Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include the Harry Potter films, Braveheart, Gangs of New York, 28 Days Later, and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty. He won an Emmy award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the film Into the Storm. Gleeson was born in Dublin, Ireland and has described himself as having been an avid reader as a child. After leaving school for a short while, he worked for two years in an office with a health board. He then graduated from University College Dublin and went on to Drama School in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Just after completing the 3 Year Acting Drama Course at RADA, Gleeson built a very respectable CV at the Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Gleeson became known for his tremedous stage presence, particularly while performing in such works of William Shakespeare as King Lear, Richard III, and Hamlet. Gleeson started his film career at the age of 34. 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. Gleeson has subsequently acted in more than 60 films including Braveheart, I Went Down, Michael Collins, Gangs of New York, Cold Mountain, 28 Days Later, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Lake Placid, Artificial Intelligence: AI and The Village. He won critical acclaim for his performance as Irish gangster Martin Cahill in John Boorman's 1998 film The General. Gleeson lives in Malahide, County Dublin. He is a talented fiddle player, with an interest in Irish folklore. He can be found from time to time playing at traditional music seisiúins in Hughes' pub in Chancery Street in Dublin 7. His brother, Barry Gleeson, is a well-known singer in An Góilín traditional singers' club, and his son Domhnall is an actor. Gleeson is known for his love of football and recounts tales of attempting to get a clear radio reception so he could listen to how his team, Aston Villa, were faring on a Saturday.
Movie | Sexual Healing | Freddy Cousaert | 2025 |
Movie | Joker: Folie à Deux | Jackie Sullivan | 2024-10-01 |
Movie | The Banshees of Inisherin | Colm Doherty | 2022-10-20 |
Movie | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Duncan | 2021-12-05 |
Series | The Comey Rule | Donald Trump | 2020-09-27 |
Series | State of the Union | Scott | 2019-05-06 |
Movie | Frankie | Jimmy | 2019-08-28 |
Movie | Lost Lives | 2019-10-10 | |
Movie | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | Irishman (segment "The Mortal Remains") | 2018-11-09 |
Movie | Psychic | Jeremiah | 2018-07-15 |
Movie | Captain Morten and the Spider Queen | Captain Vicks (voice) | 2018-08-15 |
Movie | Hampstead | Donald Horner | 2017-06-23 |
Series | Mr. Mercedes | Detective Bill Hodges | 2017-08-09 |
Movie | Paddington 2 | Knuckles McGinty | 2017-11-09 |
Movie | Live by Night | Thomas Coughlin | 2016-12-25 |
Movie | Alone in Berlin | Otto Quangel | 2016-02-15 |
Movie | Trespass Against Us | Colby Culter | 2016-10-14 |
Movie | Assassin's Creed | Joseph Lynch | 2016-12-21 |
Movie | Pursuit | Searbhán | 2015-07-10 |
Movie | In the Heart of the Sea | Old Thomas Nickerson | 2015-12-03 |
Movie | Suffragette | Arthur Steed | 2015-10-16 |
Movie | Calvary | Father James Lavelle | 2014-04-11 |
Movie | Edge of Tomorrow | General Brigham | 2014-05-27 |
Movie | Song of the Sea | Conor / Mac Lir (voice) | 2014-06-23 |
Movie | Stonehearst Asylum | The Alienist | 2014-10-23 |
