Domhnall Gleeson is an Irish actor and writer whose film career has developed from early Irish productions into major international franchises and acclaimed independent films. He made his feature-film debut in the 2005 horror comedy Boy Eats Girl, followed by supporting roles in films such as Studs, Perrier’s Bounty and Never Let Me Go. His breakthrough came with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in which he played Bill Weasley, before he took leading roles in About Time, Frank and Ex Machina. Gleeson subsequently became internationally recognized as General Hux in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and appeared in films including The Revenant, Brooklyn, American Made and Goodbye Christopher Robin. His later work has continued to span comedy, crime, horror, fantasy and adventure, including Peter Rabbit, The Little Stranger, The Kitchen, Fountain of Youth and Echo Valley. This Domhnall Gleeson movies by year guide covers his released feature films chronologically, from his earliest movie appearances through his latest released films in 2026.
2005 — Boy Eats Girl
Boy Eats Girl was Domhnall Gleeson’s feature-film debut, released in 2005 and directed by Stephen Bradley. Gleeson plays Bernard in this Irish-British horror comedy, which stars Samantha Mumba, David Leon and Tadhg Murphy. The story follows a teenage boy who dies after declaring his love for a girl and is subsequently brought back as a zombie, creating a bizarre chain of undead chaos. The film is an important early entry in Gleeson’s career because it marked his first feature-film role.
2006 — Studs
Paul Mercier directed Studs, a 2006 Irish comedy-drama about the struggling Emmet Rovers football team. Gleeson plays Trampis, appearing alongside his father Brendan Gleeson, David Wilmot and Eanna MacLiam. The film follows a group of underperforming soccer players whose fortunes begin to change when Walter Keegan, played by Brendan Gleeson, takes over as manager. Adapted from Mercier’s earlier stage play, Studs gave Domhnall Gleeson an early opportunity to work in an ensemble Irish production.
2009 — A Dog Year
A Dog Year is a comedy-drama directed by George LaVoo and starring Jeff Bridges as writer Jon Katz. Gleeson plays Anthony Armstrong, a supporting character in the story of a writer whose life changes after he takes in a difficult and energetic border collie. The film explores loneliness, personal crisis and the unexpected relationship between people and animals. Originally produced for HBO, it provided Gleeson with an early American screen role opposite the veteran Bridges.
2009 — Perrier’s Bounty
Ian Fitzgibbon directed Perrier’s Bounty, an Irish black comedy crime film set in Dublin. Gleeson plays Clifford in a cast led by Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Jodie Whittaker. The story follows Michael, a man caught in a dangerous situation involving gangsters, debt and an increasingly chaotic attempt to escape his problems. The film premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical release in Ireland and the UK in 2010, so it is often listed by its 2009 production and festival year.
2010 — Never Let Me Go
Mark Romanek directed Never Let Me Go, a science-fiction drama adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. Gleeson plays Rodney, appearing with Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley and Sally Hawkins. The film follows three friends who grow up at an apparently idyllic English boarding school before discovering the disturbing purpose for which they were raised. Gleeson’s supporting performance forms part of a carefully restrained ensemble in one of the decade’s notable literary science-fiction dramas.
2010 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Gleeson joined the Harry Potter film franchise as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, directed by David Yates. Bill is the eldest Weasley brother and a member of the Order of the Phoenix who becomes involved in helping Harry and his friends during the final conflict with Voldemort. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson lead the film, which follows the trio after they leave Hogwarts to search for Horcruxes. The movie marked Gleeson’s arrival in one of cinema’s most successful fantasy franchises.
2010 — True Grit
True Grit, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, is a Western adapted from Charles Portis’s novel. Gleeson plays Moon, appearing in an ensemble that includes Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. The story follows teenage Mattie Ross as she hires the hard-drinking Marshal Rooster Cogburn to help track down her father’s killer. Gleeson’s role is small but memorable within the Coen brothers’ acclaimed Western, which received numerous major award nominations.
2011 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Gleeson returned as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the concluding film directed by David Yates. The story brings Harry’s battle with Voldemort to Hogwarts, culminating in the Battle of Hogwarts and the final confrontation between the two characters. Gleeson’s Bill is part of the wider Weasley family and the resistance fighting Voldemort’s forces. The film completed his principal contribution to the Harry Potter franchise and became the cinematic finale to the original series.
