Brendan Gleeson was born on March 29, 1955 in Dublin, Ireland. From a very young age he loved to learn, especially reading classical text in and outside the classroom. He took great attention to Irish play writers such as Samual Beckett, which eventually led to him performing in his high school play production of 'Waiting for Godot', and paying great attention to detail in his high school drama classes. Upon finishing 12th grade, he spent a couple of years with the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, and under the advice of a director there, headed across to London and auditioned for drama schools. He was nearly immediately accepted to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and he graduated from the three year BA hons course. After RADA, he returned home to Dublin, and continued with theatre, as well as making a living as a secondary level teacher specifically in English and Drama. Soon to follow, he was invited to audition for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon, and spent a couple of seasons back in England on the stage. He then, at the age of thirty five, decided to audition for films in the UK and began to build a very respectable resume playing many different diverse characters. His classical acting skills gained the attention of Mel Gibson and he was casted in the 1995 film Braveheart. Ever since, he has continued to bring his huge stage presence to the screen, always delivering the character in full development to his audience. He is married to his lovely wife Mary since 1982. They gave four sons.
The Village (2004): $1,500,000
Frequently plays wise, experienced men who act as mentors and father figures to the lead characters. He is a fine fiddle player and can be seen playing it in Michael Collins and also in Cold Mountain (2003). He has four sons from his marriage to Mary: Domhnall, Fergus, Brian and Rory. He was a teacher for 10 years before becoming an actor Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford Upon Avon, England, in the late eighties for two seasons where his credits included King Lear and King Richard II. Attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Participated in the Dublin Shakespeare Theatre Festival the during mid-eighties. Plays a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and presumably any subsequent films in which his character, Mad-Eye Moody, appears. This makes him the first, and to date, only actor to play a Hogwarts professor who has himself been employed as a teacher. Associate Member of RADA. He started acting at the age of 34. Taught Maths at St. Joseph's Secondary school in Fairview, Dublin.