Profile photo of Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson

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

2025
H Is for Hawk

as Alisdair Macdonald

Movie
2024
Joker: Folie à Deux

as Jackie Sullivan

Movie
2017
Paddington 2

as Knuckles McGinty

Movie
2016
Assassin's Creed

as Joseph Lynch

Movie
2014
Edge of Tomorrow

as General Brigham

Movie
2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Movie
2008
In Bruges

as Ken

Movie
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Movie
2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

Movie
2005
Kingdom of Heaven

as Reynald de Chatillon

Movie
2004
Troy

as Menelaos

Movie
2003
Cold Mountain

as Stobrod Thewes

Movie
2002
Gangs of New York

as Walter 'Monk' McGinn

Movie
2002
28 Days Later

as Frank

Movie
2001
A.I. Artificial Intelligence

as Lord Johnson-Johnson

Movie
2001
The Tailor of Panama

as Mickie Abraxas

Movie
2000
Mission: Impossible II

as McCloy

Movie
1995
Braveheart

as Hamish Campbell

Movie
2017
Mr. Mercedes

as Detective Bill Hodges

TV Show