Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson | |
---|---|
![]() Brendan Gleeson at the British Independent Film Awards 2014 | |
Born | Dublin, Ireland | 29 March 1955
Nationality | Irish |
Other names | Breese's Gleese's |
Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
Years active | 1989–present |
Spouse |
Mary (Weldon) (m. 1982) |
Children | 4, including Domhnall and Brían Gleeson |
Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor. His best-known performances include supporting roles in films such as Braveheart, Gangs of New York, 28 Days Later, Troy, and the Harry Potter films and leading roles in films such as In Bruges, The Guard, and Calvary. He won an Emmy Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the film Into the Storm. He is also the father of actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson.
Early life
Gleeson was born in Dublin, the son of Pat and Frank Gleeson.[1] Gleeson has described himself as having been an avid reader as a child.[2] He received his second level education at St. Joseph's CBS in Fairview, Dublin where he was a member of the school drama group. After training as an actor, he worked for several years as a secondary school teacher of Irish and English at the now defunct Catholic Belcamp College in North County Dublin, which closed in 2004.[3][4] 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 an NPR interview to promote Calvary, he revealed that he was abused by a Christian Brother, saying, "I remember a particular Christian Brother dropped the hand on me at one point. It wasn’t very traumatic and it wasn’t at all sustained, it was just one of these things where something odd happened."[5]
Career
As a member of the Dublin-based Passion Machine, Gleeson appeared in several of the theatre company's early and highly successful plays such as Wasters (1985), Brownbread (1987) and Home (1988). He has also written three plays for Passion Machine: The Birdtable (1987) and Breaking Up (1988), both of which he directed, and Babies and Bathwater (1994) in which he acted.[6] Among his other Dublin theatre work are Patrick Süskind's one-man play The Double Bass and John B. Keane's The Year of the Hiker.
Gleeson started his film career at the age of 34.[7] He first came to prominence in Ireland for his role as Michael Collins in The Treaty, a television film broadcast on RTÉ One, and for which he won a Jacob's Award in 1992. He has acted in such films as Braveheart, 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 II, and The Village. He won critical acclaim for his performance as Irish gangster Martin Cahill in John Boorman's 1998 film The General.
In 2003, Gleeson was the voice of Hugh the Miller in an episode of the Channel 4 animated series Wilde Stories.[8]
While Gleeson portrayed Irish statesman Michael Collins in The Treaty, he later portrayed Collins' close collaborator Liam Tobin in the film Michael Collins with Liam Neeson taking the role of Collins.[9] Gleeson later went on to portray Winston Churchill in Into the Storm. Gleeson won an Emmy Award for his performance. Gleeson played Hogwarts professor Mad-Eye Moody in the fourth, fifth and seventh Harry Potter films. His son Domhnall played Bill Weasley in the seventh film.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Brendan_Gleeson.jpg/220px-Brendan_Gleeson.jpg)
Gleeson provided the voice of Abbot Cellach in The Secret of Kells, an animated film co-directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey of Cartoon Saloon which premiered in February 2009 at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.[10]
Gleeson starred in the short film Six Shooter in 2006, which won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. This film was written and directed by Martin McDonagh who also wrote and directed In Bruges in 2008. 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 for Colin Farrell's hitman. In his review of In Bruges, Roger Ebert described the elder Gleeson as having a "noble shambles of a face and the heft of a boxer gone to seed."[11]
Gleeson will be making his directorial debut in a film adaptation of Flann O'Brien's novel At Swim-Two-Birds. The Irish production company Parallel Pictures will produce the film with a budget of $11 million. Colin Farrell, Gabriel Byrne, and Cillian Murphy have been attached to star in the film, which was originally set for release in 2010.[12] In October 2009, however, Gleeson expressed concern that the Irish Film Board's budget might be reduced given the state of the Irish economy and that At Swim-Two-Birds might fall through.[13] Gleeson confirmed in July 2011, that he has secured funding for the project. He described the writing of the script as tortuous, saying that it has taken fourteen drafts so far.[14]
In July 2012, he started filming The Grand Seduction with Taylor Kitsch, a remake of Jean-François Pouliot's French-Canadian La Grande Séduction (2003) directed by Don McKellar.[15] He will appear in Ben Affleck's crime drama Live by Night, scheduled for release in October 2017.
