Domhnall Gleeson names his favourite movie of all time
Any actor who wants to follow in the footsteps walked by one or both of their parents always tends to fall under closer scrutiny than those who make their way into the industry by different means, although it’s been a long time since Domhnall Gleeson was placed under the shadow of his father.
Brendan Gleeson has been one of the most reliable characters in the business for decades, never mind one who can always deliver when they’re afforded the opportunity to take top billing, but his sons have done alright for themselves, too.
Domhnall might be a bigger name than younger sibling Brian, but there’s been a shared determination on both of their parts to carve out their own reputations. In the former’s case, it’s come through a string of consistently excellent performances in a myriad of different films covering multiple different genres, as well as a staunch avoidance of being hoovered up by the Hollywood machine.
In terms of what a “mainstream” role would be by its loosest definition, the highest-profile part of Gleeson’s career has comfortably been that of either Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter franchise or General Hux in the Star Wars sequels. And yet, neither of them are anywhere near being his finest work.
Instead, it’s the likes of Never Let Me Go, About Time, Calvary, Unbroken, Ex Machina, Brooklyn, The Revenant, and The Patient, among others, that have been repeatedly named as one of Ireland’s greatest modern on-screen talents. When it comes to naming his own favourite movies, though, Gleeson regularly finds himself torn between an ironclad classic and two formative childhood loves.
“Home Alone might be in my top ten films ever. Dumb And Dumber. Just amazing,” he admitted to Metro. “And I’ve seen them way more than I’ve seen any other movies”. Macaulay Culkin’s Christmastime staple and the Farrelly brothers’ gross-out hit might come as unexpected choices from such an acclaimed dramatic thespian, but Gleeson has never been shy in bringing them up to anyone who asks.
“I would find it very hard to keep both Home Alone and Dumb and Dumber out of my top ten. Very, very tricky,” he admitted to The Independent, describing Chris Columbus’ comedy caper as “kind of an amazing masterpiece”. He made it clear he wasn’t joking because “that’s how I totally feel about it”.
However, when asked flat-out to name his single favourite film ever, Gleeson opted for Billy Wilder’s seven-time Academy Award nominee and noir classic Double Indemnity, which is about as different from Home Alone and Dumb and Dumber as it gets.
It might fluctuate between the three when it comes to determining which title comes out on top on any given day, but a triple-bill of Double Indemnity, Home Alone, and Dumb and Dumber would nonetheless be Gleeson’s ideal way to spend an afternoon or evening.
