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Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson

Actor · Born March 29, 1955 (71) · Dublin, Ireland

Primetime Emmy winner · Oscar nominee · Golden Globe nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor and film director. He is the recipient of three IFTA Awards, two BIFA's, and a Primetime Emmy Award and has been nominated twice for a BAFTA Award, five times for a Golden Globe Award and once for an Academy Award. In 2020, he was listed at number 18 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors. He is the father of actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson. He is best known for his performance as Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter films (2005–2010). He is also known for his supporting roles in films such as Braveheart (1995), Michael Collins (1996), 28 Days Later (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), Troy (2004), Suffragette (2015), Paddington 2 (2017), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021). He is also known for his leading roles in films such as The General (1998), In Bruges (2008), The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014), Frankie (2019), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022). He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the lattermost film. He won an Primetime Emmy Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the television film Into the Storm. He also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance as Donald Trump in the Showtime series The Comey Rule (2020). From 2017 to 2019 he starred in the crime series Mr. Mercedes. He received an Emmy Award nomination for Stephen Frears' Sundance TV series State of the Union (2022).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 29, 1955 (71)
From
Dublin, Ireland
Works as
Actor
Titles
78 on MovieCove · 110 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Brendan Gleeson's films like?

Across their 68 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Animation9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
24%
Bonds
22%
Self
20%
Survival
14%
Power
9%
Society
9%
Ideas
4%
Identity17 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 12 · Dark 38

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 26 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 14

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 32 · Intense 26

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 25 · Shifting 33 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 41 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 39 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 18 · Engaged 39 · Full focus 7

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 13 · Affecting 24 · Heavy 27

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 41 · Open-ended 18 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

35 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 10 of 35 analyzed roles.

Mentor
10 of 35
Hero
7 of 35
Shadow
6 of 35
Threshold guardian
4 of 35
Ally
4 of 35
Herald
2 of 35
Trickster
1 of 35
Shapeshifter
1 of 35
Show the 35 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
49
Melancholic
36
Dread
13
Hopeful
19
Bittersweet
13
Other
58

How their films linger

Bittersweet31 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 14 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet38
  • Tragic10
  • Ambiguous10

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Brendan Gleeson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 52 of their 78 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brendan Gleeson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

110 credits, 78 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Good Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 1 episode · as Rusty

  • Spider-Noir(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Finn 'Silvermane' Byrne

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • H Is for Hawk(2025)

    as Alisdair Macdonald

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Kerry: Tides of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator

  • Joker: Folie à Deux(2024)

    as Jackie Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • A Greyhound of a Girl(2023)

    as Paddy (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Irish Civil War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · as Narrator

  • The Banshees of Inisherin(2022)

    as Colm Doherty

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Dead Zoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Narrator

  • The Tragedy of Macbeth(2021)

    as Duncan

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Riverdance: The Animated Adventure(2021)

    as Huntsman (voice)

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Frank of Ireland(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Liam

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Burren: Heart of Stone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Narrator

  • The Comey Rule(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · as Donald Trump

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Frankie(2019)

    as Jimmy

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • State of the Union(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · as Scott

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs(2018)

    as Irishman (segment "The Mortal Remains")

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Captain Morten and the Spider Queen(2018)

    as Captain Vicks (voice)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Psychic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Producer · as Jeremiah

  • Paddington 2(2017)

    as Knuckles McGinty

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Mercedes(2017)

    Show 30 episodes · as Detective Bill Hodges

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Hampstead(2017)

    as Donald Horner

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Live by Night(2016)

    as Thomas Coughlin

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Assassin's Creed(2016)

    as Joseph Lynch

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Trespass Against Us(2016)

    as Colby Culter

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Alone in Berlin(2016)

    as Otto Quangel

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Atlantic(2016)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • In the Heart of the Sea(2015)

    as Old Thomas Nickerson

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Suffragette(2015)

    as Arthur Steed

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Pursuit(2015)

    as Searbhán

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Stonehearst Asylum(2014)

    as The Alienist

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Song of the Sea(2014)

    as Conor / Mac Lir (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Grand Seduction(2013)

    as Murray French

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Edge of Tomorrow(2014)

    as General Brigham

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Calvary(2014)

    as Father James Lavelle

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • 1916 Seachtar Dearmadta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 7 episodes · as Glór

