Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson, now aged 54, is one of many Irish actors to have reached prominence over the last 20 years and can boast of featuring in over 60 films. A former teacher in Belcamp College secondary school, north Co. Dublin, Gleeson came to acting in his thirties. His first major screen credit came in 1995 for his part in Braveheart. To date Gleeson has taken on roles as diverse as a gangland criminal (The General) to a chef (Wild about Harry). He has had starring roles in Studs where he plays the manager of a Dublin Football/Soccer team and in 2006 he acted with his son, Briain, in The Tiger’s Tail.

One of Gleeson’s most renowned roles was in Gangs of New York, recently screened on Channel Four on Saint Patrick’s Day. Of his work on the successful movie he says: “It was fantastic…that amount of people and that amount of talent put together. I was very surprised to work with a cast that fantastic. It was brilliant but very painstaking.”

But Gleeson’s talents are varied. As well as being an established actor of stage and screen, he is an accomplished fiddle player. He has made no secret of his desire to remain living in Ireland, despite his success. The Harry Potter actor has appeared on RTE’s The Late Late Show and has used his time on the top Irish chat show to criticise the Irish health system and also the government’s handling of the economy. On a recent appearance he told Pat Kenny of his wish that a cross-party approach be adopted to get Ireland out of the economic crisis the country is now going through.

The Aston Villa FC fan is married with four sons and lives in Malahide. He’s currently involved with three films which are, at the moment, in pre-production. In one of his most recent roles, In Bruges, he starred alongside Colin Farrell and the well built actor’s voice can be heard playing the character of Abbot Cellach in the newly released animated film, The Secret of Kells.

In 2009 Gleeson won a BAFTA for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in In Bruges and it looks like the film reel will continue to roll for this busy thespian – arguably one of this country’s finest living actors.
© Ian Callagy 2009