Veteran Irish actor Frank Kelly has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but says he is determined to live life to the full despite the debilating condition.
The Father Ted and Hall's Pictorial Weekly star told the Irish Sun newspaper said he intends to continue working.
"I've been working as an actor for over 50 years, and a shaky hand certainly won't stop me. I remain open to offers for work on stage and screen. I'm quite available and my mobile is always on."
Frank Kelly as Father Jack and the rest of the Craggy Island crew
Kelly, 76, received the all-clear from bowel cancer in 2011. He was treated for skin cancer earlier this year, the paper says, and also has heart problems.
His Parkinson's diagnosis was confirmed after he was admitted to hospital in 2015 for heart failure.
"It was my first diagnosis, but I'm quietly confident that I've had this for years and years," he said, explaining that he has lived with a shake in his right hand for a long time.
Kelly said that the Parkinson's symptoms increased after diagnosis but then abated. "But if you are watching what you are doing, you can control it. It doesn't interfere with your work, it doesn't interfere with anything.
"You might have heard of the American actor Michael J Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's 22 years ago and is still working today. I'm the same."
