Brendan Gleeson Reveals His Skater Alter Ego in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Promo

Irish actor Brandon Gleeson announced his upcoming takeover of Saturday Night Live this weekend in a hilarious promo video posted on Wednesday (Oct. 5) In the clip, Gleeson confesses the real him is in fact, not a thespian, but something a bit more edgy.

“Most people know me as an actor,” said Gleeson. “But the real me is a skater.”

The Banshees of Inisherin actor followed the proclamation up with a demonstration of his skills. The promo video goes on to show Gleeson carelessly riding around the SNL set on a skateboard while landing kickflips and toppling over a staff member’s cue cards. It was a display worthy of Thrasher Magazine, or it would be if Gleeson didn’t trash the skate magazine soon after.

“Thrasher Mag can kiss my a–,” proclaimed Gleeson. He did all this while evading studio 8H’s resident security guard. “Up yours, copper,” Gleeson exclaimed while continuing his antics. He then proceeded to spray-paint the SNL studio’s “No Skateboarding” sign, solidifying his rebel status.

Gleeson’s edgy skater persona was unfortunately tackled to the ground soon after. Still, he lived to skate again. The promo was filmed with an unconventional fish-eye lens, often used to film skate footage, and fitting for Gleeson, who’s supposedly been a longtime member of the skate scene.

While Gleeson will be SNL‘s host this week, the episode slated to air this Saturday (Oct. 8) will also feature Willow Smith as a musical guest. This will be Willow’s second time this year as a guest act on the show. Earlier, she performed “Psychofreak” with Camila Cabello.

Watch the promo below.