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WARNING: Contains 28 Days Later... spoilers!

We've heard that Brendan Gleeson started his acting career comparatively late in live -- not until he was in his mid-thirties. Considering that he's only been at it for about thirteen years, he's really carved out a nice niche for himself, making himself known to moviegoers the world over as Hollywood's go-to plump Irish dad.

And why not? He couldn't look more Irish. He's got that great red hair; that ruddy complexion; that stocky, potato-fed figure. He's got a great voice, too -- warm and mellow, like a fine Irish whiskey (with or without the accent). In fact, he's warm all over; even when he's playing psychos -- as in A.I.'s Lord Johnson-Johnson, the ringmaster at the sadistic Flesh Fair, we can't quite turn against him (especially since one of the androids he's torturing is that creepy-ass Haley Joel Osment).

Gleeson has played plenty of paternal Irishmen over the years, in such shamrock-infested films as Far And Away, The Snapper, The Butcher Boy, and Michael Collins, but for us, he's had the most impact in the last two of his films we've seen: last year's Gangs of New York, and the current 28 Days Later.... In Gangs, Gleeson is both affable and murderous as Monk, the major muscle behind Priest Vallon's gang, the Dead Rabbits. Monk's talent is bashing people's heads in for them with a bloody great club, commemorating each casualty with a notch on the handle of said club. But Monk also has a softer side. A gentler side. A civic-minded side! Long after Priest's death, Priest's son convinces Monk to run for public office, to become the de facto mayor of the Five Points. Monk wins the election (perhaps not quite fair and square, but whatever) and turns into a proper politician, even putting aside his cudgel to have a civilized chat with his sworn enemy, Bill the Butcher. The only problem is that Bill isn't especially civilized, and instead of chatting civilly sinks an axe into Monk's back. The lesson here: affability is all well and good, but it's a lot easier to stay affable if you're still always prepared for a little murder, should the situation call for it. Oh, and never turn your back on Bill the Butcher.

In 28 Days Later..., Gleeson plays Frank, a widower trying to keep himself and his daughter safe from zombie-like plague victims in a post-apocalyptic England. In a world gone mad (or a country gone mad, anyway), Frank is touchingly affable toward fellow survivors Jim and Selena -- treating them, when they first flee into his flat, like they're long-lost relatives visiting for Christmas and not total strangers in fear of their lives. Once the introductions have been made, Frank becomes a father for the entire band of survivors, and the scenes between Frank and his daughter Hannah give the film some of its few moments of sweetness, humanity, and normalcy. So, naturally, Frank and Hannah's (albeit mitigated) happiness can't last; soon enough, Frank gets infected with Rage, going from affability to murderousness in twenty seconds or less.

But, you know, right up until the moment that his eyes turn all red and scary and he makes as if to tear off a piece of his beloved daughter with his own teeth, we love Gleeson. Sure, we may have watched Cillian Murphy's work in Later... with impure thoughts racing through our heads, but we'd hug Gleeson too, and let him paternally rub his gingery beard stubble all over our cheeks. He's the bear-like Irish dad we never had.