Brendan Gleeson brings warmth and depth to the role of Alisdair Macdonald in the 2025 biographical drama H IS FOR HAWK, a film that marks another significant chapter in the Irish actor’s recent career resurgence. Based on Helen Macdonald’s acclaimed 2014 memoir, the film stars Claire Foy as Helen and explores the profound bond between daughter and father through the lens of grief and memory. When Helen loses her beloved father suddenly, she turns to an unlikely source of solace: training a goshawk named Mabel. Through this unusual act of mourning, the film weaves together present-day scenes of Helen’s struggle with loss and tender flashbacks of Alisdair sharing his passion for nature and birding with his daughter, moments that Gleeson imbues with genuine tenderness.
What makes Gleeson’s performance particularly resonant is the personal connection he brought to the material. During the film’s promotional tour, he opened up about how the role allowed him to portray something he felt had become increasingly rare in contemporary cinema: a father who is emotionally present, loving, and nurturing. Gleeson didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration with the current landscape of on-screen fatherhood, admitting he had grown tired of seeing fathers consistently depicted as toxic or emotionally stunted. His comments struck a chord with many viewers who recognized the same pattern, and he advocated passionately for more celebratory representations of fatherhood in film. For Gleeson, playing Alisdair wasn’t just another role but an opportunity to honor the kind of father he believes deserves to be seen more often on screen.
This performance comes at a time when Gleeson has been carefully selecting projects that showcase his range beyond the intense, often darker characters that defined much of his earlier work. H IS FOR HAWK allows him to demonstrate the subtlety and emotional intelligence that have always been hallmarks of his craft, proving once again why he remains one of the most respected actors of his generation. The film itself has resonated with audiences precisely because of performances like Gleeson’s, which ground the story’s more fantastical elements in genuine human emotion. His Alisdair becomes not just a memory but a presence that lingers throughout the film, shaping Helen’s journey and reminding viewers of the lasting impact of paternal love.
SNL UK IS BACK AND WE`RE LIVING FOR IT 🚨✨
Nicola Coughlan (yes, THAT Nicola Coughlan) is hosting on April 25th with the absolute legends that are @foofighters taking the stage 🎸
DERRY GIRLS fans, BRIDGERTON obsessives, this is your moment!
More Nicola at irishfilmtv.com.
Graham Norton is stepping into uncharted territory with THE NEIGHBOURHOOD—an ITV gameshow that`s about to flip the reality TV script entirely.
What happens when you put everyday people in extraordinary circumstances and ask them to compete against their neighbors for serious money?
More at irishfilmtv.com.
17 years old. A trip to Holland. Two Irish lads with big dreams and zero idea what was coming.
That`s where Ciarán Hinds and Liam Neeson bonded—and it changed everything. 🎬
In a beautiful moment on the Late Late Show, Hinds reflected on the power of those formative years—and why family, not accolades, is what truly matters. 💫
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
72 hours. One decision. Everything on the line.
Andrew Scott is stepping into one of WWII`s most untold stories in the upcoming film PRESSURE—where a meteorologist`s weather forecast became the most consequential prediction in history.
Watch new trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 THE YEAR OF ÉANNA HARDWICKE 🎬
From SAIPAN to THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD to NO ORDINARY HEIST—this is the actor`s defining moment. An IFTA winner. A West End star. Now a desperate man caught in a heist like no other.
In cinemas THIS WEEK: a gripping true story of the infamous Northern Bank robbery. ÂŁ26.5 million. Two families held hostage. No way out.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
BELFAST`s Jamie Dornan will host SNL UK this weekend.
Dornan, known for his role in FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and THE TOURIST, will front the program alongside Brit-award winning band Wolf Alice.
The show marks the first British incarnation of the sketch series, which was created by Lorne Michaels and first launched in the US in 1975.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
In a brand-new interview, OUTLANDER star/executive producer, CaitrĂona Balfe, discusses THAT pivotal Season 8, Episode 3 scene where Claire saves a baby.
A must-watch for OUTLANDER fans!
More at irishfilmtv.com.
✨ Brendan Gleeson just reminded us why he`s one of the greats ✨
Yesterday at the London Standard Theatre Awards, Gleeson took the night for his performance in THE WEIR—and honestly? there`s no one else who could have done it quite like him.
This is an actor who doesn`t perform. he breathes into the role. he becomes it. soul-deep, nuanced, the kind of characterisation that makes you forget you`re watching acting at all.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
* THE IMMORTAL MAN now on Netflix *
This is not a spinoff. This is not a revival. This is Tommy Shelby`s final reckoning—the definitive end to one of the most captivating characters television has ever created.
The gypsy king`s last move is being made. Are you ready?
More PEAKY at irishfilmtv.com.
