Gabriel Byrne commands attention the moment he enters a room, and when he settled into THE LATE LATE SHOW studio fresh from Cork’s International Film Festival, the 75-year-old actor brought with him three decades of gravitas earned since THE USUAL SUSPECTS catapulted him into cinema’s permanent consciousness. Before heading west to the Dingle Literary Festival, Byrne sat down to discuss everything from American politics to the Irish soul, delivering the kind of passionate, unfiltered commentary that has defined his extraordinary career.
Politics ignited the conversation immediately. His criticism of Donald Trump has been well documented, but on this Friday night, he channeled his hopes into Zohran Mamdani, who he insists represents genuine hope for ordinary Americans. “It’s time for the old guard in the Democratic Party to move on,” Byrne declared. “The reality is, I think they have lost, did quite a long time ago, lost touch with the American working class, who are really disillusioned.” Mamdani, in Byrne’s view, stands against the bankers, billionaires, captured politicians, and Silicon Valley titans who wield unprecedented power over our lives.
When host Patrick Kielty produced a 1989 photograph showing Byrne campaigning alongside Michael D. Higgins, the actor’s face softened with admiration. “I think we were absolutely blessed in having such a magnificent President, a representative of our country, a poet, a public intellectual, a campaigner,” he said. Of Ireland’s new president, Catherine Connolly, Byrne praised her empathy, compassion, and intelligence. “We’ve been very lucky, really, in terms of the presidents that we’ve had, Mary McAleese, Mary Robinson,” he reflected, before adding, “sometimes I wish we’d vote that way when it came to the general elections.”
Would he himself ever consider entering politics? Byrne’s answer revealed something fundamental about the independence that has shaped his life. “I could never belong to a party. The older I get, the more I value independence.”
That independence has served him well across his remarkable body of work, which continues to expand with vigor. Having portrayed Samuel Beckett in DANCE FIRST (2023), capturing Ireland’s most enigmatic literary genius, Byrne went on to appear as Enzo Ferrari in LAMBORGHINI: THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND (2023), starred in the romantic Irish drama FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE (2024), and took on a role in this year’s BALLERINA, set within the JOHN WICK universe. These recent projects sit alongside earlier work like his chilling turn in HEREDITARY and MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY, demonstrating an actor who refuses to be confined by genre or expectation.
But it was when the conversation turned to storytelling and Irish culture that Byrne truly came alive. The actor traced a direct line from Ireland’s colonial past to its present creative power, arguing that oppression paradoxically strengthened the nation’s imaginative capacity. “I think, you know, because of colonialism, our culture was suppressed, buried, denied, and we went underground, and we went into an oral tradition where poems were passed from one person to another, stories were told around the fireside,” he explained. “That was a form of theatre. And what was in play there was the imagination.”
“We’ve always retained this power of imagination and the power to tell a story,” Byrne continued. “When Irish people are on their game and you get a good storyteller, there’s nobody quite like them.” He invoked Oscar Wilde’s claim that the Irish are the greatest storytellers since the Greeks, calling it Ireland’s “soft power” that radiates outward to touch the entire world. “We’re a nation that people look to and respect and admire, and we have so much to offer.”
Then came the challenge, the moment when Byrne’s passion crystallized into something approaching a manifesto. “Retain the Irish character,” he urged. “Speak our own language.” He identified one of colonialism’s cruelest legacies: the shame it instills in the colonized, making them feel their own culture is something to hide rather than celebrate. But something has shifted, Byrne insisted. “I think we are coming into a place now where we are beginning to—at last—embrace the richness and the power of our own culture, and we don’t have to look anywhere else to get it.”
Three decades after THE USUAL SUSPECTS, Gabriel Byrne remains as committed to the power of storytelling as ever. He stands as living proof of what Irish culture can produce when given the space to flourish: artists who refuse to compromise, who value independence above all else, and who understand that the most powerful act is simply telling the truth about who you are and where you come from.
At 75, Gabriel Byrne remains one of Ireland`s most powerful voices—both on screen and off.
Fresh from Cork`s International Film Festival and 30 years since THE USUAL SUSPECTS, the legendary actor sat down on THE LATE LATE SHOW to deliver something extraordinary: a rallying cry for Irish culture itself.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
From GLADIATOR II`s arena to the quiet forests of Maine collecting folk songs on wax cylinders—Paul Mescal`s latest role in THE HISTORY OF SOUND might be his most vulnerable yet.
