With the highly anticipated sci-fi flick, EX MACHINA hitting cinemas this month, audiences get to see another impressive performance from Dublin born Domhnall Gleeson.
We’re big fans of young Gleeson here at Film and TV Now, so this seems like the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and explore some of Gleeson’s other stellar performances. Are you ready? Lets go!Â
1. ABOUT TIME – Need a reason to weep uncontrollably for 124 minutes? Watch Gleeson in ABOUT TIME. His endearing performance in this sweet rom/com, from director Richard Curtis, goes beyond the levels of leading man and taps into a truly emotional portrayal of one mans life and loves. At the age of twenty one, Tim (Gleeson) discovers he comes from a long line of male time travelers and processes the power to turn back the clock, giving him the chance to make his world essentially perfect, by bagging a beautiful girlfriend (Rachel McAdams). However, time travel is not that easy and Tim soon finds himself in emotional turmoil over the decisions he must make regarding time and his family. Gleeson plays Tim with an irresistible charm that ensures his onscreen chemistry with McAdams is as swoon worthy as you’d hope, while his performance against the great Bill Nighy may leave you in an emotional heap on the floor. Check out the trailer:Â
2. WHEN HARVEY MET BOB – Back in 2010, Gleeson started in this TV movie, directed by Nicholas Renton, that told the story behind Bob Geldof‘s legendary decision to record the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” with rock royalty promoter Harvey Goldsmith after seeing the devastating scale of famine while visiting Ethiopia. Gleeson plays Geldof along side Ian Hart as Goldsmith and Paul Rhys as Paul McCartney. Gleeson’s skilled performance enabled audiences to get an in depth look at some of the turbulant battles between the artists that featured in the charity concert and Geldof, particularly Bruce Springsteen, as well as Geldof’s efforts in tackling the logistics behind the financial issues and getting good old Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana to attend.
Gleeson did such a brilliant job at nailing Geldof’s persona that he won the 2011 Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor. Take a look at the moment Gleeson actually met Bob after the film rapped…Â
3. UNBROKEN – Last year’s war time flick from Angelina Jolie showcased some brilliant talent including Gleeson who played stranded soldier Phil who, alongside co-stars Jack O’Connell and Finn Wittrock, spent a harrowing 47 days at sea in just a small life raft. Gleeson did a phenomenal job at approaching these difficult, tense scenes in which he must do his best to survive, especially after Phil and Louis Zamperini (O’Connell) are eventually captured by the Japanese Navy and are subjected to horrific acts of violence and humiliation. While Gleeson plays a smaller role compared to leading man O’Connell, once the young men are split up, audiences finds themselves clinging onto the hope that the brave soldiers will reunite again and the heart wrenching scene when they’re divided, really sets the tone for this shocking true story. Watch this insightful behind-the-scenes look at what Gleeson had to say about his character:Â
4. BLACK MIRROR – The television series, created by Charlie Brooker, wowed its audiences with its disturbing and seriously sinister subject matter, mostly revolving around the frightening influences that modern technology could have on our future. One particular episode, “Be Right Back”, explored the idea of bringing a loved one back from the death in technology form. Gleeson played Ash, a young man who laid out much of his life on social media, who then perishes in a car crash, leaving behind his devastated partner Martha. Martha soon learns of a service that allows you to communicate with the dead using their online communications and contributions. After spending time alone to grieve, Martha receives a message from ‘Ash’ and stars a dangerous relationship with his tech-persona. Alongside his co-star Hayley Atwell, Gleeson gives a performance that’s the perfect mix of charming and sinister, leaving audiences a little wary of this not-quite-human character. Take a look at the trailer for this creepy episode.
5. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 & 2 – OK, so this technically counts as two films but we’ll ignore that if you will. Gleeson worked on the last two Harry Potter installments as another flame haired Weasley kid, Bill. Audiences saw Bill step up in the last films, as he tried to keep ‘The Boy Who Lived’ safe while also trying to marry his sweetheart, Fleur (Clemence Poesy), who we first say in HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. While Gleeson’s part was quite small in comparison to his later work, it did put him in the mainstream market, showcasing his talents in this fantasy genre. Gleeson was also able to work alongside his own father during THE DEATHLY HALLOWS as Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody was played by Brendan Gleeson. Check out Fleur and Bill’s charming wedding that is so rudely interrupted by an unwanted guest…Â
There we have some solid performances from Gleeson but there’s so much more to come from this young talent, not only with the up and coming Alex Garland flick EX MACHINA, but he’s ready to star in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII-THE FORCE AWAKENS, directed by J.J Abrams and THE REVENANT from BIRDMAN director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Exciting news for Gleeson fans! He’s quickly becoming our one to watch and if you can’t wait until its release, check out the EX MACHINA trailer:Â
