Gleeson reveals story behind new film

started shooting but I was worried about blowing his privacy and stuff.”

As Gleeson was researching for the drama, in which he stars with Diane Keaton, he discovered Harry was Irish.

He said: “He was an interesting chap, he was from Sligo and had gone over a long time ago.

“He was there for nearly 30 years. He made this world for himself and he was entirely accepted into the community.

“Nobody tried to turf him out until the builders came and wanted to build there and tried to bring him to court.”

Gleeson, 62, says he loved working with Keaton, who plays a local resident who forms a bond with Harry, in the unconventional romance.

He added: “The older romances are better written.

“The idea of a rom-com about people of my age is only current, really.

“This is a slightly more unconventional thing. So the writing has to be up to it and it just becomes more interesting. It’s more characterful I think.

“I kind of love the opportunity to work with Diane or Emma Thompson or Janet Mcteer because they bring a different sensibility to it. I love the energy that brings. Women and men do have different perceptions of the world, there’s no doubt.”

Gleeson will next be on our screens in the TV series Mr Mercedes, a crime thriller based on the Stephen King novel. news@irish

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