Brendan Gleeson
Known for: Acting
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).
Filmography
Series
The Simpsons
Joe Quimby Sr. (voice)
1989
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self
2015
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
Series
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
Series
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
2015
Film
Troy
Menelaus
2004
Series
Spider-Noir
Finn 'Silvermane' Byrne
2026
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Film
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
2005
Film
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
2010
Film
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
2007
Film
Kingdom of Heaven
Reynald de Chatillon
2005
Series
Screen Two
Lester
1985
Series
Mr. Mercedes
Detective Bill Hodges
2017
Film
Edge of Tomorrow
General Brigham
2014
Film
28 Days Later
Frank
2002
Film
Braveheart
Hamish Campbell
1995
Film
Joker: Folie à Deux
Jackie Sullivan
2024
Film
Mission: Impossible II
McCloy
2000
Film
Paddington 2
Knuckles McGinty
2017
Film
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Lord Johnson-Johnson
2001
Series
ScreenPlay
Thomas Macken
1986
Film
Gangs of New York
Walter 'Monk' McGinn
2002
Film
The Smurfs 2
Victor Doyle
2013
Film
In Bruges
Ken
2008
Film
The Banshees of Inisherin
Colm Doherty
2022
Film
Stonehearst Asylum
The Alienist
2014
Film
Live by Night
Thomas Coughlin
2016
Film
Safe House
David Barlow
2012
Film
In the Heart of the Sea
Old Thomas Nickerson
2015
Film
The Village
August Nicholson
2004
Film
Beowulf
Wiglaf (Voice)
2007
Film
Assassin's Creed
Joseph Lynch
2016
Film
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Duncan
2021
Film
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Irishman (segment "The Mortal Remains")
2018
Film
Cold Mountain
Stobrod Thewes
2003
Film
The Field
Quarryman
1990
Film
Far and Away
Social Club Policeman
1992
Series
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks
Ferny Toro (voice)
2003
Film
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
The Pirate with Gout (voice)
2012
Film
Lake Placid
Sheriff Hank Keough
1999
Film
Green Zone
Martin Brown
2010
Series
State of the Union
Scott
2019
Film
Song of the Sea
Conor / Mac Lir (voice)
2014
Film
The Company You Keep
Henry Osborne
2012
Film
Breakfast on Pluto
John Joe Kenny
2005
Film
Suffragette
Arthur Steed
2015
Series
The Comey Rule
Donald Trump
2020
Film
The Tailor of Panama
Mickie Abraxas
2001
Film
Michael Collins
Liam Tobin
1996
Film
Turbulence
Stubbs
1997
Film
The Raven
Colonel Hamilton
2012
Film
The Secret of Kells
Abbot Cellach (voice)
2009
Film
The Guard
Sergeant Gerry Boyle
2011
Film
Into the Storm
Winston Churchill
2009
Film
Albert Nobbs
Dr. Holloran
2011
Film
Dark Blue
Jack van Meter
2002
Film
Alone in Berlin
Otto Quangel
2016
Film
H Is for Hawk
Alisdair Macdonald
2025
Film
Riverdance: The Animated Adventure
Huntsman (voice)
2021
4 Play
Farmer
1989
Film
Hampstead
Donald Horner
2017
Series
Frank of Ireland
Liam
2021
Film
Trespass Against Us
Colby Culter
2016
Film
Calvary
Father James Lavelle
2014
Film
Perrier's Bounty
Darren Perrier
2010
Film
The Grand Seduction
Murray French
2014
Film
The Snapper
Lester
1993
Film
In My Country
De Jagar
2004
Film
The General
Martin Cahill
1998
Film
The Butcher Boy
Father Bubbles
1998
Film
Into the West
Inspector Bolger
1992
Film
On the Red Carpet Presents: The Banshees of Inisherin
Self
2023
1916 Seachtar na Cásca
Self - Narrator (voice)
2010
Film
Harrison's Flowers
Marc Stevenson
2000
Film
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen
Captain Vicks (voice)
2018
Film
The Cup
Dermot Weld
2011
The Good Daughter
Rusty
2026
Gay Byrne's Late Late Moments
Self - Guest (archive footage)
2020
Film
Atlantic
Narrator
2016
Film
My Life So Far
Jim Menzies
1999
1916 Seachtar Dearmadta
Glór
2013
Film
A Greyhound of a Girl
Paddy (voice)
2023
Film
Six Shooter
Donnelly
2004
Film
The Tiger's Tail
Liam O'Leary
2006
Series
The Lifeboat
Leslie Parry
1994
Film
Frankie
Jimmy
2019
Film
This Is My Father
Garda Jim
1999
Film
Deconstructing 'The Village'
Self
2005
Film
Sweety Barrett
Sweety Barrett
1999
Film
Studs
Walter Keegan
2006
Series
The Irish Civil War
Narrator
2022
Film
I Went Down
Bunny Kelly
1997
Film
Black Irish
Desmond McKay
2007
A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf
Wiglaf
Film
So You Want To Be A Pirate!
The Pirate With Gout
2012
Series
The Burren: Heart of Stone
Narrator
2021
Film
The Path to Redemption
Self
2006
The Weir
Jack
Film
Cáca Milis
Paul
2001
Film
A Further Gesture
Richard
1997
Hard Shoulder
1990
Film
The Honey Wars
(voice)
Sexual Healing
Freddy Cousaert
Film
Noreen
Con Keogh
2010
Series
Kerry: Tides of Time
Narrator
2025
Film
Love Lies Bleeding
Thomas Macken
1993
Film
Lost Lives
Self (voice)
2019
Film
Wild About Harry
Harry McKee
2000
Film
The Treaty
Michael Collins
1991
Film
Saltwater
Simple Simon
2000
Film
Psychic
Jeremiah
2018
Film
Trojan Eddie
Ginger
1996
Film
Before I Sleep
John Harte
1997
Pure Rage: The Making of '28 Days Later'
Self
2003
Blood Runs Coal
Joseph Yablonski
Film
Pursuit
Searbhán
2015
Film
Spaghetti Slow
Frank Ferguson
1996
Film
Brendan Gleeson's Farewell to Hughes's
Self
2024
Film
Angela Mooney Dies Again
Barney Mooney
1997
Film
Tales from the Poorhouse
Film
Dear Sarah
Brendan Dowd
1990
The Dead Zoo
Narrator
2022