Brendan Gleeson to play Donald Trump in TV series based on ‘tell-all’ book by ex-FBI director
Written by News on 09/10/2019
Brendan Gleeson is to play Donald Trump in a new TV series based on former FBI director James Comey’s best-selling “tell-all” book.
The Irish actor, 64, best known for playing Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody in the Harry Potter films and starring in In Bruges, will play the US president alongside Jeff Daniels as Mr Comey.
Mr Trump abruptly fired then FBI director Comey in May 2017, saying it was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
Mr Comey had “lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington”, the president said in a tweet, adding: “James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.”
A vocal critic of the president, Mr Comey faced the US Senate Judiciary Committee over his handling of the investigations into Hillary Clinton’s email server and potential Russian collusion during the election campaign.
In an interview last year, he said that Mr Trump “lies constantly” and is “morally unfit” to be president.
Mr Trump responded by calling him a “slimeball” and the “WORST FBI director in history, by far”.
The new mini-series will be adapted from Mr Comey’s book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies And Leadership.
Billy Ray, who is directing the show, said in a statement to US website Deadline: “It’s hard to imagine a bigger acting challenge than playing Donald Trump.
“You have to have presence, and a singular kind of dynamism. You also have to have the courage and the will to play Trump’s psychology from the inside out.
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“Oh, and you have to be spectacularly talented and watchable. Not many actors check all those boxes. Brendan does. I’m ecstatic about this.”
Gleeson is also known for supporting roles in films such as Braveheart, Cold Mountain and Gangs Of New York.
(c) Sky News 2019: Brendan Gleeson to play Donald Trump in TV series based on ‘tell-all’ book by ex-FBI director
