Domhnall Gleeson Quotes

I've been interested in the writing/directing thing and really fell into acting by complete accident.

The only music I've ever written was for a film called Frank, and the idea was that it was the worst music in the world.

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.

I did like 'Star Wars' when I was a kid. I saw the prequels first; I didn't see the full original films first all the way through.

Doesn't matter if I'm right or wrong - if I'm hungry or hot, I'm probably arguing with someone about something. Especially if that someone is rude.

I've got three brothers; I think all of them are good human beings.

Though rom-coms aren't necessarily my cup of tea, I was a huge fan of 'Notting Hill.' I laughed a lot, and the romance got to me.

I stand to learn more working as an actor with really talented people than I do by directing a feature.

My father is just getting better and better, and that speaks so well of the way he approaches the work.

I think the whole thing is: If it makes sense in your head, the audience will go along with it.

'Black Mirror,' I read that, and I had another offer for a movie at the same time that was a bigger movie, an actual film as opposed to TV, but I said, 'No, it has to be Black Mirror.' And it hadn't been sold to Netflix, hadn't gone abroad at that point - but it's just good work - that's all there is to it.

The rom-com genre is not something that necessarily lights my jets.

I'm certainly a young actor. I'm certainly those two things. Actually, I'm not even young anymore; I'm 29. So, I'm an actor.

I watched a couple of films I was in and thought, 'Those are pretty close to what we wanted them to be. I feel actually weirdly OK with it all. I can still see flaws in what I'm doing, but I think I delivered. I think I improved the film with my presence.'

I was in 'Harry Potter,' and nobody on the street recognizes me from that. Nobody on the street has ever stopped me from 'Harry Potter!'

All the time travelling in the world can't make someone love you.

I do feel a wave come over me when I hear those two words, 'Star' and 'Wars,' said together. I feel tense, shut up, and stare into the middle distance.

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.

Every actor is like, 'I could direct!'

You're supposed to take a second if life is going well, to enjoy it and not just move on with the rest of your day worrying about the next thing. And it's a really trite point in some ways. But it's bizarre how little I had done it at various points in my life.

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!

There's this thing that you're not meant to have too many children - for global warming, it's bad. But I know lots of crappy people, and I would rather that good people have lots of kids and outnumber the baddies.

I like cashew nuts.

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.

Angelina Jolie is just an extremely talented, generous, nice person to be around and to work with.

In 'Cavalry,' I had one scene where I was playing a pretty awful character.

It was when I was on stage that I realized that acting could be such a brilliant job.

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.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, time travel's a nightmare. Don't go down that path.

Most of the time, I do what I'm offered, but after I worked for it. I think I try much harder for the things that scare me and inspire me. The things that scare and inspire you are things that are different from what you did before.

I don't go to premieres I'm not involved in.

I worked with the Coen brothers, which had been a dream of mine.

'Pale Fire' by Vladimir Nabokov was bloody hard work but really thrilling.

I'm pleased to say I grew up in a happy family in Dublin. I feel we're very close.

I'm hugely proud of being Irish. And I don't even know what that means. I just know that it's true.

As an actor, there's very little you can do if people don't want to see you. Just getting yourself into the room to audition is tough.

Just because I'm doing 'Star Wars' doesn't mean that'll be the thing that makes people stop me in the street.

Really, all I worry about is the work in hand.

I'm not built like a leading man.

There is this old thing that a lot of people say - that the worst experiences make the best films. I don't subscribe to it. But I've seen it happen.

When I was younger, my father told me not to pigeonhole the way that I perceive myself.

I've gotten work based on how I look, and I've not gotten work based on how I look. It's all good.

Going home, spending time with the family, I feel they're my friends as well, all of them. I look forward to meeting any one of them for a coffee, and when we all get together, I just love it.

People who don't listen make me annoyed. That's the normal stuff, isn't it?

Often times, I just do a job and tell my agents, 'I'm in lockdown now.' I won't talk to anybody about anything else in the meantime, and I think that's generally the way to go because I also like to have a gap in between jobs.

Life is difficult for everyone; everyone has bad days. Everyone has trouble in their life, because it doesn't matter how rich you are: Sickness and trouble and worry and love, these things will mess with you at every level of life.

I think I'm happiest when there are really talented people around.

I find looking forward scary because you might die.

I did 'Never Let Me Go,' and there were amazing people on that. Brilliant writer, director, cast. That was quite special.

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'm a pessimist by nature, so it's always the worst things that come to mind first whenever you make a decision or have a decision to make.

Two things are always happening in acting. On the one hand, it's a team sport. We're all pulling together. But on the other, you have to look after your own character. Guard their interests.

Portraying as human the people you hear about on the news doing bad things is dangerous. But it's also necessary and important.

I'm not going to get better as an actor working on bad stuff.

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.

I like films that are gritty and hard-hitting and suspenseful. Thrillers, too.

No one can give me advice on 'Star Wars' because nobody knows what I'm doing in 'Star Wars.'

'Star Wars' is different to anything I've done before.

Conventionally handsome is not really where I'm at.

I've definitely enjoyed myself more on the projects where I've played a good person, rather than on the projects where I've played somebody who is morally compromised.

Look at Cillian Murphy: 'Batman,' 'Tron' ... those are some heavy-hitting franchises. But he works his way around it. He manages to have a great career and a great life.

There's so many good comic actors that you just take the best of and try and run with it yourself. Try and bring a little bit of yourself to it, too.

The Coen brothers are amazing; they're special.