Brendan Gleeson, born on March 29, 1955, is a celebrated Irish actor and director. He boasts an impressive collection of accolades, including three Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards, two British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), and a Primetime Emmy Award. Throughout his career, he has received multiple nominations, including two BAFTA Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and one Academy Award nomination. In 2020, The Irish Times recognized him as the 18th greatest film actor from Ireland. Gleeson is also the proud father of actors Domhnall and Brian Gleeson.
Gleeson gained widespread recognition for his role as Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter series (2005-2010). His impressive filmography includes notable supporting roles in acclaimed 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 has also showcased his talent in leading roles in films like The General (1998), In Bruges (2008), The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014), Frankie (2019), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination.
Gleeson won an Emmy Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Into the Storm. Additionally, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Donald Trump in Showtime's The Comey Rule (2020) and starred in the crime series Mr. Mercedes from 2017 to 2019. His recent work includes an Emmy nomination for the Sundance TV series State of the Union (2022).
