Ali Fox says it can be exhausting balancing her acting and comedy career, but she loves the challenge.
The soap star, famed for playing Babs Mullen on Fair City, is also a successful comedian and switches between filming scenes for Carrigstown with her stand-up gigs and sketch work.
Babs has had a challenging year in the fictional Dublin suburb after learning her husband Victor was cheating on her only for him to be hospitalised following a gas explosion during Fair City’s 35th anniversary storyline. These tough scenes, paralleled with comedy, has kept Ali busy.
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She told RSVP Live: “It’s been a very interesting balance to strike. I was an actor before I got into comedy, so acting is definitely my first love.
“I’m very grateful to be able to go from soap world into comedy. It can be absolutely exhausting trying to straddle the two worlds at the same time, but it’s great because I get to do so many different things.
“The anniversary episodes were quite grim with the subject matters we were dealing with, but I do enjoy the challenge of getting into the nitty gritty of a family on the brink of crisis in Carrigstown, then heading to a comedy gig later that night.
“It’s a bit of a whirlwind but I thoroughly enjoy being able to do both. It keeps it different for me and keeps my energy up for sure.”
Ali joined Fair City in 2023 when the Mullens arrived in Carrigstown. The long-running RTE soap is an institution of Irish television, so she definitely felt some level of pressure taking on the role of Babs.
She said: “It was overwhelming for sure. When I got the call the show was 33 years old, it’s now 35. It’s older than me.
“There is a pressure; you’re entering into a world that is long established with 600,000 odd people tuning into every single week. Of course that is in the back of your mind the whole time, you have a job to do and you better be good because you’ll be torn apart online if you’re not!
“It’s been an absolute joy so far, I do have to say I’m proud to be part of such a long-running show. It’s so beloved by Irish people, it’s part of the programming in everyone’s house.”
In Carrigstown, Babs is a mum-of-two in her early 40s, which is different from Ali’s real life. However, she does notice some similarities between her and the fictional character.
“There would be some similarities for sure. I have a mothering instinct without having any kids in real life. I’m the eldest of three and I definitely think, like most eldest daughters, you have an inclination to look after everybody,” she said.
“I hope that comes across in my portrayal in Babs. It certainly helps that the two actors playing my daughters, Aoife Bawle and Rachel Wren, are my great friends now. Our real life gelling and genuine love for each other helps to drive the family narrative along.
“Babs is older than me, she’s in her early 40s, so she had her girls very young. But I think we get away with it because the family unit is so tight.
“Mark Asante, who played Victor, joined the show a little after us but really sealed the family dynamic. Jess’s boyfriend Greg, played by Shane McCarthy, also slotted right in with us.
“It makes for better scene work and easier flow of dialogue because we get on so well with each other so I’m very grateful for that. It’s a great thing to be part of, to make it seem real.”
It’s been a dramatic year for the Mullens between Victor’s affair, Ruby struggling to cope and Greg struggling financially. Christmas is always an explosive time in soapland, so what does the festive season have in store for Babs?
“We’ve already seen Babs begin to embark on a fitness journey to clear her head after everything she’s gone through,” Ali teased.
“She wants to transform her mindset and physical appearance. She’s going to hit the gym very hard, we’ll see soon where that goes. Her little grandson Taylor will celebrate his first birthday on Christmas Day, and things will kick off in a bigger way for Babs in the New Year.”
Away from Fair City, Ali is gearing up for Christmas Crackers, a comedy variety show which takes place in the Ambassador Theatre in Dublin on December 5th. Some of Ireland’s brightest comedic talents are coming together to bring on the festive cheer, in a show which will feature music, comedy and drag performances.
“It’s going to be a pretty big line-up, we’re getting the gang back together,” Ali said.
“There will be myself, Anna Clifford, Davina Devine, Michael Fry, Ryan Carrick, Simon Hennessy and the ever delicious Garron Noone. There will be a mix of comedy, a little bit of sketch work, some music and there will be prize-giving too. It’s going to be a great night out.”
Christmas Crackers takes place in The Ambassador on Thursday December 5th. Tickets, costing €33.64 including booking fees, are on sale now.
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