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- Brendan Gleeson is an award-winning actor known for appearing in the Harry Potter franchise.
- He also hosted Saturday Night Live on Oct. 8, 2022.
- Most recently, in Jan. 2023, he was nominated for an Oscar Award for his work on the critically acclaimed film, The Banshees of Inisherin.
Brendan Gleeson, 67, graced the stage at Studio 8H on Oct. 8, 2022, as the second host of Saturday Night Live‘s Season 48. The veteran actor has been a mainstay in television and film for over 30 years, but that was the first time showing off his funny bone on the famed sketch show. It was a piece of cake for Brendan, as he has mastered his comic timing in movies such as In Bruges and his latest one called The Banshees of Inisherin, which is getting rave reviews. In fact, his work on the Martin McDonagh-directed project is so impressive, Brendan received an Oscar nomination in Jan. 2023 for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.” Let’s take a deeper dive and learn more about Brendan, below!
1. Where Is Brendan From?
Born in Dublin, Ireland on March 29, 1955, Brendan was quick to take to acting by joining the drama clubs in school. After he graduated from University College Dublin, he taught at an elementary school for a while before committing to acting full time in 1991.
2. When Did He Start Landing Roles?
After a long successful run with the Passion Machine Theatre company in Dublin, Brendan became well-known in his country in 1992 when he starred in a made-for-TV movie called The Treaty, where he played Irish revolutionary Michael Collins.
From there, his career took off! He landed roles in big Hollywood movies such as Braveheart, Gangs of New York, Cold Mountain, 28 Days Later, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, Lake Placid, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Mission: Impossible 2, and The Village.
While some of the roles were a bit smaller, that never seemed to bother Brendan. “You know, the cliche is that there’s no small part. That’s not true,” he told GQ in 2019. “Some things are just functional and actually you’re getting in the way, especially on television, if you overdo it, if you try to turn into hamlet or something. Sometimes you just have to open the door. Open the door. Say good morning. Is it a good morning? Who cares.”
Of course, he is well-known for playing the most famous Auror in the modern times of the Wizarding World, Hogwarts professor Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody, in the fourth, fifth and seventh films of the Harry Potter franchise.
3. What Awards Has He Won?
In 2009, Brendan had a powerful performance as Winston Churchill in the movie Into the Storm. The acting was so on point, he walked away with an Emmy that year. He received an Emmy nomination in 2022 for his role in the Stephen Frears comedy series State of the Union. Most recently, his work on The Banshees of Inisherin earned him an Oscar nomination in Jan. 2023. Brendan was nominated for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role”, alongside his co-star Colin Farrell. At the time of this writing, the 2022 film has now earned over 331 nominations, as reported by IMDb, including nine Oscar nominations.
4. He’s Been Married For 40 Years
Brendan certainly beat the Hollywood odds by staying married for over 40 years! The Irish star walked down the aisle with Mary Weldon in 1982 and they’ve never looked back! The loving couple share four sons together: Domhnall, Fergus, Brian and Rory.
5. Two Of His Sons Are Actors Too
Brendan’s 39-year-old son, Domhnall, has starred in many projects with his father, including Harry Potter. In 2015, Domhnall had quite the year, as he played Caleb Smith in Ex Machina, Jim Farrell in Brooklyn, and Captain Andrew Henry in The Revenant. Brian is very successful as well, having acted in Snow White and the Huntsman, Assassin’s Creed and Peaky Blinders.
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