Domhnall Gleeson reveals why he took nearly year off after shooting new romantic drama

29 January 2024

Domhnall Gleeson took nearly a year off after shooting his new romantic drama ‘Alice and Jack’ to shake off his lovelorn character.

Domhnall Gleeson took nearly a year off after shooting his new romantic drama ‘Alice and Jack’ to shake off his lovelorn character

Despite playing parts including a psychotic murderer in ‘Calvary’, the 40-year-old – who is the son of big screen veteran Brendan Gleeson, 68 – admitted he was forced to take the time out as he found the role so closely intertwined with his life.

He told The Sun about playing Jack alongside Andrea Riseborough, 42: “This role really amazingly synched up with my life, and how long I’ve known Andrea.

“We kept crossing over every few years over 15 years, washing in and out of each other’s lives.

“I took 10 months off after the shoot because I found it really hard to shake off at the end of it, because I’m so similar to Jack in a weird way.”

The six-part Channel 4 drama, which also stars Aisling Bea, 39, and Aimee Lou Wood, 29, follows the titular Alice and Jack as they struggle with their relationship over a 15-year period.

Created and directed by ‘Mad About You’ filmmaker Victor Levin, 63, Channel 4 has billed it as a “love story for the ages”.

A synopsis said: “When Alice and Jack first meet they’re bound by a connection so powerful it seems nothing can break it, but will their path lead them to a place of happiness and togetherness?

“Or will life and their own emotional complexities get in the way? Honest, intimate, and surprisingly funny, the series shows love in all its unexpected, technicolour, kaleidoscopic beauty.”

Domhnall said when the drama was announced: “The only work I’ve wanted to watch and do since the pandemic is work about connection and love, and work with a sense of humour.

“Alice and Jack keep coming back to each other because they can’t help themselves – they find in each other something that they don’t have on their own.

“I think they're soulmates – I think it’s bigger than just the two of them.

“Their story centres on connection and love in the most beautiful way and reminds us that we are always allowed to smile – even if it’s through the tears.”