Why Domhnall Gleeson Was “So Nervous” to Star in Taylor Swift’s ‘Opalite’ Video

I would not be doing my job properly if I did not speak about that video with Taylor Swift. I was so nervous. I was like, maybe I just shouldn't do this. It's a mad thing. Well, hello. Hello. It is the summer of Donald Gleeson at the moment, isn't it? Because you've got so much coming out at the minute. So I'm just going to list it. Go for it. So we're talking about The Incomer. We're talking about The Paper Series 2. We're talking about, I've got to say so carefully, Bucking Bastards. Yeah, easy. Have I missed anything? No, I think that's it. I think that's it. That's it? Yeah, yeah. Okay, so three massive projects. Yeah, all out in the same kind of few weeks, the same three weeks or so. Yeah, it's kind of cool. Let's talk about The Incomer, first of all. So I saw it the other day, and it is one of the most bonkers, but most joyful films that I have watched. If we talk about two dysfunctional siblings on a remote Scottish island who think they're girls, and John Hannah as a seal. Discuss. Well, the gull aspect of it is unusual. I think having, yeah, the fact that they think that they're seagulls or have some weird kinship with them, because they eat them as well. Yeah, they catch them and eat them. Yeah, but they also identify with them and they call at them. And yeah, I just thought it was such a great setup for a film. And that sounds like a horror movie. That sounds like a Wicker Man type horror film. And it is a little bit. It's got an aspect of that sort of like creeping dread about moments in it. But for the most part, the word you use was joyful. And that's what I think when I think about the film. It's really funny. It's about connection. It's very heartwarming. It's not a feel good film, but it makes you feel good watching it. And yeah, the joy of it, actually, I'm so happy to use that word because that's the one that I think of when I think of the film. So people were laughing out loud when we were watching it, which is great. And it is that sort of blend of genres, isn't it? It is a little bit Wicker Man. It is a little bit sinister. It is really funny. And it's utterly bonkers at the same time. So there's nothing quite like it, I think. I know. So it can be a little tricky to talk about because it can sound prohibitively odd, but actually it's not. The feel of it is very personable. It's like a really nice person you meet and then you realise they're weird while you're chatting to them. You're like, this is quite an unusual person. And I like that. And I think that's what the film is. You are hereby informed of your impending eviction. It's lovely to hear you say that, actually, I like that. I like to get involved with the individual, even though they might be a bit odd. I'm drawn to them. Because I mean, you've got basically Spielberg on speed dial at the minute. You can work with anybody you like. You've done massive, massive films. So why did you decide to do a small debut film when basically you're working in Hollywood? My agents asked me the same question. No, no, no, no, that's a joke. They're actually amazingly, they're all about the interesting work. It was interesting work. And it was good work. And it was a, I hadn't done a film in a while. I'd actually done quite a lot of television. And I was looking to do a film. And this just felt so complete. And it is a risk with a first time filmmaker. You just don't know what they're going to be like on set. You never know until you're there what they're going to be like on set. I just had a good feeling about Louie. And bizarrely, I went to college with the producer of the film, Shirley O'Connor. And she sent it to me like 20 years after college, she sent me this script and was like, we're going to do it. This guy is really good. I promise you. I love the fact that you've been to college with somebody who stayed in touch with them for 20 years. She was at my wedding. I mean, she's like Shirley's loads of people from our from our wedding. So yeah, it's like, yeah, it's, she's a special person, Shirley, and a great producer. So Shirley was saying, this is a guy to keep your eye on. She said, yes, exactly that. Yeah, yeah. And she was like, this is, she was like, look, I know, first timer, all the rest of it. But he knows what he's doing. And he's calm and he's genuinely collaborative. He's not collaborative in the way that, because I've had this, where ahead of time, people will tell you whatever you want to hear, of course, to get you on set. And then you turn up and actually they just want you to do what they want you to do. And he was interested in who we were, how to get the best of all of us into the film. And I think the, all the other performers in the film, you really see it. People are wonderful in the film. And like, not everybody will know Grantor work necessarily. He's done lots of great work, but he's so funny and so gentle and scary and all these things. And Gail is just a force of nature. You really get that actually from the actors, don't you? The fact that there's a free, you can see the freedom, I think. I think so too. In the filmmaking that you guys have been allowed to just sort of, you know, really explore your characters and be a little bit bonkers. Yes, to let it out. I think you don't get that unless you allow people a little bit of leeway. And Louis was brilliant at that. And you can see it with all the other characters as well. Michelle, John, Hannah, you know, Eamon, who's so funny in it as the kind of enforcer, like the mad enforcer. It is very, very entertaining. But I mean, again, the fact that it's located on a remote Scottish island, and I was reading Louis' notes that he was saying it was quite difficult to film because you're in the middle