Movie | The Grand Seduction | Murray French | 2014-05-30 |
Movie | The Smurfs 2 | Victor Doyle | 2013-07-30 |
Series | 1916 Seachtar Dearmadta | Glór | 2013-11-06 |
Movie | Safe House | David Barlow | 2012-02-08 |
Movie | The Raven | Colonel Hamilton | 2012-03-09 |
Movie | So You Want To Be A Pirate! | The Pirate With Gout | 2012-07-09 |
Movie | The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! | Pirate with Gout (voice) | 2012-03-12 |
Movie | The Company You Keep | Henry Osborne | 2012-12-20 |
Movie | The Guard | Sergeant Gerry Boyle | 2011-07-07 |
Movie | The Cup | Dermot Weld | 2011-11-13 |
Movie | Albert Nobbs | Dr. Holloran | 2011-12-21 |
Movie | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | 2010-11-17 |
Movie | Green Zone | Martin Brown | 2010-03-11 |
Movie | Noreen | Con Keogh | 2010-06-24 |
Movie | The Secret of Kells | Abbot Cellach (voice) | 2009-02-09 |
Movie | Into the Storm | Winston Churchill | 2009-05-31 |
Movie | Perrier's Bounty | Darren Perrier | 2009-09-11 |
Movie | In Bruges | Ken Daley | 2008-02-08 |
Movie | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | 2007-07-08 |
Movie | Black Irish | Desmond McKay | 2007-10-26 |
Movie | Beowulf | Wiglaf | 2007-11-05 |
Movie | The Tiger's Tail | Liam O'Leary | 2006-09-26 |
Movie | The Path to Redemption | Self | 2006-01-01 |
Movie | Studs | Walter Keegan | 2006-03-16 |
Movie | Deconstructing 'The Village' | Self | 2005-01-11 |
Movie | Breakfast on Pluto | John Joe Kenny | 2005-11-16 |
Movie | Kingdom of Heaven | Reynald de Chatillon | 2005-05-03 |
Movie | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody | 2005-11-16 |
Movie | In My Country | De Jagar | 2004-05-04 |
Movie | Troy | Menelaos | 2004-05-13 |
Movie | The Village | August Nicholson | 2004-07-30 |
Movie | Six Shooter | Donnelly | 2004-10-14 |
Movie | Cold Mountain | Stobrod Thewes | 2003-12-24 |
Movie | 28 Days Later | Frank | 2002-10-31 |
Movie | Dark Blue | Jack van Meter | 2002-12-14 |
Movie | Gangs of New York | Walter "Monk" McGinn | 2002-12-14 |
Movie | Cáca Milis | Paul | 2001-03-16 |
Movie | The Tailor of Panama | Mickie Abraxas | 2001-03-30 |
Movie | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Lord Johnson-Johnson | 2001-06-29 |
Movie | Harrison's Flowers | Marc Stevenson | 2000-09-23 |
Movie | Mission: Impossible II | McCloy | 2000-05-24 |
Movie | Saltwater | Simple Simon | 2000-09-29 |
Movie | Wild About Harry | Harry McKee | 2000-12-31 |
Movie | Sweety Barrett | Sweety Barrett | 1999-04-16 |
Movie | Lake Placid | Sheriff Hank Keough | 1999-07-15 |
Movie | My Life So Far | Jim Menzies | 1999-08-25 |
Movie | This Is My Father | Garda Jim | 1999-05-07 |
Movie | The General | Martin Cahill | 1998-05-01 |
Movie | The Butcher Boy | Father Bubbles | 1998-02-20 |
Movie | I Went Down | Bunny Kelly | 1997-10-03 |
Movie | A Further Gesture | Richard | 1997-01-01 |
Movie | Turbulence | Stubbs | 1997-01-09 |
Movie | Trojan Eddie | Ginger | 1996-09-09 |
Movie | Spaghetti Slow | Frank Ferguson | 1996-11-09 |
Movie | Michael Collins | Liam Tobin | 1996-10-25 |
Movie | Braveheart | Hamish Campbell | 1995-05-24 |
Movie | The Snapper | Lester | 1993-08-06 |
Movie | Love Lies Bleeding | Thomas Macken | 1993-06-14 |
Movie | Far and Away | Social Club Policeman | 1992-05-22 |
Movie | Into the West | Inspector Bolger | 1992-10-23 |
Movie | The Treaty | Michael Collins | 1991-12-05 |
Movie | The Field | Quarryman | 1990-09-21 |
Movie | Dear Sarah | Brendan Dowd | 1990-02-07 |