Brooklyn Coincidentally Has 3 Harry Potter Stars in Its Cast

Irish actor Gleeson plays a very eligible bachelor with whom Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) spends some time in Ireland. Gleeson, who's been having a huge couple of years (he's in this Winter's Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens), was mostly unknown when he appeared in the Harry Potter series just a handful of years earlier.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2, Gleeson played hunky older brother Bill Weasley, who managed to pull off long, red hair and a scar and still be crush-worthy.

Character actress Julie Walters has a maternal role in Brooklyn as Mrs. Kehoe, the owner of the boarding house where Eilis rents a room.

Walters also had one of the most maternal roles in the Harry Potter series — she played Mrs. Weasley. That makes her the mother of Bill, Gleeson's character, meaning Brooklyn is a bit of a reunion for Walters and Gleeson (except that they don't have any scenes together, unfortunately).

Memorable British actor Broadbent appears in the film as Irish Catholic Father Flood, the priest who looks after Eilis in America.

Potter fans everywhere would know Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn, a role he played in two of the films.