Northside star goes to Batt on War of the Buttons anniversary

A FORMER child star from the northside opened up about his experiences featuring in one of Ireland’s most iconic cult films ahead of its 29-year anniversary.

Paul Batt is best known for starring as Gorilla in the comedy-drama War of the Buttons back in 1994. This Saturday will mark exactly 29 years since the movie’s release which saw two Cork boys shoot to fame decades ago.

The taxi driver, who also works part-time in the film industry, is best friends with one of his former co-stars, Cork actor and magician Gerard Kearney, to this day

“I was best man at his wedding and he was best man at mine”, Paul told The Echo.

Penned by Colin Welland and based on the French novel La Guerre des boutons, by Louis Pergaud, the plot centred around two rival boys’ gangs, the Ballys and the Carricks.

Batt said that without that iconic role his life would have taken a different route.

The father of four will never forget being scouted for the production.

“I was doing a play in the North Mon where I played a character called ‘Cinderfella’. I had to dress up as a woman as part of this comedy sketch.

“I was just being the funnyman, flashing my underpants at the audience and stuff and the audience loved it.

“The thing just exploded and we were playing to a full house every night. It was so successful they decided to stage it in Na Piarsaigh’s”.

It was during this extended run that Paul’s family received a phone call about auditions for a movie in the Firkin Crane.

The actor admits that he initially underestimated how high the stakes were.

“The first thing I did when I went in was ask them how long the audition would be because I needed to go home to get ready for a play.

“Even when filming started I don’t think I ever had any idea how big War of the Buttons was going to be”.

He recalled being overwhelmed by the experience.

“Ten minutes into it I was brought in in front of 150 kids where I met Mary Maguire who was a casting associate for Ros Hubbard”.

Paul recalled attending a number of callbacks before finally scooping the role.

“It went from the Firkin Crane to Jury’s Hotel. There were around 10 callbacks in total. When my mum got the call to say I had the part she was on the worktop cleaning windows.

“Originally, I was cast as Fat Pat, one of the boys from the rival gang. However, they switched our parts around after two rehearsals and I was cast as the character Gorilla”.

The Corkman beat off stiff competition for the role. Fellow northsider Jonathan Rhys Meyers, famed for his roles in projects like The Tudors and Mission Impossible III, was among the hopefuls.

“Jonathan Rhys Meyers also did a screen test for the film but didn’t get a role”, he explained. “I had known him before that. We were good pals before he ever been famous. He has always been a legend”.

Paul, who is a dad to Eoin (16), Sarah (15), Mark (13) and Samantha (11), was still getting recognised by fans of the movie up until a few years ago.

“People used to get into the taxi and ask ‘are you Gorilla from War of the Buttons?’ I always looked like I did in the film until I turned about 40. I changed a lot around that point and people didn’t tend to recognise me anymore.

“I didn’t miss being recognised because this was something that happened 30 years ago and you just have to go with the flow.”

The former soldier has always been able to laugh at himself. Referring to the infamous scene that saw young actors in the rival gang shed their clothes in protest he said:

“I always joked that they took their clothes off for money, whereas I was doing it in the nightclubs for free.”

Paul, who featured in the movie alongside stars like Colm Meaney and Liam Cunningham, said he refused to let the hype surrounding the movie affect him.

“We never let any of it go to our heads”, he said of himself and his young co-stars. “As soon as it was over we were back in school, playing hurling and doing all the things we used to do before.

“The only thing I can compare it to is your wedding day. When your wedding day is over the hype has died down and everything seems very quiet and dead.

“However, then you remember you have the honeymoon to look forward to. It also takes a while for the photos to come back so you’re waiting for them too.

“There is always something to look forward to which means you can gradually let go of it. I’m still friends with 90% of the cast to this day. I think my life would have taken an entirely different path if I hadn’t been in the film.”