Peter Smith is taking on the role of a lifetime as Phil Lynott.
The Irish actor has landed himself on set with the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal on an upcoming Guy Ritchie movie, a Paramount sci-fi film, and he’s got plans in motion for a tv show with Samantha Mumba, but right now, all of his focus is on Moonlight, a stage production celebrating the life and talents of the legendary Phil Lynott.
“It’s an honour to be able to do this, a job I love, in a place I love,” he tells VIP Magazine.
Speaking about his love for Phil, he admits that he remembers the Thin Lizzy singer always on TV “dressed cool, acting cool”.
He tells us: “What struck me though, even as a kid, was how quiet he was. I always thought as a child that men were loud. I didn’t have many men in my life, just my uncles and they were all boisterous but Phil was so soft. It struck me that he was able to command a room without shouting his way into it. That laid a path for me.”
Now he will play Phil on stage and he admits that he feels the responsibility to portray the legend.
“I’m from Drimnagh, Dublin 12 and you could throw a stone from my house to Philip’s house. I’ve a responsibility from the people I grew up with to reflect the values, the attitudes and everything that comes with where we’re from,” he admits.
“Philip embodied Dublin. It’s why we miss him so much. It’s not a pressure, it’s a responsibility for me to get this right. This is about the suspension of disbelief, I want people to walk into the theatre and think, God, this is uncanny.”
To read our full interview with Peter Smith pick up the March issue of VIP Magazine on shelves nationwide
New dates have been added for Moonlight in Dublin’s Vicar Street, catch the show April 20th, 21st, 22nd, plus June 24th in University Concert Hall, Limerick. Tickets from €39.20 are on sale now through ticketmaster.ie