The Paper, a spinoff of the legendary mockumentary television series The Office, premieres on Peacock on September 4. Unlike The Office, which follows the employees of the paper company Dunder Mifflin, The Paper focuses on the Toledo Truth-Teller – a declining Midwestern newspaper trying to reinvent itself with volunteer reporters. With a cast made up mainly of newcomers, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper is played by well known Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson. Many fans will recognize him from the Harry Potter series, but they may know his famous dad even more.
Domhnall's dad is the Oscar nominated actor Brendan Gleeson. The 70-year-old actor was nominated for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, but is best known for portraying Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody in the Harry Potter series, among many other iconic films. Brendan's 40 year career landed him as number 18 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest actors. And, two of his sons followed in his footsteps.
Brendan and his wife Mary Weldon have been together since 1982. They share four sons, Domhnall, 42, Fergus, 38, Brían, 37, and Rory, 36. Throughout his career, Brendan has resided in Ireland, raising his sons with Mary in Dublin even with a busy filming schedule. And in a few films, Brendan even acted with his sons.
Brendan's most widely known son is Domhnall, who acted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 with his dad. Now, Domhnall is the lead of The Paper. Brendan regularly supports his son at numerous Hollywood events, including the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of his film Brooklyn.
In 2011, leaning into his sense of humor, Brendan accepted Domhnall's Rising Star award at the 8th annual Irish Film & Television Awards. The actor joked: "I'm not so sure about rising star. I could never get him up in the morning." A few years later, Domhnall returned the favor when he accepted his dad's BIFA award for best supporting actor. "My dad told me that I should accept it if he beat me at this," he told the crowd.
Domhnall's brother, Brían, is also an actor. The two of them worked together in the Irish comedy series, Frank of Ireland. "I hope some people will be surprised to see us in a comedy like this," Domhnall told The Guardian in 2021. "Part of the reason I wanted to write Frank of Ireland is that not many people ask us to do this sort of thing. I've always wanted to do slapstick stuff, and this lets us work in pratfalls and just play a total child."
As Domhnall leans into the spotlight with his new role, he acknowledges his privilege in the industry. "It's an important conversation. There are a lot of people whose parents are in the industry. It's important that there is room for other people," he told The Irish Times.