Brendan Gleeson(born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor. He has receivedvarious accolades,including aPrimetime Emmy Award,twoBritish Independent Film Awardsand threeIFTA Awards,along with nominations for anAcademy Award,threeBAFTA Awardsand fiveGolden Globe Awards.In 2020, he was listed at number 18 onThe Irish Timeslist of Ireland's greatest film actors.[1]He is the father of actorsDomhnall GleesonandBrian Gleeson.[1]
Brendan Gleeson | |
|---|---|
 Gleeson at theBFI London Film Festival 2022 | |
| Born | 29 March 1955 Dublin,Ireland |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse |
Mary Weldon (m.1982) |
| Children | 4, includingDomhnallandBrian |
| Awards | Full list |
He is known for his supporting roles in films such asBraveheart(1995),Michael Collins(1996),28 Days Later(2002),Gangs of New York(2002),Cold Mountain(2003),Troy(2004), theHarry Potterfilm series(2005–2010),Suffragette(2015),Paddington 2(2017),The Ballad of Buster Scruggs(2018), andThe Tragedy of Macbeth(2021). He is also known for his leading roles in films such asThe General(1998),In Bruges(2008),The Guard(2011),Calvary(2014),Frankie(2019), andThe Banshees of Inisherin(2022) for which he received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He won aPrimetime Emmy Awardin 2009 for his portrayal ofWinston Churchillin the television filmInto the Storm.He also received aGolden Globe Awardnomination for his performance asDonald Trumpin theShowtimeseriesThe Comey Rule(2020). From 2017 to 2019 he starred in the crime seriesMr. Mercedes.He received anEmmy Awardnomination forStephen Frears'Sundance TVseriesState of the Union(2022).
Early life
editGleeson was born inDublin,the son of Pat (1925–2007) and Frank Gleeson (1918–2010).[2]Gleeson has described himself as having been an avid reader as a child.[3]He received his second-level education at St Joseph's CBS inFairview, Dublinwhere he was a member of the school drama group. He received hisBachelor of ArtsatUniversity College Dublin,majoring inEnglishandIrish.After training as an actor, he worked for several years as a secondary school teacher of Irish and English at the now defunctCatholicBelcamp Collegein northCounty Dublin,which closed in 2004.[4][5]He was working simultaneously as an actor while teaching, doing semi-professional and professional productions in Dublin and surrounding areas. He left the teaching profession to commit full-time to acting in 1991. In anNPRinterview to promoteCalvaryin 2014, Gleeson stated he was molested as a child by aChristian Brotherin primary school but was in "no way traumatised by the incident."[6]During his twenties he playedGaelic footballas a full-forward forSt Finian'sof Swords.[7]
Career
edit
As a member of the Dublin-based Passion Machine Theatre company, Gleeson appeared in several of the theatre company's early and highly successful plays such asBrownbread(1987), written byRoddy Doyleand directed byPaul Mercier,Wasters(1985) andHome(1988), written and directed by Paul Mercier. He has also written three plays for Passion Machine:The Birdtable(1987) andBreaking Up(1988), both of which he directed, andBabies and Bathwater(1994) in which he acted.[8]Among his other Dublin theatre work arePatrick Süskind's one-man playThe Double BassandJohn B. Keane'sThe Year of the Hiker.
Gleeson started his film career at the age of 34.[9]He first came to prominence in Ireland for his role asMichael CollinsinThe Treaty,a television film broadcast onRTÉ One,and for which he won aJacob's Awardin 1992. He has acted in such films asBraveheart,I Went Down,Michael Collins,Gangs of New York,Cold Mountain,28 Days Later,Troy,Kingdom of Heaven,Lake Placid,A.I. Artificial Intelligence,Mission: Impossible 2,andThe Village.He won critical acclaim for his performance as Irish gangsterMartin CahillinJohn Boorman's 1998 filmThe General.