of nowhere. And you know what, I've got to be honest, it looked bloody freezing. You were in the sea a lot. We were in the sea a lot. That was cold. That was really, really cold. Yeah, I hated that. And we were up on the edge of cliffs and we got attacked by midges. And it was like, we got everything thrown at us. But actually, my least favourite days were the really hot days. Like, you know, you're dressed as a seagull, you know, those kind of days. And it's a lot of layers of wool and fabric and all the rest of it. And the sun's beating down and then the midges arrive. And you're like, this is absolutely horrific. How are you getting on and off it, the island? I mean, because it's pretty remote, no? Well, they actually made a decision that what we would do was not to film on the island, because there were so many. I mean, it was a small... The Odyssey was filming in Flippin, Scotland at the same time. People kept on wandering up and saying, you know, it's Tom Holland here. We'd say, it's not that film. And then they'd leave us alone. I think you should have said, no, we are part of the Odyssey, actually. Yeah, we're the splinter team. It would have been very unusual with the burnt outfits. But we actually ended up shooting on the mainland. But it's such remote parts that it all looks like island because it was too much trouble getting us all there. There wasn't enough room on the islands to put us up, basically. So we ended up staying on the mainland. But it looks, it's very much the same as the islands. Yeah, they did a great job. I mean, they've done a fantastic job of making it look that remote. Yeah, we were living in a place called Wick. Have you ever been to Wick? It's like an old sort of harbour or port town. And we had an amazing time there. All the crew live in kind of on the same street almost, just hanging out on the weekends in the pub. Thank God they were nice people. It could have been the worst summer of my life. And actually, it really felt like getting back to basics in terms of everybody's away together. The weekends are a holiday. The weeks you're working as hard as you can. It was like, it was brilliant. Fantastic. Okay, I want to ask you, and I need to say this very carefully again. Buckingfastard premiered at the Venice Film Festival last week. So you're starring alongside Orlando Bloom? Yes. You're starring alongside Kate and Rooney Mara as well. I mean, what an amazing cast. Yes. And lots of great Irish actors, too, who came in and did a couple of days here and there. Amazing people. Because you filmed a lot in Ireland, didn't you? It was nearly all filmed in Ireland, I think. Yeah, yeah. And I only spent time with Kate and Rooney. So I don't do scenes with Orlando. But yeah, it was amazing to see them do what they were doing. Can we talk siblings? Oh yeah, go for it, yeah. I know you work with Brian quite a lot, your brother. Yeah, Brian, yeah. Would you recommend it, working with a sibling? There's nothing like it. Conor McPherson is this amazing playwright, and he saw a play that I did, an end of watch play that I did with my father and my brother, and another wonderful actress. But the three of us on stage at the same time, he said that it's like when you hear siblings sing together, like when you hear three sisters sing at the same time, there's a sound that that just makes that you can't explain. And I think the same is true with acting. There's just some sort of history that comes out that I think is amazing. I can understand the history, definitely, because you've got that connection, obviously, from birth. But there's got to be that sibling rivalry. Is there not a bit of a kind of like, look, Brian, do you know what? Don't ******* tell me what to do on set. Well, you have to be really careful with actors anyway. I think the worst actor is the one who has a really strong opinion about your performance. You're like, why don't you worry about your performance and I'll worry about mine? And actually, your job is to kind of like go to love and go to war and go all that. You're meant to just look after yourself and then challenge the other person. And that's kind of what it is to be in a family sometimes anyway. So maybe in a way, it's kind of, it works better to work with a sibling then, because you do challenge each other. You can stretch each other. Yeah. And you have to be careful of boundaries in like the same way you would working with any family member or any friend. You have to be really careful with that and look after yourselves and each other. But actually, no, some of my most joyful times acting have been with my dad and with Brian. Yeah. So whose opinion do you worry about the most? Because you do come from this sort of, you know, acting dynasty. So you've got, you've got your dad, you've got Brian as well. I mean, I'm obsessed with Mr. Mercedes, by the way. Can you tell you that? He's great. I will, of course. Yeah, yeah. He's brilliant in it. Obsessed. Whose opinion do you worry about the most? When you've got projects coming out, you're like, God, dad's going to kick off about this. Or Brian's going to tell me not to do that. We're all very supportive of each other. And I should also point out that like, my mother is not involved in the industry, but her opinion I care about just as much. The same with my two brothers, Fergus and Rory. Rory's a fantastic writer, Fergus is not in the industry at all. But like, yeah, family, I think is primary. And you worry and then you're like, you don't want them to see certain stuff and then they watch it anyway and you feel terrible. But no, they'll always make you feel good about it. And are great to talk about too when there's something, when if you're like, what isn't working there? And they're going to tell you. They'll tell you