The Brendan Voyage
He’s the dean of Irish screen acting, with a CV that includes Hollywood blockbusters and low budget independent films. In his latest movie Brendan Gleeson plays a feckless Garda, riding shot-gun with an African-American FBI agent. But is there more to the character than meets the eye? Gleeson holds forth on the sticky issue of Irish people and race, Barack Obama’s recent visit and why he is determined to bring Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds to the big screen. Words: Roe McDermott
Roe McDermott, 25 Jul 2011
Brendan Gleeson’s is nothing if not versatile. He’s played a hot-headed Scottish captain in Braveheart, a real-life crime baron in The General and a mad professor in Harry Potter.
In his latest film, John Michael McDonagh’s brilliantly satirical and darkly funny The Guard, Gleeson’s performance combines all his strengths. As the outrageous and unorthodox country Garda Gerry Boyle, Gleeson is hilarious. Boyle makes offensive jokes and slurs and nonchalantly declares that “I’m Irish – racism is part of my culture”. It’s sometimes difficult to gauge whether his divisive statements are serious, or if he’s the only one who understands the big joke behind it all. Or, as Gleeson’s co-star Don Cheadle puts it, “I can’t tell if you’re really motherfucking dumb or really motherfucking smart.” What we can say, apparently, is that he’s
a motherfucker...
But unlike his character, there’s no questioning Gleeson’s intelligence and sensitivity. During President Obama’s visit to Ireland last month, Gleeson gave a rousing speech to the huge assembly at College Green, reminding the audience of the country’s long-standing tradition of tolerance. The following day he sat down for a chat with Hot Press.
I saw your speech yesterday. It seemed like such an incredible day for everyone.
It felt that way. And I think everyone who was there was open to it. I found it inspirational. I wanted it to turn things around and I think it actually did. The energy was amazing.
And did you get to talk to Obama?
Ah yeah! We didn’t talk about very much. He was meeting and greeting people. Daniel Day-Lewis was there and Gabriel Byrne. We were chatting away. Michelle came around at one point and I said something inane like, "We really needed that – thanks, for leading the faith, saying that we’re worth believing in." She said, "Yeah, yeah – work work work!" And I thought that was really cool because it wasn’t about any abstract concept of faith, hope and charity. It was about work… which I suppose is an abstract concept to some. And I think that’s the answer we have to face into now after the euphoria: we have to do the work.
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