Domhnall Gleeson, an Irish actor, will return as First Order commander in Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Gleeson is no stranger to the big screen with prior roles such as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, legendary Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne in Goodbye Christopher Robin, CIA agent “Schafer” in American Made, to name a few.
He now talks to us about First Order commander, General Hux! First let me say I could have asked him 100 questions because I loved his accent and his fun attitude.
Gleeson talked to us about why he didn’t go see the screening with the rest of the cast.
So a little birdy said you watched the film. What was your first impressions?
Gleeson: That little birdy was a flippin’ liar. [LAUGHTER] No, the cast, they had a screening for the cast, and I think it was the right idea. I decided I would rather see it with like two thousand people who don’t know what’s going to happen.
Just the feeling in the room of like, cause at the Force Awakens, that premier was insane. I was there with my dad and my friend Lawrence. Like what the hell is going on. Like, whoops and cheering and big gasps and everything. I didn’t want to miss out on that being my first experience with the film, so I’m waiting till whatever day it is next week.
Imagine having TWO rides at Disney include your characters from two movies!
We rode Star Tours last night; all of us. And we got to see you in that, and I realized, that’s not your first rodeo. Being on a theme park ride. What is that- I can’t even imagine what’s that like being in multiple in multiple theme park rides.
He always thinks of Orlando and didn’t realize the Star Tours- The Adventure Continues was at Disneyland not from from where we were. We made sure to give him the 411!
Gleeson: ………….I will have to go. Oh, cool. And so, yeah, no it’s cool. It’s cool. Like, being part of two different rides that, like, literally millions of people will go on is kind of ridiculous. But, in a way it’s no different than the films. Like, so many people are going to see Star Wars that, yeah, it’s a bit nuts. The whole thing is a little bit nuts. It’s good though, I think.
If Gleeson was in combat and had a light saber, what color would it be?
I do have a lightsaber in real life but it’s not, it’s just one of the plastic ones, and it’s red. So, yeah, when I went to one of the premier things last time round, Harrison Ford was there and they were giving out these plastic ones to the fans, and I picked a green one ‘cause I’m Irish. And then, we were at the thing and just Harrison Ford’s like the coolest man in the world. So I was, like, talking to my agent and I was kind of waving the thing around, and I saw Harrison Ford was looking over at me, and I was like, oh. So, yeah, I got my photo with him. That was super cool, and- but yeah, so I’ve got a red one and a green one. So, you know what I mean; mix and match, depending on my mood.
We try to get Gleeson to admit that Han Solo is his favorite Star Wars character, and he shares about when he was a kid.
Can we say that Han Solo is your ultimate, favorite character in Star Wars?
Can you say that? Eh, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that. See, when I was a kid, I was like an Indiana Jones kid. More than Star Wars even. So that was like my childhood was, was Harrison Ford in a different movie. And then- because by the time I kinda came up then, the prequels were coming out [Star Wars], and I saw them in the cinema, but I’d never seen the original trilogy, any of them in the cinema. I just missed it. And then my big experience was when I was deciding whether I could be in the Force Awakens, JJ gave me a file of the original Star Wars, and I watched it on a big screen………………then they all became my favorites. How diplomatic is that? They’re all my favorites. Yeah, but I do love Han Solo.
Gleeson was asked how it felt filming took place in Ireland.
I love it. And I love that the people who went there had an amazing time. I love that they got good weather. I love that they were all the way up and down the west coast, and Ireland is my home, I think it’s the best place in the world, and I’m just happy for people to see it. It’s, like, it’s an intensely beautiful place, and they got to see it in intensely beautiful weather, which is ridiculous. That never happens, So when they came back and they were all talking about what a good time they had in Ireland, even though I had nothing to do with that, I have to say I was pretty, pretty proud.
Gleeson tells us about his geeking out moment.
There are lots of moments like that because the scale of things. Because of how much Star Wars means to people. Because just the history of it. I mean, there aren’t many, like, Harry Potter was a huge journey, and that was over, those films were over; twelve year, ten years, something like that, you know what I mean? ……………..There are so many things which are part of growing up, which are part of people’s childhoods. Star Wars would have been the first movie that a lot of people, you know what I mean? Like all those things. There’s just something that’s a position of privilege, so loads of moments like that. Any time, without giving anything away of who I worked with on this or didn’t work with, but when you’re on set, other people have to come on set to show Ryan a costume in person, or, you know, to talk to him about something.
So the days when you don’t know somebody’s gonna be in, and you’re kinda talking to Ryan about something and then Mark Hamill just stoles up in his Luke Skywalker gear, you’re like what the f- [LAUGHTER]. You’re like, oh my gosh… [LAUGHTER]. Those moments, when you’re not expecting them, and he’s there on a Star Wars set and you’re like, what are you doing in the evil place? Why are you hanging out here, and it’s like, oh he just here to see Ryan. Like, those things are kind of amazing. Those where you pinch yourself.
Gleeson tells us how hard is it to keep the secret about Star Wars.
It’s really easy to say nothing. It’s really difficult to say a little but not too much. And that’s where we are existing in this week.
Because all the way up until now, we’ve been aloud to say nothing. And now we are expected to say a little. And that’s much harder.
We now don’t have to wait anymore and Domhnall doesn’t have to worry about spilling the beans!
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI hits theaters everywhere December 15th!
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Don’t miss the previous articles
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Exclusive Interview with Gwendoline Christie “Captain Phasma”
The Women of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Plus Cast Press Conference
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