Fans of Fair City all know "Mondo".
This interviewer has seen the actor walking down the street, getting a range of reactions from passers-by, from the "I know you from somewhere" look to people running across busy intersections to get their picture taken with him.
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By this stage, actor George McMahon is just about a national treasure (especially for soap lovers) and we got the opportunity to sit down for a quick chat to discuss all things Fair City.
Newstalk: Hey George, how are you today?
George McMahon: I'm good. I'm just unwinding after taking part in "Strictly Against Breast Cancer" in the Convention Center. I danced the jive with my lovely partner Helen Curran from RTE Weather. Sadly we didn't win but the experience was amazing and we managed to raise a lot of money for Breast Cancer Ireland.
NT: How would you rank your dancing skills on a scale of one to ten?
GM: I'd rate myself a modest 7. I'm a good mover but I can't even touch my toes!
NT: On a daily basis, how many times a day do strangers - or even people you know - refer to you as "Mondo", not as George, and does that ever get irritating?
GM: It happens at least once a day when I'm in Dublin. But as soon as I leave The Pale, I feel like a rock star! People are mad into Fair City down the country. If I'm with my mates they give me awful abuse for it. When I was younger I used to find it irritating. Nowadays I embrace it and take it as a compliment.
NT: You've been a part of Fair City since 2002, before taking a break from the show. Have you noticed much of a difference in the show since you began working on it?
GM: There's a huge change in the show since I started. There is much bigger investment in production values. Sets, lighting and sound have improved. I think there are tighter scripts and stories and an all round better show today. The attitude towards the show has changed for the better, too. There's a general positive vibe from people I meet on the street. Something which wasn't apparent back in 2002.
NT: Why exactly did you take that break? And what spurned you on to return?
GM: At the time I left the show, I'd done three solid years of big stories, long intense days and hard work. I felt I needed to get out and try out for other work to plump out my CV a bit. Fair City was very supportive of my decision. They'd said to go and "sow your wilds oats as an actor". So I spent a few years doing bits of film, TV drama, theater and panto. After a few of years of a hard slog, the phone call came from RTE asking if I'd be available for a Fair City return, and I jumped at it. And I'm appreciating it way more now than I did when I was younger.
NT: Red Rock recently beat Fair City at the IFTAs. Has there been much of a change inside Fair City since this new soap began?
GM: Red Rock is a great show and as an actor, it's brilliant to have a new platform for work in this country. Having another soap is great for Fair City. I'd imagine it'll keep actors, writers and directors on their toes. Healthy competition can only be a good thing, in my opinion.
NT: You recently drove to Calais with a van full of goods and equipment for the help out the refugees arriving in the area. Can you tell us a little bit about what that was like?
GM: I was guilty of becoming desensitized to the atrocities in Syria and the subsequent drowning of thousands of refugees. I felt I needed to do something. My Facebook friends rallied round and before I knew it I was on the ferry with a van load of supplies. The camp in Calais was chaotic and busy, but the refugees I met were lovely. There had been reports of violence and danger for visitors but thankfully this was not the case for me.
NT: Outside of Fair City, you've got a short film based on 1916 coming up, plus you're playing the prince in a Christmas panto. Can you tell us a little bit about both of those?
GM: 1916: Souls of Freedom is a lovely little two-hander with Paul Ronan and me, written and directed by Dermott Hayes. It's a human story focussing on a young volunteer and an older ICA soldier who take refuge in a Dublin house on the last day of the Easter Rising. Both seem to be fighting for the same outcome, but for very different reasons. I really enjoyed working on this one. Paul Ronan was a pleasure to work with. At the minute, I'm rehearsing Sleeping Beauty which is this year's panto in UCH Limerick. We have a smashing cast again his year, including Keith Duffy, Leanne Moore and Richies Hayes. The show runs from 16th December to 3rd January and tickets are available now!
NT: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today, George!
