The Little Stranger Domhnall Gleeson interview: 'It was so intense, I almost fell apart'

He’s one of the UK and Ireland’s finest actors, with a glorious range of leading and supporting roles in movies like Ex Machina, Brooklyn, About Time, The Revenant and Goodbye, Christopher Robin.

He’s also the son of the legendary Brendan Gleeson.

Even so, he may well be most famous right now for playing the psychotic General Hux in the latest Star Wars trilogy.

It might seem a galaxy far, far away from this new movie, but his character in Lenny Abrahamson’s Little Stranger is also rather disturbed and disturbing in his own way.

Based on the best-selling book by Sarah Waters it is a slow-burning psychological drama (with tinges of horror) where we are never sure if the monsters are lurking in the shadows or in the people themselves.

Gleeson recently confessed he had needed six months off after such an intense and emotionaly gruelling shoot, but he also told me the laughs were many and frequent on set.

He said: “You don’t shake something like this off. It moves in for a while. The people in the house are all quite sick and get sicker as the film goes on. They start falling apart. I definitely had a bit of that going on myself.”

Co-star Will Poulter has already proved adept at comedy roles but leading lady Ruth Wilson is best known for her weighty dramatic roles. Both were equally boisterous and fun on set.

Gleeson said: “Ruth is hilarious, Lenny is hilarious and Will. All those people are very, very funny. There was fun to be had… I think it’s necessary. You understand you have to be able to have a laugh. You can’t spend all day in the atmosphere of this film. It was an intense ride, you can’t do that for twelve hours a day.”

Watching the movie it’s hard to imagine any high-jinks off camera but the actor confessed he and Wilson often wished their own characters would get over themselves, when the nearest they get to any real passion is an awkward fumble in a car in a creepy wood.

He added: “Ruth was very funny talking about (her character) Caroline. (My character) Faraday is definitely awkward. We used to laugh at them and go, ’If only they would loosen up.’”

Incredibly, Gleeson tells me he has absolutely nothing lined up next. So what would he like to do?

STAR WARS 9: IS GENERAL HUX A HUGE TRAITOR?

I suggest a slasher horror or Wes Anderson farce for a complete change.

He said: “Oh, for sure. Wes Anderson, any of the Andersons. Paul Thomas Anderson. I’ll take any of them. Ther’es always something else to want but you have to wait until you read it to know it’s right for you. That was definitely the case with this.

“I’m waiting for the next thing. Nothing bubbling right now.”

And what does he want right now? Doing an intense press tour and meeting a new jounalist every six mintes, his answer is understandable: “What does Domhnal want? Domhnall wants some sleep.

“But I’m happy. The problem is always wanting more. You have to take on board when you’re happy. I’m enjoying life at the moment.”

THE LITTLE STRANGER IS OUT ON SEPTEMBER 21