Everything to Know About Domhnall Gleeson's Irish Accent, How to Pronounce His Name
Confused about Domhnall Gleeson's name? We've got you covered with a quick pronunciation guide.
We finally have confirmation that a new show set in the world of NBC's The Office is coming, and to sweeten the deal, we already know a few of the show's stars.
One of the actors confirmed for the new Peacock original series from The Office creator Greg Daniels is none other than Domhnall Gleeson, a familiar face who's done everything from Harry Potter to Star Wars.
RELATED: Everything to Know About The Office Superfan Extended Cut Episodes
If you pay attention to pop culture, you've no doubt seen Gleeson around over the years, but what you might not know is how exactly to pronounce the actor's name. Now that he's headed to the world of Dunder Miffiln, we thought it might be a good time for a quick guide to Gleeson's heritage and name pronunciation.
Domhnall Gleeson's Irish Roots
Born in Dublin, Gleeson is Irish by birth, a member of an acting family that includes his father, Brendan Gleeson (who you also saw in Harry Potter, not to mention films like Braveheart and The Banshees of Inisherin), and his brother, Brian Gleeson (whose work includes shows like Peaky Blinders and Frank of Ireland, which he and Domhnall co-created). The Gleeson siblings have worked together, and Domhnall has also worked alongside his father, but unless you've heard him speak in interviews, there's a chance you didn't know Gleeson was Irish.
In many of his most prominent roles, including General Hux in Star Wars and Bill Weasley in Harry Potter, Gleeson is not doing his natural accent. He's often adopted British, American, and other dialects for his roles, so much so that slipping into his natural voice for a part has sometimes proved a challenge.
“The Irish accent, yeah I find it tricky, actually, in a funny sort of a way," Gleeson told Men's Health back in 2020. "I didn't always love doing my own accent. Because doing an accent is an amazing way to study text, like if you're doing an accent, you need to drill those lines into your head so hard it makes you think about what the words mean, and it also puts you in a certain headspace — it changes you.”
How to Pronounce Domhnall Gleeson's Name
With Gleeson's career and roots in mind, you might also still be wondering how exactly he pronounces his own first name. Fortunately, Gleeson himself has offered a handy guide. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly way back in 2015, the actor explained: "It's Domhnall is how I pronounce my name, which is like 'tonal' but with a D instead of T, and the M is just there to confuse Americans."
RELATED: What Is Everyone's Job at Dunder Mifflin on The Office?
So there you have it. Now, when discussing upcoming projects like his new Peacock series, you can tell all your friends that "Domhnall" is pronounced to rhyme with "tonal."
And speaking of that new series, you won't have long to wait. Set in the same universe as The Office, the new show will follow "a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters."
Production is expected to kick off this summer, which means we'll hopefully know very soon when we can expect the series to premiere. Keep checking NBC Insider for updates on the project.