In 2003, Gleeson was the voice of Hugh the Miller in an episode of theChannel 4animated seriesWilde Stories.[10]While Gleeson portrayed Irish statesman Michael Collins inThe Treaty,he later portrayed Collins' close collaboratorLiam Tobinin the filmMichael CollinswithLiam Neesontaking the role of Collins.[11]Gleeson later went on to portrayWinston ChurchillinInto the Storm.Gleeson won anEmmy Awardfor his performance. Gleeson played Barty Crouch Jr impersonatingHogwartsprofessorMad-Eye Moodyin thefourth,and Alastor Moody himself infifthandseventhHarry Potterfilms.His sonDomhnallplayedBill Weasleyin the seventh and eighth films.
Gleeson provided the voice of Abbot Cellach inThe Secret of Kells,an animated film co-directed byTomm MooreandNora TwomeyofCartoon Saloonwhich premiered in February 2009 at theJamesonDublin International Film Festival.[12]Gleeson starred in the short filmSix Shooterin 2006, which won anAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.This film was written and directed byMartin McDonagh.In 2008, Gleeson starred in the comedy crime filmIn Bruges,also written and directed by McDonagh. The film, and Gleeson's performance, enjoyed huge critical acclaim, earning Gleeson several award nominations, including his first Golden Globe nomination. In the movie, Gleeson plays a mentor-like figure forColin Farrell's hitman. In his review ofIn Bruges,Roger Ebertdescribed the elder Gleeson as having a "noble shambles of a face and the heft of a boxer gone to seed."[13]
In July 2012, he started filmingThe Grand Seduction,withTaylor Kitsch,a remake ofJean-François Pouliot's French-CanadianLa Grande Séduction(2003) directed byDon McKellar;the film was released in 2013.[14]In 2016, he appeared in the video game adaptationAssassin's CreedandBen Affleck's crime dramaLive by Night.In 2017 he finishedPsychic,a short he directed and starred in.[15]In 2022, he reunited withMartin McDonaghin the tragic comedyThe Banshees of Inisherinstarring oppositeColin Farrell.For his performance as Colm Doherty, he has received numerous awards nominations, including theAcademy Award,Golden Globe,andCritics' Choicefor Best Supporting Actor.
Musical talent
editGleeson is afiddleandmandolinplayer, with an interest inIrish folklore.[3]He played the fiddle during his roles inCold Mountain,Michael Collins,The Grand Seduction,andThe Banshees of Inisherin,and also features onAltan's 2009 live album.[16]In the Coen brothers'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs(2018), Gleeson sings "The Unfortunate Rake".He has also made a contribution in 2019 to the album by Irish folk groupDervishwith a version ofRocky Road To Dublin.
Personal life
editHe has been married to Mary Weldon since 1982. They have four sons:Domhnall,Fergus,Brían,and Rory. Domhnall and Brían are also actors.[17]He has one grandson.[18][19]
Gleeson speaks fluentIrishand is an advocate of the promotion of the Irish language. Gleeson is a fan of English football clubAston Villa,as is his son Domhnall.[20]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Field | Quarryman | |
| 1992 | The Bargain Shop | Jim Kennedy | |
| M.A.N.: Matrix Adjusted Normal | Dr Abraham | Short film | |
| Far and Away | Social Club Policeman | ||
| Conneely's Choice | Josie Conneely | Short film | |
| Into the West | Inspector Bolger | ||
| 1995 | The Life of Reilly | Patient | Short film |
| Braveheart | Hamish Campbell | ||
| 1996 | Angela Mooney Dies Again | Barney Mooney | |
| Michael Collins | Liam Tobin | ||
| Trojan Eddie | Ginger | ||
| 1997 | Spaghetti Slow | Frank Ferguson | |
| Turbulence | Stubbs | ||
| The Butcher Boy | Father Bubbles | ||
| A Further Gesture | Richard | ||
| I Went Down | Bunny Kelly | ||
| Before I Sleep | John Harte | Short film | |
| 1998 | The General | Martin Cahill | |
| The Tale of Sweety Barrett | Sweet Barrett | ||
| 1999 | This Is My Father | Garda Jim | |
| Lake Placid | Sheriff Hank Keough | ||
| My Life So Far | Jim Menries | ||
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | John C. McCloy | |
| Harrison's Flowers | Marc Stevenson | ||
| Saltwater | Simple Simon | ||
| Wild About Harry | Harry McKee | ||
| 2001 | J.J. Biker | ||
| Cáca Milis | Pól | Short film Irish-language; English:Cake | |
| The Tailor of Panama | Michelangelo "Mickie" Abraxas | ||
