Home / Authors / Brendan Gleeson Biography

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson Biography

Actor

Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor renowned for his performances in film and television. Born on March 29, 1955, he has been active in the entertainment industry since the 1980s. Gleeson is celebrated for his versatility and depth of character, appearing in a wide range of roles in various projects.

Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor renowned for his performances in film and television. Born on March 29, 1955, he has been active in the entertainment industry since the 1980s. Gleeson is celebrated for his versatility and depth of character, appearing in a wide range of roles in various projects.

Related Quotes

“I worked with Steven Spielberg on 'AI,' and his level of preparation was extraordinary. He told me there was a time at the beginning when he was a bit more spontaneous and went over budget, and it absolutely wrecked his head. When you look at the power and assuredness of his movies, it makes sense that he works out so much in advance.”

Looks Bits Levels Extraordinary Work Out Preparation Make Sense Budgets Spontaneous

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“As an actor, to get a gift of a part like that is unusual. And then, to have the prospect of another one is always going to be interesting and exciting.”

Actors Interesting Exciting Unusual

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“We're getting the blues about having to walk away from this whole thing. We enjoyed it a lot and it all felt good. We had a good experience on it. We thought we could do good work together. And it is unusual to get the next one, straight off the bed. John is funny. When he gets moving, he moves pretty quickly.”

Whole Together Moving Next Felt Walks Bed Enjoyed Working Together Unusual Good Work The Next One Good Experiences Get Moving

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“Once we start shooting, it's in there. You're trying to get into a place where you rise to the work, rather than make it manageable or make it work for you.”

Trying Shooting Manageable

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“You work for it. You don't have to massage it, so that it fits into the way it has to be. He's just too vigorous a writer and the dialogue is too sparking to do anything other than inhabit it and give it as much truth as you can. You just try to make it part of your DNA. That's what the challenge is, really.”

Way Giving Trying Challenges Fit Dialogue Dna Vigorous Massage Sparking

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I think most people are decent people. I don't know if they could stand the pressure he's under, but most people aspire to be decent people.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Pressure Decent Aspire

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“So, to get to play somebody who was insisting on it, in spite of all the evidence was very liberating and exciting. It went quite deep. I suppose I reference a kindness and humility that I would have seen in my parents' generation, a little bit more than now.”

Littles Play Bits Parent Kindness Generations Humility Little Bit Evidence Exciting Spite Liberating Insisting

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“We lost faith in authority in the '50s, up to a point, and we spawned a lot of anti-heroes in movies, which were refreshing and open. But at this point, with the distrust that's there and the disillusionment with leadership that is so acute, we need some kind of a focus on taking the irony out and taking the anti-hero element away.”

Needs Kind Lost Focus Hero Authority Elements Irony Distrust Disillusionment Refreshing Lost Faith Anti Hero

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“Are there people to aspire to? Can people be strong enough to withstand all of this disillusionment? Maybe the time is right for people to emerge from the easy cynicism and try to get back to a place where we can actually believe in people and trust people to have proper motivations.”

People Trying Believe Enough Motivation Strong Easy Get Back Cynicism Aspire Strong Enough Disillusionment

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I think it's doubly important, now that we see so many people failing. When the norm is an anti-hero, there's a serious loss when you cannot portray a decent person on screen without it becoming slightly sentimental or feeling like it's unrealistic.”

People Thinking Persons Important Feelings Loss Failing Serious Becoming Hero Screens Decent Sentimental Norm Anti Hero

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I don't plan in terms of career ambitions. The only career ambition I have is to work with people who are going to bring you up and elevate your performance. They'll let you know things that you didn't know already and bring you places that you might not have gotten to otherwise.”

People Knows Might Term Careers Plans Ambition Performances

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I don't want people poking around in my private stuff. They've no business in it. My work is what I give to people, that's my job, and that's where it stops.”

People Want Giving Jobs Stuff

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I loved teaching. And I always used to say that acting was just something I did purely on my own terms, and that if I had to make a living from it there would be too much pressure.”

Ifs Would Be Used Term My Own Acting Too Much Teaching Pressure

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I think every character actor at some stage likes to carry a film. It can be extremely liberating to just come in for a scene or two and do your thing. But I find it frustrating if I'm just doing little bits here and there for too long.”

Ifs Thinking Littles Long Two Character Film Actors Bits Stage Scene Little Bit Likes Frustrating Liberating Here And There Character Actors

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I started hitching about the country when I was 16 or 17 years old. I found the music that was played around the country - Irish music - had a particular resonance.”

Years Country Found Particular Resonance Irish Music

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“It's interesting going between small parts and then bigger roles where you carry the film. If the writing is good, and if the people involved have integrity, then you'll do it, even if it's only five minutes on screen.”

People Ifs Writing Film Interesting Roles Five Minutes Involved Integrity Bigger Screens Five Minutes Small Parts

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“Look at the Coen brothers. All their minor characters are as interesting as their protagonists. If the smaller characters are well-written, the whole world of the film becomes enriched. It's not the size of the thing, but the detail.”

Ifs World Wells Looks Whole Character Film Interesting Written Brother Size Details Whole World Minors Protagonists Well Written Coen Brothers Minor Characters

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“He earned every precious beautiful moment life gave back to him.”

Moments Beautiful Meaningful Beautiful Moments

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“I'm aware now over the last 5 or 10 years that when you do an accent, you really have to kind of get down to the nitty gritty and go into the phonetics of it, if necessary. Find out not just the sounds but the rhythms and the music - or lack thereof - in a particular accent.”

Ifs Years Kind Lasts Sound Particular Rhythm Accents Phonetics

Author:Brendan Gleeson

“My grandfather played a mandolin, so I got my hands on that. Then on down to a banjo, and I found I couldn't play any kind of soft or mournful music with that so I took up the fiddle in my late 20s or early 30s - and that was far too late. But it keeps me off the streets. It has been a love of mine since I was 17 maybe.”

Kind Has Beens Play Hands Found Streets Mines Late Too Late Grandfather My Grandfather Fiddle Banjos

Author:Brendan Gleeson

About the Author

Born: March 29, 1955
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 20

Related Topics

Ifs People Bits Film Interesting Kind Thinking Trying Actors Anti Hero

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Similar Authors

Kristen StewartBrowse related quotes
Clint EastwoodBrowse related quotes
Edward NortonBrowse related quotes
Nicolas CageBrowse related quotes
George ClooneyBrowse related quotes
Alden EhrenreichBrowse related quotes
Robert PattinsonBrowse related quotes
Christian BaleBrowse related quotes
Sylvester StalloneBrowse related quotes
Roger EbertBrowse related quotes