if you ask, which is good. Yeah, yeah. I mean, but that's the best because they'll be honest. It's Donald Gleeson, everybody. I would not be doing my job properly if I did not speak about all that video with Taylor Swift, the Opelight video. Yeah. Just remind us again how this came about, because it was nuts. It was crazy. Yeah, I did. I was on the Graham Norton show and all these amazing actors on there and Taylor was on and I just made a sort of a joke. She mentioned the music video. I sort of made a joke about like I'm available to work and then she took us up on it, all of us, and put us all in the video. And it was like such a, it's a mad thing. But how did that happen? When you came off set on Graham Norton, did she go, look, I'm serious about this. Come and be on my... My wife was like, I bet she ends up doing a, because she did this face when I mentioned it, she kind of did a face of like, oh, and Juliet was like, I bet. And it flippin happened. Mad. Like a week later, two weeks later, got a, got a, an email. So I've watched that so many times and your face when you come out dancing, the joy on your face with her. Yeah. That was the, she said, I've not heard, what did she say? Oh no. Is it full send? Send? There's some phrase she used that people who are cool use and it was like, it's basically about commitment. She was like, when we go for this, we go. And that's why she's so amazing at what she does. And so, yeah, I was worried about the dance and she was like, forget all that. When we go, it's like, I think it was full send or something like that. She was like, you go and you feel the joy. And I, then it happened. And that's why she's a really good director as well as obviously like dancer and singer and everything that she is, writer. But the thing is, is, is that you are the film star. So did you feel as though you needed to give us some direction on set? You're a bit like, look, Taylor, you might be good with the dancing, love. No, that was the whole thing. It was so clearly her territory. She was so clearly the director. And then she also, we shot on film, right? Like I hadn't been shot, I hadn't shot on film in years and years and years. The director of photography is like Scorsese's director of photography. Like it was the best of the best making this sort of 90s. It was crazy and, and amazing. I mean, what an experience. I'm so happy I did it. I was so nervous. I was like, maybe I just shouldn't do this. And it's not really what I do. And I'm so happy I did it. Oh yeah. Just saying yes is the right answer to most, to most things. It is absolutely brilliant. I'm going to ask you as well about the speech that you did for Rachel McAdams' Walk of Fame, which was so lovely. The Hollywood Walk of Fame, which I'm feeling you're, you're heading towards yourself. That Walk of Fame is bananas. They have, and I said it and I realised afterwards you shouldn't, there are some psychopaths names on those. I know. And it got no reaction. I was like, it's all meant to be positive. Damn. But like, yeah, there are like some genuine psychopaths on that Walk of Fame. And then there are these legends who were also good people and Rachel's very much in the latter category. Well, I got the impression because it's such a lovely speech that you go. So funny as well. I get the impression you are good mates because you know how fake Hollywood can be, but it feels as though actually you guys really genuinely know each other and love each other. Well, we don't talk to each other all the time, but I was just talking about this earlier. I feel when you're on a set and you look at somebody and there are moments where you really see the other person. There are moments where you really know the other person because they get rid of everything, of all the masks we put on. The best acting is when all of those fall away and you see the person. And I feel like I really saw Rachel when we made that film together. And I think that means you know them forever. And I've had that experience with a few people and she's one of them and she's such a stunning actor and a beautiful person. So yeah, like that was not a hard thing to find nice things to say about her. I've got to ask you, have you seen Naked Attraction? Don't make that face. No, no, no. I know what that is. I know what that is. So it's a naked dating show? Yeah. And a thing goes up, a screen goes up. Yeah, it's big and armed. I mean, I'm not going to do it now. What's the question? The question is, is this? Because I host it. Yeah. Okay. Oh my God, you host it? I host it. Well, you should open with that. What if I said something awful? What if I'd said something awful? I have heard everything about this show. Oh my God, no. It's like water off a girl's back. Very good. So imagine that you are in the red pod. Don't pretend you've missed it. The red pod is where it goes up. You're in there. Yeah, you're in there. Jesus Christ, this is bananas. This is what the person says. At what point would you get voted off? Would you get voted off? So just to remind you, right, so first part is it goes up to your belly button. Oh, do you know what? It starts to go up. To your belly button. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to cut you off there. It starts to go up past it. I've got weird toes, so I'm out. The stream starts going up and the person hits the buzzer and they ask me to leave. Can you get rid of that? Yeah, my baby toe goes underneath, not all the way underneath, but like is a little bit underneath my third toe. So I think I'm out before it begins. You wouldn't even make it past the first round. Here we go. That's it. Thank you for this. It's been a real boost to my confidence. Thank you so much. I appreciate that very much. That was great. Yes, thank you, thank you.