Gleeson makes for interesting reading, ranging from Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter films to an imperial baddie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and a character called, er, Doofus in Frank of Ireland, an Irish comedy series co-created with his actor brother Brian. Now the 42-year-old is the star of Sky Max’s The Paper, a workplace comedy from the makers of the US version of The Office, playing a print-loving editor trying to turn around a struggling Midwestern newspaper.
Thank you for supporting print journalism, Domhnall. Do you read newspapers?
I do. I subscribe to a few different newspapers, but the one that I buy physically is The Irish Times, because I like doing the crossword.
What is the value of proper journalism — and in the case of the fictional Toledo Truth Teller — proper local journalism?
It’s incredibly important, in terms of keeping an eye on the place where you live, and on the people who find it easier to get away with things because [what they do] is seen as low-level. Those decisions can matter even more to people on the ground than the ones taken at the very highest level.
The people I like most in the world are the people who make me laugh
What did you think of journalists before taking on this role?
I’m probably always a little bit defensive because you’re trying to look after yourself. When I talk to journalists, I want to talk about work; sometimes they want to talk about private stuff. It can be tricky to navigate.
In the style of the Truth Teller’s clickbait-chasing online version, what’s the most egregious nonsense you’ve read about yourself on the internet?
I don’t think I’d pick one thing. Because then you’re pointing more people at it! But I’m aware how it works. If we do an interview and I say something that is more interesting to your readers than it is to me, that’s going to be the headline. I do understand the desire not to have the headline “Actor cares about current project” – no one’s like: “Oooooh!”
Did you speak to Steve Carell about what it was like being the boss in the US Office?
I did. Steve is one of those extraordinary people who leads by example. He told me, “If you get a chance to work with Greg Daniels [series co-creator], you have to do it. He’s the best.” He was right about that. John Krasinski [who co-starred] said the same thing. They’re both amazing actors and have done very well out of The Office. So, all you can do is try and be good in your own show.
That show was a multi-award-winning behemoth of broadcasting. What’s the pressure like when you’re following that and you’re the man who’s leading from the front?
If there’s pressure on the show, it’s pressure that it’s brought on itself because it’s described itself as in “the same universe as…” We’ll probably have a tricky time explaining to people that it’s not a remake of The Office. But this character is so different to all the bosses from the different versions of The Office. He’s more of a straight man.
Before The Paper even aired, it was renewed for a second series. The US Office had nine seasons, with 201 episodes — given that you currently live in Dublin, are you ready for a multi-series, American-based commitment?
No. What I’m prepared for is, if the show just keeps on going, it will be because people are responding to it in a positive way. And if we don’t, it’ll be because of the opposite. But I really look forward to doing more of it, because I think we can make it better.
The Office changed TV, with the mockumentary becoming a whole new style of show. But it’s changed again since then. Now dramedies like The Bear and Hacks win comedy Emmys. Is there still room for a straight-up comedy like The Paper?
I really hope so. I still seek out comedies. A lot of the time, what I need is something unabashedly interested in making you laugh. The people I like most in the world are people who make me laugh. The truth is no different when it comes to TV shows. With something like [Channel 4’s] Stath Lets Flats, I’m like: “For the following half an hour, I will be happy.” That’s a cool gift to give people.
Do you find comedy harder than serious roles?
Not really. All the time, you’re trying to access the truth of the project. So, you need a good script. You need good people to play with. You need a good overseer. That’s true of whatever you’re doing, whether it’s drama or comedy.
You made a very convincing drug-dealing villain opposite Julianne Moore in recent Apple TV+ film Echo Valley. Was it a lot of fun being able to lean into a chewy, out-and-out bad guy?
I absolutely loved it. Characters like that have such an immediate effect on the scene. When they walk into the room, things change. Actually, when I worked with Steve Carell on The Patient [the 2022 thriller series], it was a similar thing. I was playing a serial killer and he was a therapist I had kidnapped to try and keep me on the straight and narrow. So, yeah, I love that and will certainly be looking to do more of that in the future.