Musical talent
Gleeson is a fiddle and mandolin player, with an interest in Irish folklore.[2] He played the fiddle during his role in Cold Mountain, Michael Collins and also The Grand Seduction, and also features on Altan's 2009 live album.[16]
Personal life
He has been married to Mary (née Weldon) since 1982. He has four sons; Domhnall, Brían, Fergus, and Rúairí. Domhnall and Brían are also actors.[17] Gleeson speaks fluent Irish and is an advocate of the promotion of the Irish language. Gleeson is a fan of Football League Championship team Aston Villa, as is his son Domhnall.[18]
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Dear Sarah | Brendan Dowd | TV |
1990 | Hard Shoulder | Lorry Driver | TV |
1990 | The Field | Quarryman | |
1991 | In the Border Country | Farmer | |
1991 | Saint Oscar | TV | |
1991 | The Treaty | Michael Collins | TV |
1992 | The Bargain Shop | Jim Kennedy | |
1992 | M.A.N.: Matrix Adjusted Normal | Dr. Abraham | Short |
1992 | Far and Away | Social Club Policeman | |
1992 | Conneely's Choice | Josie Conneely | Short |
1992 | Into the West | Inspector Bolger | |
1993 | The Snapper | Lester | TV |
1993 | Love Lies Bleeding | Thomas Macken | TV |
1994 | The Lifeboat | Leslie Parry | TV series |
1995 | The Life of Reilly | Patient | Short |
1995 | Braveheart | Hamish Campbell | |
1995 | Kidnapped | Colin Campbell of Glenure, the Red Fox | |
1996 | Angela Mooney | Barney Mooney | |
1996 | Michael Collins | Liam Tobin | |
1996 | Trojan Eddie | Ginger | |
1997 | Angela Mooney | Barney Mooney | |
1997 | Spaghetti Slow | Frank Ferguson | |
1997 | Turbulence | Stubbs | |
1997 | The Butcher Boy | Father Bubbles | |
1997 | A Further Gesture | Richard | |
1997 | I Went Down | Bunny Kelly | Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor |
1998 | Making the Cut | Flanagan | TV |
1998 | The General | Martin Cahill | Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama |
1998 | This Is My Father | Garda Jim | TV |
1998 | The Tale of Sweety Barrett | Sweet Barrett | |
1999 | Lake Placid | Sheriff Hank Keough | |
1999 | My Life So Far | Jim Menries | |
2000 | Mission: Impossible II | John C. McCloy | |
2000 | Harrison's Flowers | Marc Stevenson | |
2000 | Saltwater | Simple Simon | |
2000 | Wild About Harry | Harry McKee | |
2001 | J.J. Biker | ||
2001 | Cáca Milis | Paul | Short |
2001 | The Tailor of Panama | Michelangelo 'Mickie' Abraxas | |
2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Lord Johnson-Johnson | |
2002 | 28 Days Later | Frank | |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Walter 'Monk' McGinn | |
2002 | Dark Blue | Jack Van Meter | |
2003 | Cold Mountain | Stobrod Thewes | |
2004 | In My Country | De Jager | |
2004 | Troy | Menelaus | |
2004 | The Village | August Nicholson | |
2004 | Six Shooter | Donnelly | Short |
2005 | Kingdom of Heaven | Raynald of Châtillon | |
2005 | Breakfast on Pluto | John Joe Kenny | |
2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody/Bartemius Crouch Jr. | |
2006 | Studs | Walter Keegan | Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role – Film |
2006 | The Tiger's Tail | Liam O'Leary | |
2007 | Black Irish | Desmond | |
2007 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | |
2007 | Beowulf | Wiglaf | Voice |
2008 | In Bruges | Ken | Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role – Film Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
2009 | The Secret of Kells | Abbot Cellach | Voice |
2009 | Into the Storm | Winston Churchill | TV Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role – Television Nominated—British Academy Television Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film |
2009 | Perrier's Bounty | Darren Perrier | Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Film |