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Lord Johnson-Johnson | ||
| 2002 | 28 Days Later | Frank | |
| Gangs of New York | Walter "Monk" McGinn | ||
| Dark Blue | Jack Van Meter | ||
| 2003 | Cold Mountain | Stobrod Thewes | |
| 2004 | In My Country | De Jager | |
| Troy | Menelaus | ||
| The Village | August Nicholson | ||
| Six Shooter | Donnelly | Short film | |
| 2005 | Kingdom of Heaven | Raynald of Châtillon | |
| Breakfast on Pluto | John Joe Kenny | ||
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | ||
| 2006 | Studs | Walter Keegan | |
| The Tiger's Tail | Liam O'Leary | ||
| 2007 | Black Irish | Desmond | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | ||
| Beowulf | Wiglaf | Motion-capture | |
| 2008 | In Bruges | Ken | |
| 2009 | The Secret of Kells | Abbot Cellach | Voice |
| Perrier's Bounty | Darren Perrier | ||
| 2010 | Green Zone | Martin Brown | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | ||
| Noreen | Con Keogh | Short film | |
| 2011 | The Guard | Sergeant Gerry Boyle | |
| Albert Nobbs | Dr Holloran | ||
| The Cup | Dermot Weld | ||
| 2012 | Safe House | David Barlow | |
| The Raven | Captain Charles Hamilton | ||
| The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | Pirate with Gout | Voice | |
| The Company You Keep | Henry Osborne | ||
| 2013 | The Smurfs 2 | Victor Doyle | |
| The Grand Seduction | Murray French | ||
| 2014 | Calvary | Father James Lavelle | |
| Edge of Tomorrow | General Brigham | ||
| Song of the Sea | Conor /Mac Lir | Voices; English / Irish versions | |
| Stonehearst Asylum | The Alienist | ||
| 2015 | Suffragette | Arthur Steed | |
| In the Heart of the Sea | OldThomas Nickerson | ||
| Pursuit | Searbhán | ||
| 2016 | Alone in Berlin | Otto Quangel | |
| Trespass Against Us | Colby | ||
| Atlantic | Narrator | Voice; Documentary | |
| Live by Night | Thomas Coughlin | ||
| Assassin's Creed | Joseph Lynch | ||
| 2017 | Hampstead | Donald Horner | |
| Paddington 2 | Knuckles McGinty | [21] | |
| 2018 | Captain Morten and the Spider Queen | Father | Voice |
| Psychic | Jeremiah | Short film; also director | |
| The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | Irishman (Clarence) | Segment: "The Mortal Remains" | |
| 2019 | Frankie | Jimmy | |
| Ghost in the Graveyard | Student / Extra | ||
| 2021 | Riverdance: The Animated Adventure | The Huntsman | Voice[22] |
| The Tragedy of Macbeth | King Duncan | ||
| 2022 | The Banshees of Inisherin | Colm Doherty | |
| 2023 | A Greyhound of a Girl | Paddy | Voice[23] |
| 2024 | Joker: Folie à Deux | Jackie Sullivan |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Dear Sarah | Brendan Dowd | Television film |
| 1990 | Hard Shoulder | Lorry Driver | |
| 1990 | Glenroe | Sam Treacy | Drama Series - Soap |
| 1991 | Saint Oscar | Television film | |
| The Treaty | Michael Collins | ||
| In the Border Country | Farmer | ||
| 1993 | The Snapper | Lester | |
| Screenplay | Thomas Macken | Episode: "Love Lies Bleeding" | |
| 1994 | The Lifeboat | Leslie Parry | 9 episodes |
| 1995 | Kidnapped | Red Fox | Television film |
| 1998 | Making the Cut | Flanagan | |
| 2005 | Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks | Uncle Ferny | Voice; Episodes: "Wish Upon A Story: Part 1 and 2" |
| 2009 | Into the Storm | Winston Churchill | HBOTelevision film |
| 2010 | 1916 Seachtar na Cásca | Narrator | Voice; Documentary series |
| 2017–2019 | Mr. Mercedes | Bill Hodges | Lead Role; 30 episodes |
| 2020 | The Comey Rule | Donald Trump | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Frank of Ireland | Liam | Episode: "Memento Mary" |
| 2022 | State of the Union | Scott | 10 episodes |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "Brendan Gleeson/Willow" | |
| TBA | Spider-Noir | TBA | Filming[24][25] |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Playwright | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Brownbread | Mr. Farrell | Roddy Doyle | Passion Machine Theatre Company, Dublin |
| 1989 | War | George | Passion Machine Theatre Company, Dublin |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^abClarke, Donald; Brady, Tara."The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order".The Irish Times.Retrieved24 September2020.
