Saoirse Ronan’s dad Paul said he inspired the Hollywood star’s love of film since she was a baby.
The actor, known for playing Fair City’s Anto Collins, said it is a passion that has now been passed down through the generations.
The Dubliner said: “I’m a film buff, just love the old movies.
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“Even when I was very young, my da would allow me to stay up when there was something good on.
“Twelve Angry Men, A Streetcar Named Desire, Stagecoach, all stick in my head.
“My dad came from a very poor background, couldn’t read when he was getting married, but he remembered the name of every actor, every second of every film he saw.
“I loved the subtleties he picked up from comedy and Laurel and Hardy were his heroes.
“So, he was the biggest influence on my love of acting.”
History has repeated itself with daughter Saoirse, 28, who has gone on to become one of the biggest stars of the big screen herself.
Paul, who has enjoyed a career in TV, film and the stage, told the RTE Guide: “Your children pick up a lot of what you like, just from watching you.
“Music was very big also when Saoirse was growing up and the eclectic choice of music that she was exposed to at a young age was probably influenced by my taste.
“And I can recite dialogue from films, from my love of scripts and movies, which my father gave to me and hopefully, I gave to Saoirse too.”
Paul, 57, is at the centre of a big storyline on the RTE soap as his character has a gambling addiction.
He added: “To me, gambling was the bookies, a bit off-putting, smokey and dark.
“Now, it’s different, you don’t even have to leave home.
“The collateral damage is huge, and it can be easily hidden.
“I find it unbelievable really. I spoke to a sportsperson recently and he reckons that betting is now out of control with young people.
“They are so used to doing everything on their phone, it is like a game to them.”
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