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Owen McDonnell

Owen McDonnell

Actor · Born January 1, 1974 (52) · Galway, Ireland

Born 1974, Owen McDonnell is an Irish actor best known for playing Garda Sergeant Jack Driscoll in RTÉ Television's Single-Handed and Niko Polastri in BBC America's Killing Eve.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1974 (52)
From
Galway, Ireland
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 16% in 30 days

What are Owen McDonnell's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 12th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Bonds
21%
Morality
21%
Survival
17%
Society
7%
Power
3%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

5 analyzed roles
Ally
1 of 5
Shapeshifter
1 of 5
Hero
1 of 5
Herald
1 of 5
Mentor
1 of 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
6
Dread
3
Contemplative
3
Bittersweet
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Owen McDonnell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Owen McDonnell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • Great Expectations(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as Joe

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Bad Sisters(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Ian Reilly

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Love & Gelato(2022)

    as Howard

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sean

  • Three Families (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mark Ryan

  • Responsible Child(2019)

    as Pete

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Women on the Verge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sean

  • Killing Eve(2018)

    Show 20 episodes · as Niko Polastri

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Poor Mouth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as O'Cunasa

  • Paula(2017)

    Show 3 episodes · as McArthur

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • My Mother and Other Strangers(2016)

    Show 5 episodes · as Michael Coyne

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Minutes Past Midnight(2016)

    as Michael (segment 'Ghost Train')

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Death or Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Philip Cunningham

  • Dominion Creek(2015)

    Show 8 episodes · as Tom Connolly

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Swung(2015)

    as David

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • An Bronntanas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · as Fiachra

  • The Gift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Fiachra Greene

  • True Detective(2014)

    Show 3 episodes · as Raymond Clark

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Ghost Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Michael

  • Made in Belfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Smith

  • A Terrible Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Ned Daly

  • Save Our Souls: The Titanic Inquiry(2012)

    as Herbert Stone

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Saving the Titanic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Trimmer Thomas Dillon

  • Death in Paradise(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Callum Wilding

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Rewind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Brendan

  • Wild Decembers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Joseph Brennan

  • An Ranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as An Ranger

  • Single-Handed(2007)

    Show 12 episodes · as Garda Sergeant Jack Driscoll

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Conspiracy of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Noel

  • Silent Witness(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Ryan Kelvin

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Sniper's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Cormac McCrea

  • The Weir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Brendan

Career shape

Star power in the 86th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles, 30 of them dated from 1996 to 2023; peak year 2015.

Highest rated

Killing Eve (2018)

Midcredits 91st

Film career

19962023

Peak 2015 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting32 of 32: 32 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s20 · acting2020s5 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Owen McDonnell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 15th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 22nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Great Expectations (2023)

81st percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

True Detective (2014)

Midcredits 98th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 62/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Owen McDonnell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Owen McDonnell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sean McGinley shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers