Domhnall Gleeson, the Irish actor known for roles ranging from a psychopath to a romcom heart-throb and an intergalactic warlord, has won his first Hollywood award. The US-Ireland Alliance will present him with the Oscar Wilde award at the event's 20th anniversary in Los Angeles in March, honouring his body of work rather than a single performance.
Trina Vargo, founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance, praised Gleeson's talent, recalling first seeing him in 2006 in Martin McDonagh's play The Lieutenant of Inishmore. She said, 'His talent was obvious 20 years ago, it's been a pleasure to watch him go from strength to strength.' The alliance, a nonprofit fostering US-Ireland ties, hosts one of Hollywood's liveliest award-season parties. Previous recipients include Jamie Dornan, Kenneth Branagh and Kerry Condon.
Gleeson, who has received critical acclaim and nominations for film and TV, has won Irish film and television awards and a Berlin International Film Festival award but had not previously landed a major Hollywood prize. He has appeared in franchises such as Harry Potter and Star Wars, and stars in the forthcoming BBC Christmas special The Scarecrows' Wedding opposite Jessie Buckley.
An Esquire profile last month highlighted that Gleeson's performances have earned praise 'even as he has somehow remained critically underrated,' with the headline: 'Why isn't everyone talking about Domhnall Gleeson?' The Dubliner was nominated for a Tony in 2006 and a Golden Globe in 2023 for The Patient, but has missed out on Emmy and Oscar nominations.
