Irish folk legend Finbar Furey is in talks to play Ben Affleck's father in a new movie.

The singer, who shared the screen with Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs Of New York, has revealed he has read for the part of Affleck's Boston-Irish dad, Thomas Coughlin, in Live By Night.

Furey says, "I think they are going to start filming next year. I play his father who is a very clean cop and has never dirtied his hands. His son is a mafia boss, so he's disgusted with him."

Affleck will direct Live By Night, which he adapted himself from the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name.

The interest is good news for Furey, who suffered a heart attack last year (Oct12) and almost died.

He recalls, "It was my wedding anniversary. Myself and (wife) Sheila were going out that night with the family. It was a good job I was at home. If I had been in a hotel room, I would have ended up not making it."