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.
✨ From years of hopeful texts to the role of a lifetime ✨
Now he`s playing Cillian Murphy`s son in PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN and audiences are absolutely losing it over his performance.
Barry Keoghan opens up about what it took to land this dream role, reuniting with Cillian (they bonded on DUNKIRK).
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy lit up LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS on THE IMMORTAL MAN promo tour.
Murphy talks about reprising his Peaky Blinders role and asking Barry Keoghan to play his son via a Father`s Day text!
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
She`s not just a talent—she`s rewriting the rules!
Irish cinema darling Saoirse Ronan just announced something that has the industry buzzing: THREE INCESTUOUS SISTERS, a gothic fever dream directed by Alice Rohrwacher and co-written by Ottessa Moshfegh.
Starring alongside Jessie Buckley for the first time, this Audrey Niffenegger adaptation promises psychological sabotage, dark fairy tales, and everything we didn`t know we needed.
More Saoirse at irishfilmtv.com.
Domhnall Gleeson is being honored with an Oscar Wilde Award!
Twenty years ago, a theater audience first glimpsed his gift. Today, his filmography reads like a masterclass in selecting roles that matter. HARRY POTTER. STAR WARS. THE REVENANT. ABOUT TIME. BROOKLYN. CATASTROPHE.
More Domhnall at irishfilmtv.com.
✦ EXCLUSIVE INTEL FOR THE INITIATED ✦
Steven Knight just gave us the inside scoop. Before THE IMMORTAL MAN drops Mar 6, there are three episodes every true fan needs to re-watch.
These aren`t random picks—they`re the episodes that define Tommy Shelby`s entire journey. The moment that reveals who he really is. The turning point where he chooses life. The goodbye that haunts every frame before his return.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
BAFTA winner. Red carpet royalty. 🎬
Fresh off her latest accolade, Jessie Buckley hone at the World Premiere of THE BRIDE!
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Buckley alongside Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penélope Cruz, this is the gothic crime romance you didn`t know you needed.
Arriving in cinemas March 6. ✨
WALK THE BLUE FIELDS is adapting Claire Keegan`s devastating short story into a film that`s already drawing serious talent including Andrew Scott (FLEABAG, RIPLEY), Emily Blunt (OPPENHEIMER) and Ciarán Hinds (IS THIS THING ON?)
Set in Ireland, this is a romance about impossible choices, buried secrets, and the moment everything changes.
Link in bio to read more about what promises to be one of the year`s most emotionally powerful films.
One week. Two brothers. One dead. But which one?
THE UNDERTOW is the psychological thriller that will have you questioning everything—and everyone.
Jamie Dornan delivers a career-defining dual performance as identical twins Adam and Lee, embodying two completely different men while suggesting the psychological unraveling beneath.
More Jamie at irishfilmtv.com.
Colin Farrell`s THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH is a documentary about friendship, resilience, and refusing to accept limitations.
It`s the story of two people who`ve built their lives around each other, and one extraordinary day that proves what`s possible when someone truly shows up for you.
Directed by Rachel Fleit (BAMA RUSH), the film premieres at the 2026 Dublin International Film Festival before coming to HBO and HBO Max globally later this year.
More Colin at irishfilmtv.com.
