Cheers to Domhnall Gleeson on His Birthday!

May 12, 2017

Posted by: Kim McChesney

Actor Birthdays, Birthdays, Films, Gleeson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Movies, News, Television Programmes

Domhnall Gleeson, who celebrates his 34th birthday today, may be best known to Harry Potter fans as eldest Weasley brother Bill, victim of a mauling by werewolf Fenrir Greyback and husband to the beautifully bewitching Beauxbaton Triwizard champion, Fleur Delacour, but this Potter alum has been one of the busiest of the bunch the past few years.

Image result for image of bill weasley

Image result for image of bill weasley

Many Leaky readers may not be aware that Gleeson’s real-life dad is none other than Brendan Gleeson, famous auror and Order of the Phoenix member, Alastor Mad-Eye Moody and star of the upcoming TV adaption of Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes. In addition to their shared time in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this father-son duo have appeared in several projects together including the 2006 sports comedy Studs and the Academy Award-winning short film Six Shooter. Gleeson was hesitant initially to take a role in a film with his father. In 2006, he told Broadway.com,

“I’d been very certain about not wanting to do the acting thing because of my father. I thought I’d always have the father-son thing of ‘He got you the role’.”

Most Potter fans would concur that Gleeson fit Harry’s description of Bill Weasley as “cool” quite well, with his long ginger hair and fang earring and were more than satisfied with his decision to play the part.

Image result for image of brendan and domhnall gleeson

image from the Irish Mirror

Gleeson proved to be a very versatile actor prior to and since his time in the Potterverse. In 2006 he received a Tony nomination for best supporting actor in the Broadway play, The Lieutenant of Inishmore and in 2007 appeared on the Dublin stage as Herbert Pocket in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. The same year that he entered the Wizarding World, he also appeared in the romantic drama, Never Let Me Go, with Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield as well as in the Academy Award-nominated film True Grit. In 2011 Gleeson won the  Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor for his performance as musician and political activist Bob Geldof in the TV movie When Harvey Met Bob.

Gleeson had numerous roles in the period after Deathly Hallows, but had a breakout year in 2015 with performances in four Academy Award-nominated films including Jim Farrell in the romantic drama Brooklyn, fur trader Captain Andrew Henry in The Revenant, Caleb in the sci fi thriller Ex Machina, and most notably as the ruthless commander of the First Order’s Starkiller Base, General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Certainly his place in these two mega verses makes him a hot commodity at comic cons!

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Gleeson is set to appear in a grand total of six films in the coming year, most of which would fall in the high profile category. First up is the crime drama, American Made, starring Tom Cruise, due in theaters in September, then in October he’ll appear with Jennifer Lawrence, Ed Harris and his brother Brian in the psycho thriller mother! In November he stars in the biopic Goodbye Christopher Robin as Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne. He plays a key role as National Lampoon founder Henry Beard in the Netflix original A Futile and Stupid Gesture and early next year he takes on the part of Mr. McGregor in the live-action adaption of Peter Rabbit along with Star Wars co-star Daisy Ridley and James Corden as the voice of Peter Rabbit. Last but certainly not least, Gleeson reprises his role as the callous General Hux in the second film of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This guy is one busy actor who may not have time for comic cons promoting all these projects!

Even though Domhnall Gleeson will always be Potter fans’ “coolest”, rare steak-eating Weasley brother Bill, watch for him this year in all six of these exciting films and send along your best birthday wishes to him today!

 





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.