Domnhall Gleeson is one of those guys. You have seen him in something even if you don’t know his name. He’s worked on films, both big tent-pole franchises and small Indies, and he’s also been on TV in shows like Black Mirror or Run. With an incredibly diverse career and a great future ahead of him, it’s a good moment to look at Domnhall Gleeson’s best performances, ranked:

8 The Revenant

     20th Century Fox

Frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is left for dead after being mauled by a grizzly bear. Glass survives and decides to take revenge on those who have left him behind. The Revenant is known for two things: is the movie that won Leo his Oscar; and also the film with the incredible sequence where he’s attacked by a bear. But there’s much more to it. It was shot by Emmanuel Luzbeki, one of the greatest cinematographers ever, and has great supporting performances by Tom Hardy and Gleeson. Gleeson plays the leader of the trapping party as someone who only wants his team and him to survive, and will do anything he can to do so. His integrity is what sustains the character in this not-so-fun and epic film.

7 Never Let Me Go

     Fox Searchlight Pictures

This sci-fi movie tells the story of three young students “raised” on a futuristic farm, until their days into young adulthood when they discover what the world wants of them. Based on the book of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro and with a script by Alex Garland, this movie has some incredible twists, that we want you to discover for yourself (no spoilers here). Never Let Me Go has an impressive cast with a young Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield. Gleeson has a small role, but one you’ll remember because of his devastating and heartbreaking performance.

6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1 & 2

     Warner Bros. Pictures

What can be said about the Harry Potter franchise that hasn’t been said before? Let’s say that it has one of the best and most satisfying franchise endings and that it was a trampoline for many British actors to become known. It worked that way for Gleeson, who in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Part 1 & 2) plays Bill Weasley, one of Ron’s (Rupert Grint) older brothers. Although it is a smaller role, Gleeson fits right in and has one of the most emotional moments in the last movie. Harry Potter also allowed Gleeson to share the screen with his father, the one and only, Brendan Gleeson.

5 Star Wars: The Force Awakens

     Walt Disney StudiosMotion Pictures

A new generation of rebels with the likes of Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and led by scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley), must unite to fight the new Empire with the help of some old fighters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca. This was another big tent pole franchise, and another supporting role for Gleeson. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he plays General Hux, a space Nazi, who hates Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Gleeson has a petty, envious relationship with Driver’s character, one that could’ve been called Star Wars: Mean Girls. His character is punchable and hateable, and shows us what kind of people are seduced by the empire’s power. Gleeson makes a meal of his sleaziness and creates a character where we cheer for his demise, and that has its merits on its own.

4 Frank

     Artificial Eye

Jon (Gleeson) is the new keyboardist for a quirky music group called The Soronprfbs. The band is led by singer Frank (Michael Fassbender), a man who always, always, always wears a giant paper mache mask. Frank was one of Gleeson’s first lead roles, as you follow him to the madness that is Frank’s world. Fassbender steals the show as Frank, but it is through Gleeson’s character that you understand the method into the madness; the real heart behind the paper mache mask, and while at it, the surrealism that can be promoting a music band. About Gleeson’s performance, the director, Lenny Abrahamson told IFTN: “Domhnall, I think, is a remarkable actor, and in ‘Frank’ he negotiates such a complex series of tonal shifts and changes across the whole film. Really, as an audience, you have to be with him even when he does some pretty nasty things, and Domhnall manages to keep you there, even when you really can’t approve of what he’s doing.”

3 Brooklyn

     Lionsgate 

Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan in a performance that granted her an Oscar nomination) is an Irish immigrant who moves to and falls in love in Brooklyn with Tony (Emory Cohen). When she goes back to Ireland, Jim (Gleeson) starts courting her, and she must decide where and with whom she wants to have a life. Brooklyn is based on a book of the same name by Colm Tóibín, and Gleeson’s part is not the biggest, but he nails it. He has the most difficult part in the film, as he appears late and has to look like a real possibility for Ellis to leave his husband and live in America. His charming, understated performance makes us see why she’s doubting her future. Gleeson and Ronan are a fellow Irishman, Saoirse Ronan told Deadline: “I knew Domhnall before. There were a few things we were trying to work on together and didn’t get around to, and also the community back home is so small that you kind of know everyone anyway.”

2 Ex Machina

     DNA Films

Caleb (Gleeson) is a programmer who wins a week in his CEO’s state. There, he meets the leader of his company, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), and his last creation Eva (Alicia Vikander). Ex Machina is an incredible ride, with three top performances in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The film was written and directed by Alex Garland, who wrote three incredibly different parts, and Gleeson makes the most of his (Isaac, and Vikander are also on top of their game). Gleeson gives a restrained performance, trying not to show all of his character’s insecurities, doubts, and his own felt smallness (especially in front of his loud, macho boss), but they’re there, and he shows them to us, through small gestures and expressions that make us feel some empathy for him, even though he’s a long way from being perfect.

1 About Time

     Working Title Films

A shy English twenty-something named Tim discovers that the men in his family can go back in time. How will he use this power to change his own life? About Time might seem like a gimmicky movie, but uses time-traveling for humor, love, and heart. It starts as a light comedy, but as the film evolves, it touches on weightier themes such as love, hurt, death, and memories. Gleeson is great as the lead, portraying the many emotions anyone can find in life. Who would have thought this lanky, red-headed man could be a great romantic lead? His chemistry with Mary (Rachel McAdams in one of her best performances ever) is off the charts. As is the one with Bill Nighy, who plays his father and has some of the most touching and sad moments. It’s a great romantic comedy, but it’s also much more. We laughed, we cried, and we fell in love with Tim, Mary, and their love story. It’s in a big part because of Gleeson’s performance, where he shows everything he can do as an actor, and has been doing since.