Brendan Gleeson(I)
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Brendan Gleeson was born in Dublin, Ireland, to Pat and Frank Gleeson.
From a very young age, he loved to learn, especially reading classical
text in and outside the classroom. He took great attention to Irish
play writers such as Samuel Beckett,
which eventually led to him performing in his high school play
production of "Waiting for Godot", and paying great attention to detail
in his high school drama classes. Upon finishing 12th grade, he spent a
couple of years with the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, and under the
advice of a director there, headed across to London and auditioned for
drama schools. Soon to follow, he was invited to audition for the Royal
Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon, and spent a couple of
seasons back in England on the stage. He then, at the age of thirty
five, decided to audition for films in the UK and began to build a very
respectable resume playing many different diverse characters.
He made his debut as a quarryman in
The Field (1990). He had several small
roles in major Hollywood movies based in Ireland, such as
Far and Away (1992) and
Into the West (1992). Memorably
played historical Irish figure "Michael Collins" in
The Treaty (1991). Made his
breakthrough in Scottish themed
Braveheart (1995), which was largely
filmed in Ireland, opposite
Mel Gibson. He played Gibson's
right-hand man "Hamish". Since then, he has appeared in numerous major
films such as
Mission: Impossible II (2000),
Lake Placid (1999),
Turbulence (1997). He has made a name
for himself taking the titular role in
The General (1998), based on the life
of Irish criminal "Martin Cahill", for which he won the Boston Society
of Film Critics Award. He appears in director
John Boorman's film
The Tailor of Panama (2001)
as well as Martin Scorsese's
Gangs of New York (2002) and
Steven Spielberg's
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).
Ever since, he has continued to bring his huge stage presence to the
screen, always delivering the character in full development to his
audience. He is married to his lovely wife, Mary, since 1982. They have
four sons.
From a very young age, he loved to learn, especially reading classical
text in and outside the classroom. He took great attention to Irish
play writers such as Samuel Beckett,
which eventually led to him performing in his high school play
production of "Waiting for Godot", and paying great attention to detail
in his high school drama classes. Upon finishing 12th grade, he spent a
couple of years with the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, and under the
advice of a director there, headed across to London and auditioned for
drama schools. Soon to follow, he was invited to audition for the Royal
Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon, and spent a couple of
seasons back in England on the stage. He then, at the age of thirty
five, decided to audition for films in the UK and began to build a very
respectable resume playing many different diverse characters.
He made his debut as a quarryman in
The Field (1990). He had several small
roles in major Hollywood movies based in Ireland, such as
Far and Away (1992) and
Into the West (1992). Memorably
played historical Irish figure "Michael Collins" in
The Treaty (1991). Made his
breakthrough in Scottish themed
Braveheart (1995), which was largely
filmed in Ireland, opposite
Mel Gibson. He played Gibson's
right-hand man "Hamish". Since then, he has appeared in numerous major
films such as
Mission: Impossible II (2000),
Lake Placid (1999),
Turbulence (1997). He has made a name
for himself taking the titular role in
The General (1998), based on the life
of Irish criminal "Martin Cahill", for which he won the Boston Society
of Film Critics Award. He appears in director
John Boorman's film
The Tailor of Panama (2001)
as well as Martin Scorsese's
Gangs of New York (2002) and
Steven Spielberg's
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).
Ever since, he has continued to bring his huge stage presence to the
screen, always delivering the character in full development to his
audience. He is married to his lovely wife, Mary, since 1982. They have
four sons.