Biography
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor and film director. Born on 29 March 1955 in Dublin, he trained at University College Dublin and worked as a secondary school teacher before pursuing acting full time.
He is known for roles including Hamish Campbell in Braveheart (1995), Menelaus in Troy (2004), Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody in the Harry Potter films (2005–2010), General Brigham in Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and Knuckles McGinty in Paddington 2 (2017). More recent credits include Jackie Sullivan in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) and appearances in H Is for Hawk (2025) and Spider-Noir (2026).
Gleeson has received a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Independent Film Awards and three IFTA Awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Awards and Golden Globe Awards. He is the father of actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson.
