Ö÷²¥´óÐã

At just 27 years of age, Domhnall Gleeson already has an impressive list of work to his name. His film credits include the recently released Never Let Me Go with Keira Knightly and Carey Mulligan, the two-part finale to the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, and the Coen brothers' new movie True Grit.

As the son of acclaimed actor Brendan Gleeson, Domhnall certainly has a great role model. Here he reveals what is was like to take on the role of iconic Irish rocker Bob Geldof in When Harvey Met Bob.

Why did you decide to take on the role of Bob?

I thought it was an unusual proposition and it's fantastic to play somebody who drives a film. Having the whole thing on your shoulders and moving it all forward, that's really interesting.

Also, the fact I hadn't done anything like this before. I'd played characters from books and I'd also played a real person before but not someone famous; that character was based on a true story that nobody knew.

All of a sudden I heard about this role of Bob Geldof. He's so different from me, being Irish is the only thing we really have in common. The force of his personality and his image and voice was a huge challenge but of course you do want to challenge yourself.

It was terrifying; I had very little prep time as I only found out two weeks before we started filming that I had got the part. But that was great in a way as you jump straight into it and, as the director pointed out, it's very similar to Live Aid in that respect. We were trying to get something very big together in a short amount of time.

What kind of research did you do?

I'd done research for the auditions; watched videos and worked on the voice and getting an impression of what the man was like first. Once I got the part I read his autobiography, which was a great help. It was written a year or two after Live Aid so I got a real insight into how it all affected Bob.

I didn't get a chance to meet Bob or Harvey, but seeing as it was 25 years ago, and everyone is so different, I thought I was better off concentrating on the material available from the time. I think he has changed a lot but when you see him on television, he still has that same burning anger and is the same force of nature he was back then.

How would you describe the character of Bob in the drama?

Bob is driven by knowing he is right to do this and knowing that he has to do something to change things. It's really interesting to play someone who has no doubt whatsoever that what he's doing is right. Once you get that across on screen, you're safe to look into whether he's doing the right things to make the change happen.

Bob has been shocked, disgusted and angered and has huge compassion for these people, who can't do anything about it themselves. But then again, just because you're doing something you know is right, doesn't mean you can't have a little strop! He tells lies and talks people into things they don't want to do, all under the conviction that he's saving lives and making things happen.

There is a clash between Bob and Harvey as they are very different people. There's a huge amount of love and also a huge amount of frustration. It's an interesting combination. It's a lot of drama, which leads to a bit of comedy and a few funny moments.

As a viewer you know that Live Aid did actually happen and it all worked out, so you have to create a certain amount of drama along the way.

Do you have any memories of Live Aid?

I was only two so I don't remember it at all, but it's funny how present it still is. I learnt all about it from school. Bob Geldof was a very prominent figure in Ireland. It's mad that I was only two, and yet it still remains a huge cultural reference and a benchmark on how to go about changing things. It was the biggest televised event ever at the time, and the fact it was all put together in a few months is amazing!

What you come to understand, when you watch footage of the actual event, is the energy Bob had. Live Aid was unprecedented and we were really trying to capture that on film.

How did you find working with Ian Hart?

I was so excited when I found out I was working with Ian Hart, I love his work and my father has worked with him previously. It was great being around him, I always felt more comfortable when he was on set, which I think helped the story and allowed me to push the drama that little bit further.

We were always at loggerheads in our scenes so it was really good fun to just go for it. He was always brilliant and full of so much energy. I loved every moment of working with him.

Did you have any on-set accidents?

I broke my knuckles on both hands! We were doing a scene where Bob is feeling a huge amount of unbridled anger and confusion about what he's seen in Africa.

I wasn't getting to a place I needed to get to in terms of how upset someone would be, as I haven't been there myself. I was trying to imagine what it would be like. I watched all the footage, but actually being there at the time and seeing those images of starving people must have been awful. I think Bob's view was that you were in some way responsible for it if you weren't helping.

In trying to portray those feelings on screen, the director talked me through it all and suggested I start hitting the ground. I did it quite softly and then started to feel it a little bit more and ended up punching the floor far too hard with both my fists and ended up breaking my knuckles which was a bit stupid!

I'm okay now but I missed a day's filming because I had to get plaster casts put on. Then we found some temporary braces that I was able to take off for shots, which was really important or we wouldn't have been able to finish filming. I went into the edit to see the scene, and I think it works. So my stupidity was worth it! It's a good scene.

You are soon to be seen in the final two Harry Potter films. How did you find working on such a well known and well loved franchise?

Ian Hart and my father have both been in Harry Potter movies so I was delighted to get that part, although walking on set and seeing 500 people working on the project was very scary. I think that experience will prepare me for whatever comes in the future and I had a fantastic time working on it.