In an interview with Collider.com, Brendan Gleeson said he was attracted to the role of retired detective Bill Hodges in "Mr. Mercedes" because the character "is very flawed." That's a pretty big hint for you -- Gleeson can be found wherever flawed heroes are needed.

He's far better known in his native Ireland, but he also had a pretty significant role in one of the biggest global film franchises ever, the Harry Potter series. He played Mad-Eye Moody, a teacher with a troubled past who comes to Hogwarts to either destroy or rescue Harry (as is so often the case in those stories), appearing in the fourth, fifth and sixth installments.

But that was a supporting role. His best-known starring roles were probably in the black comedy films he did for Ireland's McDonagh brothers, playing two sides of the flawed-hero coin. In 2008's "In Bruges," written and directed by Martin McDonagh, he played a hitman with a heart of gold. Three years later, he played a police officer with a taste for drugs and prostitutes in "The Guard," written and directed by John Michael McDonagh (Martin's little brother).

Thus, returning to "Mr. Mercedes" (a series based on a Stephen King novel, which airs on the Audience network), his description of Hodges could equally apply to any of his best known characters: "There was a very beaten up, flawed nobility about his soul, somewhere hidden amongst all the booze and the desperation. This kind of stuff is what you want to get your teeth into, so it's been pretty great."

His earlier roles were a little less ambiguous. North American audiences were first really introduced to him back in 1995, when he played Mel Gibson's best friend in the historical action hit "Braveheart."

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