Stamp of approval

THE Tyrone uncle of Irish screen star Andrew Scott has spoken of his family’s pride at seeing their famous relative commemorated on a new stamp released by Royal Mail.

Eugene Boyle, from Omagh’s Derry Road, has been closely following the Dubliner’s stellar career on the big and small screen, which has really taken off over the last ten years.

The award-winning actor is a son of Eugene’s younger sister Nora Scott, who worked as an art teacher in the Irish capital.

It was his breakthrough role as Jim Moriarty in the BBC’s modern version of classic detective series, ‘Sherlock’, that first brought him to the attention of the wider viewing public.

Since then, the versatile character actor has appeared in the James Bond blockbuster, Spectre, and caused a stir as the ‘hot priest’ in the second season of acclaimed BBC comedy, Fleabag.

It is thanks to his part as the arch nemesis of detective Sherlock Holmes that has led to him being immortalised in stamp form by Royal Mail.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the TV hit, a series of six stamps have been produced showing the iconic characters from the show, including Scott’s Moriarty.

Speaking to the TyroneHerald, a delighted Eugene said it was a “proud moment” for his whole family to see his nephew honoured in such a way.

Eugene’s daughter, Tara, added that they had been following her cousin’s career intently over the years.

She said, “We used to go to shows in Dublin that he was in in the early days. And I took dad to the cinema to see the James Bond film.”

Describing him as a “very personable, genuine guy”, Tara added, “He deserves all his success. He works so hard. He is an electrifying actor on stage but the breadth of his work is a testament to his talent.”

Scott is currently appearing in the one-man stage show, Three Kings, in London’s Old Vic theatre. The production, written especially for the actor, is being streamed live directly from an empty auditorium for five performances only.