Personal details
- Birth Date: 1955-03-29
- Height: 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- Birth Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Children: (4 children) Fergus Gleeson
- Parents: Pat Gleeson
- Professions: Actor, Producer, Director
Brendan Gleeson grew up in Dublin, soaking in stories from the start—classical stuff, Irish playwrights like Beckett, the whole deal. He geeked out on drama in school, even jumped into “Waiting for Godot” with that intense attention to detail teachers love but classmates roll their eyes at. After high school, he didn’t just hang around; he got into the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, which, honestly, is no small feat. Some director there must’ve seen the spark and nudged him toward London. Next thing you know, he’s trying out for drama schools and, not long after, the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford-upon-Avon—serious Shakespeare territory. He spent a chunk of time there, soaking up everything the stage could throw at him. He didn’t even start his film career until he was 35, which is kind of wild considering how much ground he’s covered since. His first film gig was as a quarryman in “The Field” (1990), and he kept popping up in all sorts of roles—small parts in big movies like “Far and Away” and “Into the West.” He pulled off a killer performance as Michael Collins in “The Treaty” (1991), but “Braveheart” in ‘95 really put him on the map. Hamish, Mel Gibson’s right-hand man—yeah, that was him. After that, Gleeson just kept stacking up credits: “Mission: Impossible II,” “Lake Placid,” “The General” (he snagged a Boston Society of Film Critics Award for that one), “The Tailor of Panama,” “Gangs of New York,” “A.I.”—the guy’s range is ridiculous. Despite all the fame, he’s kept it grounded, married to Mary since the early ‘80s, raising four sons. The dude’s a legend—on stage and off.
reference nBefore he ever hit the big screen, this guy actually spent a solid decade wrangling kids as a teacher. No joke—he was the type grading papers and probably yelling at teenagers to pay attention, long before anyone asked for his autograph. Maybe that’s why he’s so good at handling chaos in those wild movie roles, huh? Imagine, ten years dealing with rowdy classrooms, then suddenly swapping lesson plans for scripts. It’s a wild career switch-up, honestly. Kind of makes you wonder if he ever slips back into teacher mode on set, telling everyone to quiet down or correcting people’s grammar between takes. That background definitely gives him this grounded vibe when he acts, like he’s seen it all and nothing fazes him anymore. So next time you watch one of his movies, just remember—before the fame, he was stuck in the trenches of education, chalk dust and all.
In Bruges drops you smack in the middle of two hitmen’s messy lives, hiding out in the old, postcard-perfect Belgian city after a job goes sideways. Ray, all nerves and guilt and sarcasm, just can't stand the place—he’s haunted by what he’s done. Ken, his older partner, actually digs the history and the calm, but he’s got orders from their boss, Harry, that flip everything upside down. The city itself feels like a weird purgatory—there’s jokes, awkward encounters, a dwarf actor, some romance, and a lot of drinking, but there’s also violence lurking around every corner. The whole thing is darkly funny and weirdly touching, with these sharp, snappy conversations about guilt, life, and what comes after you mess up big time. It’s not just about crime—there’s this whole thing about forgiveness and second chances, even when things get absolutely bloody and bonkers.
March 29, 1955
6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Dublin, Ireland
Yes, Fergus Gleeson
Pat Gleeson and Surekha
70 years old