Parisian bon vivant, World War II Resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse…Samuel Beckett lived a life of many parts. Titled after Beckett’s famous ethos “Dance first, think later”, the film is a sweeping account of the life of this 20th-century icon.
Acting
Gabriel Byrne ages 50 years with just his eyes and posture.
Direction
James Marsh treats Beckett's life like a fragmented memory puzzle.
Production
Period Paris and wartime France recreated with gloomy authenticity.
Director
James Marsh
Gabriel Byrne
Samuel Beckett
Aidan Gillen
James Joyce
Sandrine Bonnaire
Suzanne
Fionn O'Shea
Young Samuel
Maxine Peake
Barbara
Bronagh Gallagher
Nora Barnacle
Lisa Dwyer Hogg
May Beckett
Caroline Boulton
Sylvia Beach
Gráinne Good
Lucia Joyce
Andrew Hefler
Leon
Barry O'Connor
William Beckett
Caleb Johnston-Miller
10 year old Samuel
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Aidan Gillen spent months studying Joyce's actual manuscripts to perfect his handwriting for on-screen writing scenes.
The 'Dance first, think later' quote is actually a misattribution—Beckett never said it, but it became so associated with him that the film leans into the myth.
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