2011 — Sensation
Tom Hall directed Sensation, an Irish-Dutch comedy-drama starring Gleeson as Donal Duggan. Donal is a lonely young farmer who becomes involved with sex worker Kim, played by Luanne Gordon, after receiving an unexpected opportunity to change his life. What begins as a transactional relationship gradually develops into a complicated romance and business partnership. Gleeson’s lead performance was central to the film, and he received an Irish Film and Television Academy nomination for the production’s wider awards cycle.
2012 — Shadow Dancer
James Marsh directed Shadow Dancer, a political thriller set during the conflict in Northern Ireland. Gleeson plays Connor McVeigh, a member of the British security establishment who becomes involved in the dangerous investigation surrounding Andrea Riseborough’s character, Collette McVeigh. Clive Owen and Gillian Anderson also star in the film, which examines surveillance, loyalty and political violence. The tense drama represented a move toward more serious adult roles for Gleeson after his work in Harry Potter.
2012 — Dredd
Dredd is a science-fiction action film directed by Pete Travis and starring Karl Urban as Judge Dredd. Gleeson plays a Clan Techie, a supporting character encountered inside the enormous Mega-City One apartment complex where Dredd and Judge Anderson become trapped. The film follows the two judges as they fight their way through a building controlled by a ruthless drug gang. Although Gleeson’s role is brief, Dredd became a notable cult science-fiction film and an important early genre credit for him.
2012 — Anna Karenina
Joe Wright directed Anna Karenina, a lavish adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel. Gleeson plays Konstantin Levin, one of the film’s major supporting characters, alongside Keira Knightley as Anna and Jude Law as Alexei Karenin. Levin’s quieter story of love, marriage, agriculture and social change contrasts with Anna’s increasingly destructive relationship with Count Vronsky. The film is particularly notable for Wright’s theatrical visual style, which stages much of the action within a constantly transforming theatre.
2013 — About Time
Richard Curtis wrote and directed About Time, a romantic comedy-drama starring Gleeson as Tim Lake. Tim discovers that the men in his family can travel through their own past and uses the ability in an attempt to improve his romantic and personal life. Rachel McAdams plays Mary, while Bill Nighy portrays Tim’s father, creating an emotional family story beneath the time-travel premise. The film became one of Gleeson’s most recognizable leading roles and helped establish him as a major romantic-comedy actor.
2014 — Frank
Lenny Abrahamson directed Frank, a dark comedy-drama loosely inspired by unusual musicians and performance-art figures. Gleeson plays Jon Burroughs, an aspiring musician who joins an eccentric experimental band led by the mysterious Frank, played by Michael Fassbender. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Scoot McNairy also star in the film, which explores creativity, ambition and mental health through an unconventional musical group. Gleeson’s performance as the increasingly frustrated Jon became one of his most distinctive independent-film roles.
2014 — Calvary
John Michael McDonagh directed Calvary, a dark Irish drama starring Brendan Gleeson as Father James Lavelle. Domhnall Gleeson plays Freddie Joyce, one of the troubled people connected to the priest’s rural parish. The film begins when Father James is threatened with death during confession and follows him as he spends what may be his final week confronting the people around him. Gleeson’s supporting appearance forms part of an ensemble that includes Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly and Aidan Gillen.
2014 — Unbroken
Angelina Jolie directed Unbroken, a biographical war drama based on the life of Olympic athlete and former prisoner of war Louis Zamperini. Gleeson plays Russell Allen Phillips, known as Phil, a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot and close friend of Zamperini, played by Jack O’Connell. The film follows Zamperini from his Olympic career through a plane crash, survival at sea and captivity during the Second World War. Gleeson’s performance adds a significant friendship to the story’s wartime section.
2014 — Ex Machina
Alex Garland’s Ex Machina is a science-fiction psychological thriller centered on artificial intelligence. Gleeson plays Caleb Smith, a young programmer invited by his reclusive employer Nathan, played by Oscar Isaac, to evaluate an advanced humanoid AI named Ava, portrayed by Alicia Vikander. As Caleb spends more time with Ava, the experiment becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from a manipulation involving all three characters. The film became a major critical success and established Gleeson as a compelling lead in cerebral science-fiction.
2015 — Brooklyn
John Crowley’s Brooklyn is a romantic historical drama adapted from Colm Tóibín’s novel. Gleeson plays Jim Farrell, an Irishman who becomes romantically involved with Eilis Lacey, played by Saoirse Ronan. Set between Ireland and New York in the 1950s, the film follows Eilis as she struggles with homesickness, love and the decision over where she wants to build her life. Gleeson’s understated performance is an important part of the film’s central romantic triangle.
