Domhnall Gleeson
Domhnall Gleeson
Domhnall Gleesonis an Irish actor. He is best known for his portrayal of General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise, Caleb in Ex Machina and Tim Lake in About Time. He has acted on both stage and screen, earning a Tony Award nomination in 2006 for his role in the Broadway production The Lieutenant of Inishmore. He has performed in several shows at Dublin's Gate Theatre, including adaptations of American Buffalo...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth12 May 1983
CityDublin, Ireland
CountryIreland
Everyone talks about how we're on our phones all the time, but the fact remains that when I'm away on a film set for two months, I can Skype my family. I remember the phone calls my parents had to make when my dad was away for a while when I was younger - that once-a-week expensive phone call! The time pressure on talking to your father!
I got to work with Cillian Murphy and my dad, Jim Broadbent and Jodie Whittaker on 'Perrier's Bounty.' It was a small part, but it was really special.
My dad said, 'If no one was giving me acting work, I'd have to be prepared to create it myself.'
The Olympia was a really special place for me as a kid. I saw Dad perform there so many times, so it means a lot.
My dad was also a teacher until he was 34. I think there is a basis in reality. But I'd only done two jobs before I was an actor. I worked in a petrol station and I worked in a supermarket.
People always want to ask me about my dad. Which I get because he's a phenomenal actor, and that's for the world, that's out there. But my mother is every bit as impressive and as important for the world as my dad is. It's just that she's not an actor.
I get asked to give stuff to my dad. I'm, like, 'I'm not gonna pass your script to him!' You know? My dad's my dad. I'm not his agent.
My mum and my dad have really good taste in movies. My gran would tape them off the TV and write notes about them, rating them.
I'd seen my dad on stage, and that was fine, but the real excitement was - that was my dad. Even now, when I see his films, he's always my favourite person in the movie.
The rom-com genre is not something that necessarily lights my jets.
I stand to learn more working as an actor with really talented people than I do by directing a feature.
I've been interested in the writing/directing thing and really fell into acting by complete accident.
The worst thing as an actor is when you're not getting opportunities to try and show what you can do; the best thing is when you get material that really lets you express something and that you're excited about.
The whole idea with acting is that you take some risks. And if you take some risks, you're really going to mess up sometimes. But it's not OK to mess up a movie; it's not OK to do that just so you can improve as an actor. But film-making takes a little bit of risk in every department.