BRIAN GLEESON

Channel 4 always do really great stuff; they do great comedies.

I'm sure there's some sort of cynicism or fatalism in Ireland and England. We are fatalistic here, and sometimes we need to be shaken out of that.

I have a bit of a temper.

Like 'Love/Hate,' maybe 'Taken Down' can get people talking as well.

I've led a very middle-class, very boring kind of life.

I loved 'Lord of the Rings,' growing up, so I always wanted to play a wizard with a staff.

My father is an actor as well, so I used to look to him.

Acting is probably what I'm best at, but there are certain stories kind of rattling around in my head that I like the idea of developing over time.

I think that if you can work and travel, that is the best deal you can strike.

Initially, I resisted going into acting. You want to have your own identity, and I thought about doing other things, but that didn't last very long.

Film acting is so different from theatre acting, and TV is about letting things pay off and not winning every scene.

There's a lot of Irish in London and have been for years - they're very much a part of the city.

I've led a very middle-class, very boring kind of life.

America's very refreshing when you go over there; they're all just open about what they want, and they want you to be open, too.

There's no problem with trying to be successful, but it's all about just doing good work. It's not about fame.

The global capitalist project, which we are all a part of, leaves people behind. I don't know what the answers are - I don't think any actor does - but figuring it out through entertainment can be very useful.

I had always enjoyed playing characters and dressing up, but it wasn't until I got to school and I started getting on stage for plays that I got the bug.

My father is an actor as well, so I used to look to him.

I loved plays in school.

'Love/Hate' was a milestone in terms of working on something at home that felt very special.

Like 'Love/Hate,' maybe 'Taken Down' can get people talking as well.

For me, you have to do as much work as you can beforehand and, once you get on stage or set, throw it out the window because you need to be collaborative. You shouldn't have too many ideas about where it goes before you get into the room with the director and other actors.

Initially, I resisted going into acting. You want to have your own identity, and I thought about doing other things, but that didn't last very long.

I'm sure there's some sort of cynicism or fatalism in Ireland and England. We are fatalistic here, and sometimes we need to be shaken out of that.

I have a bit of a temper.

For me, Domhnall is an acting teacher as much as anything. If I turn out to be half the actor he is, I'll be happy.

I'm crazy in how boring I am.

Acting is probably what I'm best at, but there are certain stories kind of rattling around in my head that I like the idea of developing over time.

I think that if you can work and travel, that is the best deal you can strike.

I loved 'Lord of the Rings,' growing up, so I always wanted to play a wizard with a staff.

I was impressed that when it came to making 'Rebellion,' they sought out Aku Louhimies, a Finnish director who's part of that new wave of Scandinavian realist drama.

I was always goofing around. I suppose having a father who was an actor made you think that it was a real possibility as a career.

Channel 4 always do really great stuff; they do great comedies.