- ^"The heart of the matter"Archived11 November 2014 at theWayback Machine17 February 2011, RTE.ie
- ^abIn Conversations with Eamon scruphyArchived20 April 2009 at theWayback Machine10 November 2007, RTÉ
- ^"School is out for Brandon Gleeson",23 July 1999, Entertainment Weekly
- ^"Gannon to get €400m for Belcamp College site"Archived4 November 2010 at theWayback Machine10 September 2006, Business Post
- ^"Brendan Gleeson reveals abuse by Christian Brother".Independent.ie.12 August 2014.
- ^Scully, Niall (31 July 2024)."How the lessons of his footballing days followed Brendan Gleeson in his acting career".Irish Independent.
- ^"Irish Theatre Institute's Playography database".Irish Theatre Institute. Archived fromthe originalon 8 March 2016.Retrieved20 May2016.
- ^"STARS WHO HIT IT BIG AFTER 30".The Hype. Archived fromthe originalon 23 August 2013.
- ^"The Devoted Friend".Wilde Stories.Channel 4.Retrieved30 December2011.
- ^Brendan GleesonArchived17 November 2007 at theWayback Machineon Foodandwine.net
- ^"THE SECRET OF KELLS to screen at the Dublin International Film Festival"10 December 2008, Irish Film Board web site
- ^Review ofIn BrugesArchived9 October 2012 at theWayback Machineby Ebert at Rogerebrt.com
- ^Fleming, Mike (30 July 2012)."Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch Find 'The Grand Seduction'".Deadline Hollywood.PMC.Retrieved25 August2012.
- ^"Shooting Wraps on Brendan Gleeson's Debut Short Film, Psychic | Irish Film Board".Archived fromthe originalon 18 December 2017.Retrieved11 November2017.
- ^"Altan EPK".Mpibands.com. Archived fromthe originalon 9 October 2011.Retrieved1 February2012.
- ^"Capturing the Glee factor"Archived24 October 2012 at theWayback Machine,16 July 2011,The Irish Times
- ^"Sunday Miscellany: Birth registration for Tadhg, by Rory Gleeson".RTÉ.ie.22 January 2024.
- ^"Domhnall Gleeson: 'I never saw myself as attractive, until my dad told me I should'".Independent.co.uk.10 February 2024.
- ^"Star Wars actor Gleeson: Villa Wembley win was special day"Archived16 May 2015 at theWayback Machine,13 May 2015, Aston Villa
- ^"Hugh Grant joins Paddington sequel as shooting begins".Sky News.Retrieved24 September2020.
- ^Vlessing, Etan (11 September 2020)."Pierce Brosnan, Lilly Singh, Brendan Gleeson to Voice 'Riverdance: The Animated Adventure' Feature (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved12 September2020.
- ^"A Greyhound Of A Girl heads to the 73rd Berlin Film Festival".Scannain.com.8 February 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2023.Retrieved19 February2023.
- ^Otterson, Joe (9 July 2024)."Spider-Man Noir Series at Amazon, MGM+ Casts Brendan Gleeson".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2024.Retrieved13 August2024.
- ^Canfield, David (12 August 2024)."Lamorne Morris Levels Up: 'I Want to Be Morgan Freeman'".Vanity Fair.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2024.Retrieved13 August2024.
External links
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