GLEN'S RETURN TO FILM AFTER A 15-YEAR HIATUS

First, in case you don't what "busking" is (which I didn't), which Glen refers to; from Wikipedia:

"Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. Those engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking is a British term used in many areas of the English-speaking world. In the United States they are more often called street performers or street musicians."

Now, back to Glen:

Glen: "I was really nervous about it. If you remember THE COMMITMENTS, Outspan Foster ends the film busking on Grafton Street and Once opens with my character busking on the same street. It's like Outspan 15 years later!

"What I liked about the film was the biographical aspect. I did busk, I know what it's about, I didn't have to act, I knew Marketa Irglova, John had been the bass player in my band for years. So there were a lot of parallels between the film and my life. He knew all my stories because he was right in the middle of it. There was a safety net and it felt comfortable.

"John initially came to me looking for anecdotes about busking for this film, which was to star Cillian Murphy as the busker. I told him a few and he was very happy with them and he put them in the script. Then he came back and asked me did I want to do a few songs for it and I said sure. Then, out of the blue, John rang me up and said he thought I was ideal for the part.

"What made the project attractive for me was that it was being done for nothing. The less money involved, the more excited I get. I only would have to talk to John, there was no middleman or money-man. There was no star so there was no money."

Cinematical.com describes the songs from ONCE, which were written for the most part by Hansard, as "a little Damien Rice, a little Van Morrison, a little of U2's bellowing sensitivity."

 Next: Marketa's First Jump Into Acting