Peter McDonald (born 28 January 1972) is an Irish Oscar nominated stage and screen actor and director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his short film Pentecost. He is also known for his appearances as William Kenzie in The Batman and The Penguin.
Early life and education
McDonald grew up in Mount Merrion, County Dublin. He was educated at St. Michael's College, Dublin and graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Arts, English and a Master of Fine Arts, English in 1994. He got his start in theatre as part of UCD's Drama Society and was a member of the Fly by Night Theatre Company.
Career
Acting
McDonald has appeared in films including Felicia's Journey (written and directed by Atom Egoyan, 1999) and When Brendan Met Trudy (written by Roddy Doyle and directed by Kieron J. Walsh, 2000); television series (the BBC's Sea of Souls and Channel 4's Green Wing); and theatre productions both in Dublin and London, including The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Days of Wine and Roses.
He made his debut in 1997 as the character Git Hynes in the Irish comedy I Went Down, co-starring with Brendan Gleeson. He co-starred with Jonathan Pryce and Aidan Gillen in Glengarry Glen Ross at the Apollo Theatre in 2007. He features prominently in RTÉ's comedy show Your Bad Self.
He is currently[when?] filming for the new BBC Drama [This Town (TV series)|This Town]] a BBC drama by Steven Knight.
Writing
McDonald wrote and directed Pentecost, a live action short film which was nominated for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote and acted in the full-length movie, The Stag, which was nominated for six Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) awards in 2014.
Theatre
- The Weir (Donmar Theatre, London, 2013)[1]
- The Caretaker (Trafalgar Studios 2010)
- Glengarry Glen Ross (Apollo Theatre 2007)
- Exiles (National Theatre: Cottesloe Theatre 2006)
- Resurrection Blues (Old Vic 2006)
- Aristocrats (National Theatre: Lyttelton Theatre 2005)
- Days of Wine and Roses (Donmar 2005)
- The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Garrick Theatre 2002)
- White Horses (Gate Theatre, Dublin 2001)
- A Lie of the Mind (Donmar 2001)
- The Wexford Trilogy (Oxford Stage Company tour 2001)
- Inventing Fortune's Wheel (Firkin Crane Theatre, Cork)
- Van Gogh's Ear, The Stars Lose Their Glory, The Brother (International Bar, Dublin)
- The Stranger (Players Theatre, Dublin)[2]
Filmography
- I Went Down (1997) as Git Hynes
- Felicia's Journey (1999) as Johnny Lysaght
- Captain Jack (1999) as Andy Watts
- The Opportunists (2000) as Michael 'Mikey' Lawler, aka Michael Kelly
- Nora (2000) as Stanislaus Joyce
- Saltwater (2000) as Frank Beneventi
- Some Voices (2000) as Dave
- When Brendan Met Trudy (2000) as Brendan
- Blow Dry (2001) as Vincent
- Don't Tempt Me (2001) as Henry
- Spin the Bottle (2004) as Tomo
- Festival (2005) as Architect
- The Headsman (2005) as Georg
- The Family Man (2006) as Steve
- The Damned United (2009) as Johnny Giles
- Wreckers (2011) as Gary
- Anthropopopometry (2013) as Steve (Short-film)
- The Stag (2013) as The Machine, also co-writer with John Butler
- England is Mine (2017) as Peter Morrissey
- Fanny Lye Deliver'd (2019) as The High Sheriff for the Council of State
- The Batman (2022) as William Kenzie
- Woken (2024) as Doctor Henry
Television
- Paths to Freedom (2000) as Tomo
- Fergus's Wedding (2002) as Tony
- Spooks (2003) as Tim Prachett
- Killing Hitler (2003) as MI Staff Officer L / BX
- Sea of Souls (2004) as Dr Andrew Gemmill
- Green Wing (2006) as Director
- City of Vice (2008) as Tom Jones
- Titanic (2012) as Jim Maloney
- Moone Boy (2012–2015) as Liam Moone
- Mayday (2013) as Alan Hill
- Ripper Street (2014) as Dr Anthony Rolle
- No Offence (2015) as Patrick Llewellyn
- Thirteen (2016) as Mark White
- The Last Kingdom (2017) as Brother Trew
- Finding Joy (2019) as Canine Aidan (voice)
- Dublin Murders (2019) as Jonathan Devlin
- A Discovery of Witches (2022) as Baldwin de Clermont
- Mandy (2022) as Dr Gould
- This Town (2024) as Eamonn
- The Penguin (2024) as William Kenzie
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Actor | Won | Saltwater |
| 2011 | Tribeca Film Festival | Best Narrative Short | Nominated | Pentecost |
| 2012 | Academy Awards | Best Short Film, Live Action shared with: Eimear O'Kane | Nominated | Pentecost |
| 2014 | Irish Film and Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Film | Nominated | The Stag |
References
- ^ Spencer, Charles (26 April 2013). "The Weir, Donmar Warehouse, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2013. (registration required)
- ^ Source: McDonald's CV in the theatre programme for Glengarry Glen Ross, 2007
- ^ "Bagman - Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
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