2010 | Green Zone | Martin Brown | |
2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | |
2010 | Noreen | Con Keogh | Short film |
2011 | The Guard | Sergeant Gerry Boyle | Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role - Film |
2011 | Albert Nobbs | Dr. Holloran | Nominated—IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Film |
2011 | The Cup | Dermot Weld | |
2012 | Safe House | David Barlow | |
2012 | The Raven | Captain Charles Hamilton | |
2012 | The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | Pirate with Gout | Voice |
2012 | The Company You Keep | Henry Osborne | |
2013 | The Smurfs 2 | Victor Doyle | |
2013 | The Grand Seduction | Murray French | |
2014 | Calvary | Father James Lavelle | Boston Online Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor British Independent Film Award for Best Actor San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor IFTA Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role - Film Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor |
2014 | Edge of Tomorrow | General Brigham | |
2014 | Song of the Sea | Conor | Voice |
2014 | Stonehearst Asylum | The Alienist | |
2015 | Suffragette | Arthur Steed | British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor |
2015 | In the Heart of the Sea | Old Thomas Nickerson | |
2015 | Pursuit | Searbhán | |
2016 | Alone in Berlin | Otto Quangel | |
2016 | Trespass Against Us | Colby | |
2016 | Atlantic | Narrator | Voice |
2016 | Assassin's Creed | Joseph | Post-production |
2016 | Live by Night | Thomas Coughlin | Post-production |
2017 | Paddington 2[19] | Knuckles McGinty | Filming |
References
- ^ "The heart of the matter" Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine 17 February 2011, RTE.ie
- ^ a b In Conversations with Eamon Dunphy 10 November 2007, RTÉ
- ^ "School is out for Brandon Gleeson", 23 July 1999, Entertainment Weekly
- ^ "Gannon to get €400m for Belcamp College site" Archived 4 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine 10 September 2006, Business Post
- ^ "Brendan Gleeson reveals abuse by Christian Brother". Independent.ie.
- ^ "Irish Theatre Institute's Playography database". Irish Theatre Institute.
- ^ "STARS WHO HIT IT BIG AFTER 30". The Hype.
- ^ "The Devoted Friend". Wilde Stories. Channel 4. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ Brendan Gleeson on Foodandwine.net
- ^ "THE SECRET OF KELLS to screen at the Dublin International Film Festival" 10 December 2008, Irish Film Board web site
- ^ Review of In Bruges by Ebert at Rogerebrt.com
- ^ RTÉ article on At Swim Two Birds RTÉ
- ^ Quote from Irish Examiner re Irish Film Board funding Irish Examiner
- ^ Gleeson, Sinead (16 July 2011). "Capturing the Glee Factor". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ Fleming, Mike (30 July 2012). "Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch Find 'The Grand Seduction'". Deadline.com. PMC. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Altan EPK". Mpibands.com. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ "Capturing the Glee factor", 16 July 2011, The Irish Times
- ^ "Star Wars actor Gleeson: Villa Wembley win was special day", 13 May 2015, Aston Villa
- ^ http://news.sky.com/story/hugh-grant-joins-paddington-sequel-as-shooting-begins-10622237
External links
- 1955 births
- 20th-century Irish male actors
- 21st-century Irish male actors
- Cartoon Saloon people
- Irish expatriates in the United States
- Irish male film actors
- Irish male stage actors
- Irish male television actors
- Jacob's Award winners
- Living people
- Male actors from Dublin (city)
- Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
- People from Dublin (city)