Now on @amazonprime, the film follows Lionel, a shy musician from a Kentucky farm in the 1910s, who meets David White (Josh O`Connor) at the New England Conservatory.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
For more than two decades, Domhnall Gleeson has carved out one of the most diverse and compelling careers in contemporary cinema.
Watch Domhnall break down his career in his latest @esquire interview!
Link in bio ❤️
Adapted from Louise Kennedy`s bestselling novel, TRESPASSES stars Gillian Anderson as executive producer and cast member.
Kennedy praises the "ear-perfect, sexy script" and "gorgeously melancholic aesthetic vision" that brings her Women`s Prize-shortlisted novel to life.
Premieres Sunday 9pm on Channel 4, more at irishfilmtv.com.
THE IRIS AFFAIR is a high-stakes chase thriller that turns Italy into a deadly playground where genius meets danger.
Created by LUTHER mastermind Neil Cross, this Sky Original delivers cinematic tension where trust is fatal and every move could be your last. Two minds. One secret. No escape.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
** NEW TRAILER ALERT **
Roadside Attractions has unveiled the first trailer for H IS FOR HAWK, and it`s breathtaking. Brendan Gleeson appears as the father whose absence shapes everything, bringing his signature depth to a role that haunts the entire film.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 HAMNET has officially overtaken Paul Thomas Anderson`s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER as the Oscar frontrunner!
Chloé Zhao`s Shakespeare-inspired drama now leads with a 96.8% chance of nomination, fueled by its Telluride buzz and Toronto People`s Choice win.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
The DERRY GIRLS creator is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST — and it`s the show Lisa McGee says she`s always wanted to make. 🍀
Three childhood friends. One mysterious death. A wake that goes sideways. Eight episodes of chaos, secrets, and arguments about eyelash extensions.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Pierce Brosnan trades his 007 tuxedo for raw, devastating drama in CURTAIN CALL—arriving on digital November 10.
Starring opposite Jessica Lange, Brosnan continues his brilliant pivot from action hero to serious character actor, exploring the heartbreaking reality of dementia in the theatre world.
Watch trailer on irishfilmtv.com.
Colin Farrell`s latest is dividing audiences, but everyone agrees on one thing: his performance is absolutely magnetic ✨
The Oscar-nominated Irish actor stars as Lord Doyle, a spiraling gambler in neon-soaked Macao searching for redemption.
Don`t miss Farrell at his destructive best, now on @netflix!
Daniel Day-Lewis is BACK and we`re not ready for how devastating ANEMONE is 😭
After 7 years away from the screen, Day-Lewis returns in this quiet Irish masterpiece directed by his son Ronan. It`s not a flashy comeback—it`s something far more powerful. A meditation on isolation, guilt, and the human connections we can`t outrun, no matter how far we go.
ANEMONE is now on Prime!
Barry Keoghan goes blonde and badass for CRIME 101! 🎬
The Irish star trades blows with Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in this high-stakes crime thriller, playing Orman, a thief whose methods are as disturbing as they are effective. With Detective Lou Lubesnick (Ruffalo) closing in and rival criminal Davis (Hemsworth) in his way, this heist is about to get messy.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell had to choose between a guaranteed paycheck on a hit TV show and a one-in-a-million shot at Hollywood, everyone told him he was insane. His friends said don`t do it. His family couldn`t understand it. He did it anyway.
Now in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (in select UK/Ireland cinemas Oct 17, Netflix Oct 29), he plays a man who understands risk better than anyone. Because Farrell`s been there. He bet everything on himself when he had nothing, and that decision changed everything.
Sometimes the craziest move is the only one worth making. 🎬
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott`s hot streak continues 🔥
From the Hot Priest in FLEABAG to his heartbreaking turn in ALL OF US STRANGERS, he`s now bringing that signature intensity to BLUE MOON as composer Richard Rodgers.
The film hits theaters Friday, more at irishfilmtv.com.
Michael Fassbender is trading the big screen for Netflix royalty!
The Irish-German powerhouse is set to play Joe Kennedy Sr. in KENNEDY, an 8-episode drama diving deep into America`s most mythologized family. No release date yet, but with Fassbender leading, this one`s already on our watchlist. 👑
More at irishfilmtv.com.
