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Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson brings the grounding force of a character actor to roles that can be intimidating, wounded, funny or quietly tender—sometimes within the same film. Born in Dublin on March 29, 1955, he studied English and Irish at University College Dublin before working for several years as a secondary school teacher. During that time, he was also acting in semi-professional and professional productions around Dublin. In 1991, he left teaching to commit to acting full-time. His stage work included productions with Dublin’s Passion Machine Theatre company, and his creative life was never limited to performing. Gleeson wrote three plays for the company, directing two of them, and later worked across film and television as well as theatre. He first came to prominence in Ireland playing Michael Collins in the RTÉ television film The Treaty, a performance that won him a Jacob’s Award in 1992. Gleeson’s film career has ranged widely, taking in Braveheart, 28 Days Later, Gangs of New York, Cold Mountain, Troy and the Harry Potter series, in which he played Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody. His performance as gangster Martin Cahill in John Boorman’s The General drew critical acclaim, while his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Into the Storm earned him an Emmy Award. His collaborations with Martin McDonagh have provided some of his richest screen roles. Gleeson appeared in the Academy Award-winning short Six Shooter before playing the experienced, mentor-like Ken opposite Colin Farrell in In Bruges. He reunited with McDonagh and Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, playing Colm Doherty and receiving Academy Award, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations for his supporting performance. Gleeson is also a fiddle and mandolin player with an interest in Irish folklore. He has played fiddle on screen in several films, including Michael Collins, Cold Mountain and The Banshees of Inisherin—a musical thread that fits naturally into a career shaped by performance, storytelling and a strong connection to Irish culture.