Brendan Gleeson

Double BIFA winner Brendan Gleeson began acting after an early career as a teacher. His rise to fame began when he appeared in Jim Sheridan’s The Field and in the lead role of Michael Collins in The Treaty. It was his role as Hamish in Braveheart alongside Mel Gibson that brought him to the attention of Hollywood.

Brendan was nominated for Golden Globe, BAFTA and BIFA awards for his role as Ken in Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges, in which he starred alongside Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. In the same year Brendan won an Emmy and an IFTA for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the HBO movie Into the Storm.

Brendan is of course also well-known for his role as Professor Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter films, as well as the role of Sergeant Gerry Boyle in John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard, for which he was BIFA-nominated.

Brendan’s latest projects are Paul King’s Paddington 2, David E. Kelley’s Mr Mercedes (a TV adaptation of the Stephen King novels), Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed, Ben Affleck’s Live By Night, Joel Hopkins’s Hampstead (with Diane Keaton), and Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us with Michael Fassbender.

Brendan’s two BIFA awards came for his supporting role in Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette in 2015 and for his lead role in John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary in 2014. He is an accomplished musician, and plays the fiddle and mandolin.