Peter McDonald (born 28 January 1972 in Dublin) is an Irish actor, screenwriter and director working across theatre, television and film. He broke through with the lead role in the Irish crime comedy I Went Down (1997) and later gained international recognition as the gangster Kenzie in The Batman (2022) and its HBO spin-off The Penguin (2024). His short film Pentecost (2011), which he wrote and directed, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
The musical comedy Power Ballad (2026), whose screenplay McDonald co-wrote with John Carney, entered wide distribution in the USA on June 5, 2026.
In March 2026, McDonald played detective DI Craig Stanhope in the British crime series ITV Gone alongside Eve Myles.
The film Power Ballad had its world premiere on March 1, 2026 at the Dublin International Film Festival as the closing gala event.
In November 2025, the film Saipan premiered, in which McDonald played kit manager of the Irish national football team Mick Byrne.
McDonald returned to the role of William Kenzie in the HBO series The Penguin (2024), a spin-off of the film The Batman.
