19
Age : 44
Location : Deventer, Holland
| | Subject: Re: Interview about JRM's "brother" Chris Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:47 pm | |
| Sad to read that his brother have a tumor.... speaking from my own experience it is a terrible disease I hope that he will get better
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Audrey
Posts : 1044
Join date : 2011-12-01
Age : 46
Location : Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
| | Subject: Re: Interview about JRM's "brother" Chris Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:25 pm | |
| He probably recovered. The story is from 2006' and he was apparently ill the year before, so 2005' and I haven't heard about Chris dying. I am sure we would have heard it if he lost the battle. But brain tumors are tricky, he might have some permanent damages that will not recover. But that last is just speculation off course. | |
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Shanti
Posts : 272
Join date : 2011-12-03
Location : Argentina
| | Subject: Re: Interview about JRM's "brother" Chris Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:56 am | |
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Thank you very much, Redstar, for the Irish Daily Mirror interwiew. Very touching about his mother's comments. She was very proud of her dear boy. It is very sad that she died so young, she would have been a huge support for Jonny. For those who have lost our mother so early, we know what it means.
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