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Brendan Gleeson

Acting

Born March 29, 1955 · Dublin, Ireland

Biography

Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor and film director. He is the recipient of three IFTA Awards, two BIFA's, and a Primetime Emmy Award and has been nominated twice for a BAFTA Award, five times for a Golden Globe Award and once for an Academy Award. In 2020, he was listed at number 18 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors. He is the father of actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson. He is best known for his performance as Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter films (2005–2010). He is also known for his supporting roles in films such as Braveheart (1995), Michael Collins (1996), 28 Days Later (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), Troy (2004), Suffragette (2015), Paddington 2 (2017), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021). He is also known for his leading roles in films such as The General (1998), In Bruges (2008), The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014), Frankie (2019), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022). He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the lattermost film. He won an Primetime Emmy Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the television film Into the Storm. He also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance as Donald Trump in the Showtime series The Comey Rule (2020). From 2017 to 2019 he starred in the crime series Mr. Mercedes. He received an Emmy Award nomination for Stephen Frears' Sundance TV series State of the Union (2022).

Awards & recognition

  • Emmy Award · 2009
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2009
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 2023 · nominated
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture · 2023 · nominated
  • European Film AwardBest Actor · 2014 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Spider-Noir

2026as Finn 'Silvermane' Byrne

Song of the Sea

2014as Conor / Mac Lir (voice)

The Simpsons

1989as Joe Quimby Sr. (voice)

Braveheart

1995as Hamish Campbell

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2005as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

2010as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Edge of Tomorrow

2014as General Brigham

The Banshees of Inisherin

2022as Colm Doherty

Paddington 2

2017as Knuckles McGinty

In Bruges

2008as Ken

The Secret of Kells

2009as Abbot Cellach (voice)

Gangs of New York

2002as Walter 'Monk' McGinn

Mr. Mercedes

2017as Detective Bill Hodges

Suffragette

2015as Arthur Steed

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

Breakfast on Pluto

2005as John Joe Kenny

Troy

2004as Menelaos

28 Days Later

2002as Frank

H Is for Hawk

2025as Alisdair Macdonald

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2018as Irishman (segment "The Mortal Remains")

Calvary

2014as Father James Lavelle

Kingdom of Heaven

2005as Reynald de Chatillon

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

2001as Lord Johnson-Johnson

Saltwater

2000as Simple Simon

State of the Union

2019as Scott

The Guard

2011as Sergeant Gerry Boyle

The Tragedy of Macbeth

2021as Duncan

The Comey Rule

2020as Donald Trump

Cold Mountain

2003as Stobrod Thewes

Michael Collins

1996as Liam Tobin

Saturday Night Live

1975as Self - Host

In the Heart of the Sea

2015as Old Thomas Nickerson

Stonehearst Asylum

2014as The Alienist

The Butcher Boy

1997as Father Bubbles

Far and Away

1992as Social Club Policeman

A Greyhound of a Girl

2023as Paddy (voice)

Alone in Berlin

2016as Otto Quangel

The Grand Seduction

2013as Murray French

The General

1998as Martin Cahill

Black Irish

2007as Desmond McKay

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

2012as The Pirate with Gout (voice)

Safe House

2012as David Barlow

Green Zone

2010as Martin Brown

The Village

2004as August Nicholson

Harrison's Flowers

2000as Marc Stevenson

The Snapper

1993as Lester

Into the Storm

2009as Winston Churchill

Into the West

1992as Inspector Bolger

Frank of Ireland

2021as Liam