2015 — Star Wars: The Force Awakens
J.J. Abrams directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, introducing Gleeson as General Armitage Hux, a senior officer of the First Order. Hux is a fanatical military leader whose rivalry with Kylo Ren creates tension within the First Order leadership. The film stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as it begins a new chapter in the Star Wars saga. Gleeson’s performance gave Hux a distinctive combination of military rigidity, ambition and hostility.
2015 — The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu directed The Revenant, a historical survival drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Gleeson plays Captain Andrew Henry, the leader of the fur-trapping expedition involved in Hugh Glass’s struggle for survival after a devastating bear attack. The film follows Glass through an arduous journey across the American wilderness as he seeks revenge and attempts to survive. Gleeson’s character provides a leadership figure within the expedition and represents one of the film’s more grounded relationships amid its brutal survival story.
2016 — The Tale of Thomas Burberry — Short Film
The Tale of Thomas Burberry is a short film rather than a feature film, directed by Asif Kapadia for the Burberry fashion brand. Gleeson portrays Thomas Burberry, the founder of the British company, in a dramatized story covering the origins of his work and the development of his signature outerwear. Sienna Miller, Dominic West and Lily James also appear in the production. Because it is a short promotional film, it should not be counted as a conventional feature film in Gleeson’s main movie total.
2017 — American Made
Doug Liman directed American Made, a crime comedy-drama based loosely on the life of pilot and drug smuggler Barry Seal. Gleeson plays Monty Schafer, a CIA operative who recruits Seal, portrayed by Tom Cruise, for covert missions in Central America. The film combines crime, political intrigue and dark comedy while presenting a fictionalized version of Seal’s activities during the 1970s and 1980s. Gleeson’s character becomes an important link between Seal’s aviation work and the CIA’s increasingly risky operations.
2017 — Crash Pad
Kevin Tent directed Crash Pad, a romantic comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson, Christina Applegate and Thomas Haden Church. Gleeson plays Stensland, a young man who discovers that his married lover has a very different plan for their relationship after her husband learns about the affair. The resulting situation turns into an unconventional comedy involving revenge, friendship and an unlikely alliance. The film gave Gleeson another opportunity to work in a lighter contemporary role following several dramatic productions.
2017 — Goodbye Christopher Robin
Simon Curtis directed Goodbye Christopher Robin, a biographical drama about author A. A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Gleeson plays Milne, while Margot Robbie portrays his wife Daphne and Will Tilston plays their son Christopher Robin. The film examines the success of the books as well as the complicated effect their fame had on the Milne family. Gleeson’s lead performance gives the story a more personal perspective on the writer behind one of the world’s most famous children’s characters.
2017 — mother!
Darren Aronofsky’s mother! is a psychological horror film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. Gleeson appears as the Oldest Son, one of the mysterious visitors who arrive at the isolated home occupied by the central couple. The film gradually transforms an apparently domestic story into an allegorical nightmare involving violence, obsession and increasingly disturbing events. Gleeson’s role is deliberately enigmatic and forms part of the film’s symbolic supporting cast.
2017 — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with Gleeson returning as General Hux. The film follows the Resistance’s desperate attempt to survive while Rey seeks guidance from Luke Skywalker and the First Order struggles with internal divisions. Hux remains one of the First Order’s senior commanders, but his rivalry with Kylo Ren becomes increasingly important to the story. Gleeson’s performance adds comic and antagonistic elements to the film’s otherwise serious conflict.
2018 — A Futile and Stupid Gesture
David Wain directed A Futile and Stupid Gesture, a comedy-biographical film about the rise of the National Lampoon comedy empire. Gleeson plays writer Henry Beard, one of the important figures behind National Lampoon’s development. Will Forte portrays Doug Kenney, while Martin Mull provides an older version of Kenney as the film reflects on his career. The movie combines real events with exaggerated comedy to examine the people who helped reshape American comedy during the 1970s.
2018 — Peter Rabbit
Will Gluck directed Peter Rabbit, a live-action and computer-animated adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s character. Gleeson plays Thomas McGregor, the frustrated heir who attempts to keep Peter and the other animals away from his garden, while also providing the voice of Mr. Jeremy Fisher. Rose Byrne, James Corden and Margot Robbie are among the principal cast and voice performers. The family comedy combines Gleeson’s live-action performance with digitally created animal characters and became the beginning of a successful film series.
2018 — The Little Stranger
Lenny Abrahamson directed The Little Stranger, a psychological Gothic drama adapted from Sarah Waters’ novel. Gleeson stars as Dr. Faraday, a country doctor who becomes involved with the declining Ayres family and their increasingly disturbing ancestral home. Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter and Liv Hill also star in the atmospheric period film. As Faraday investigates unexplained events at Hundreds Hall, the boundary between psychological trauma and supernatural influence becomes increasingly uncertain.
2019 — The Kitchen
Andrea Berloff wrote and directed The Kitchen, a crime drama based on the DC Vertigo comic book series. Gleeson plays Gabriel O’Malley, a former Irish mob enforcer who becomes involved with the women taking control of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen after their husbands are imprisoned. Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss lead the cast as the three women who begin running criminal operations themselves. Gleeson’s Gabriel serves as an enforcer and becomes particularly connected to Moss’s character, Claire.
2019 — Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Gleeson returned as General Hux for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, directed by J. J. Abrams. The final chapter of the sequel trilogy follows Rey, Finn and Poe as the Resistance faces a renewed threat from the First Order and the return of Emperor Palpatine. Hux’s position becomes more complicated as the internal politics of the First Order shift and Kylo Ren consolidates his authority. The film completed Gleeson’s three-film arc as the ambitious First Order general.
2021 — Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Gleeson returned as Thomas McGregor in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, directed by Will Gluck. The sequel follows Peter after he becomes dissatisfied with his life and ventures beyond the garden, while Thomas and Bea become involved with a publisher who wants to exploit Peter’s story. Gleeson again shares the live-action side of the film with Rose Byrne, while James Corden returns as the voice of Peter. The sequel continued the blend of live-action comedy and computer animation established by the first film.
2025 — Fountain of Youth
Guy Ritchie directed Fountain of Youth, an action-adventure film starring John Krasinski, Natalie Portman and Eiza González. Gleeson plays Owen Carver, an Irish billionaire who helps finance the search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. The story follows estranged siblings who use historical clues to pursue a global heist connected to the mythical source of eternal youth. Released globally on Apple TV+ on May 23, 2025, the film marked Gleeson’s return to large-scale adventure filmmaking.
2025 — Echo Valley
Michael Pearce directed Echo Valley, a psychological thriller starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. Gleeson plays Jackie Lyman, becoming involved in the dangerous circumstances surrounding a mother and daughter after the daughter arrives home covered in another person’s blood. Fiona Shaw, Kyle MacLachlan and Edmund Donovan also appear in the cast. Released globally on Apple TV+ on June 13, 2025, the film gave Gleeson a darker contemporary role in a tightly focused crime thriller.
2026 — The Incomer
The Incomer is a comedy-drama-fantasy directed by Louis Paxton in his feature directorial debut. Gleeson plays Daniel, an awkward council worker sent to a remote Scottish island to relocate two siblings who have lived there in isolation for decades. Grant O’Rourke and Gayle Rankin play the siblings Sandy and Isla, while John Hannah and Michelle Gomez are also part of the cast. The film opened the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2026 and received its Irish cinema release on September 4, 2026, making it Gleeson’s latest released feature film at the time of this filmography.
2026 — Bucking Fastard
Werner Herzog directed Bucking Fastard, a surreal drama starring Kate Mara, Rooney Mara and Orlando Bloom, with Gleeson appearing as Timothy. The film follows sisters Jean and Joan Holbrooke, who speak in unison, share dreams and become fascinated by the same man as they search for an imagined world where true love might exist. It premiered in competition at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival and subsequently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Gleeson’s supporting appearance adds another unusual dramatic role to his expanding international filmography.
Conclusion
Domhnall Gleeson’s film career has developed from small Irish productions into a diverse international filmography spanning comedy, drama, science fiction, fantasy, crime, horror and action. His early roles in Boy Eats Girl, Studs, A Dog Year and Perrier’s Bounty were followed by major opportunities in Harry Potter, About Time, Ex Machina and Anna Karenina. His portrayal of General Hux across the Star Wars sequel trilogy brought him worldwide recognition, while films such as The Revenant, Brooklyn, Goodbye Christopher Robin and The Little Stranger demonstrated his ability to move between mainstream and character-driven productions. More recent work in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Fountain of Youth, Echo Valley, The Incomer and Bucking Fastard shows that his movie career continues to cover a broad range of genres and filmmakers. Looking across Domhnall Gleeson movies by year, his screen work reflects a steady progression from supporting Irish roles to prominent international and leading performances.