  • The Smurfs 2(2013)

    as Victor Doyle

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Company You Keep(2012)

    as Henry Osborne

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • So You Want to Be a Pirate!(2012)

    as The Pirate With Gout

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Pirates! Band of Misfits(2012)

    as The Pirate with Gout (voice)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Raven(2012)

    as Colonel Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Safe House(2012)

    as David Barlow

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Albert Nobbs(2011)

    as Dr. Holloran

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Cup(2011)

    as Dermot Weld

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Guard(2011)

    as Sergeant Gerry Boyle

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1(2010)

    as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Noreen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Con Keogh

  • Perrier's Bounty(2009)

    as Darren Perrier

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Green Zone(2010)

    as Martin Brown

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Into the Storm(2009)

    as Winston Churchill

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Secret of Kells(2009)

    as Abbot Cellach (voice)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • In Bruges(2008)

    as Ken

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Beowulf(2007)

    as Wiglaf (Voice)

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Black Irish(2007)

    as Desmond McKay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)

    as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Tiger's Tail(2006)

    as Liam O'Leary

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Studs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Walter Keegan

  • Breakfast on Pluto(2005)

    as John Joe Kenny

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(2005)

    as Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Kingdom of Heaven(2005)

    as Reynald de Chatillon

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Six Shooter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Donnelly

  • The Village(2004)

    as August Nicholson

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Troy(2004)

    as Menelaus

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • In My Country(2004)

    as De Jagar

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Cold Mountain(2003)

    as Stobrod Thewes

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ferny Toro (voice)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Dark Blue(2002)

    as Jack van Meter

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Gangs of New York(2002)

    as Walter 'Monk' McGinn

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • 28 Days Later(2002)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • A.I. Artificial Intelligence(2001)

    as Lord Johnson-Johnson

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Cáca Milis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Paul

  • The Tailor of Panama(2001)

    as Mickie Abraxas

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Wild About Harry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Harry McKee

  • Saltwater(2000)

    as Simple Simon

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Harrison's Flowers(2000)

    as Marc Stevenson

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible II(2000)

    as McCloy

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • My Life So Far(1999)

    as Jim Menzies

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Lake Placid(1999)

    as Sheriff Hank Keough

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • This Is My Father(1998)

    as Garda Jim

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Sweety Barrett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Sweety Barrett

  • The General(1998)

    as Martin Cahill

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Butcher Boy(1997)

    as Father Bubbles

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Before I Sleep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as John Harte

  • I Went Down(1997)

    as Bunny Kelly

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Angela Mooney Dies Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Barney Mooney

  • Turbulence(1997)

    as Stubbs

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Break(1997)

    as Richard

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Spaghetti Slow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Frank Ferguson

  • Michael Collins(1996)

    as Liam Tobin

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Trojan Eddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Ginger

  • Braveheart(1995)

    as Hamish Campbell

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Lifeboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 9 episodes · as Leslie Parry

  • The Snapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Lester

  • Love Lies Bleeding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Thomas Macken

  • Into the West(1992)

    as Inspector Bolger

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Far and Away(1992)

    as Social Club Policeman

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Treaty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Michael Collins

  • Hard Shoulder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • The Field(1990)

    as Quarryman

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dear Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Brendan Dowd

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Quimby Sr. (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • 4 Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Farmer

  • ScreenPlay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Thomas Macken

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Lester

  • A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Wiglaf

  • Blood Runs Coal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Joseph Yablonski

  • Sexual Healing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Freddy Cousaert

  • Tales from the Poorhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Honey Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as (voice)

  • The Weir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Jack

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 110 titles, 103 of them dated from 1985 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

$900M worldwide

Highest rated

Song of the Sea (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19852026

Peak 2015 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 36 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 2 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting110 of 110: 109 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdDirecting1 of 110: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 110: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s4 · acting1990s24 · acting2000s27 · acting2010s35 · 35 acting · 1 crew2020s13 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 13% of 64 roles
900005101520

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy from 14 major nominations, 2009–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
  2. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
  3. 2021
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role
  4. 2012
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  5. 2010
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor
  6. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Brendan Gleeson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 71; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Midcredits score across 78 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up35
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

43 of their 78 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved14
  • Crowd Pleaser43
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Pursuit (2015)

68th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Song of the Sea (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 62 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Brendan Gleeson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 43 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore37 titles34–93 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity43 titles8–64 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity40 titles12–84 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs37 titles12–62 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense35 titles34–80 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Brendan Gleeson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brendan Gleeson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sean McGinley shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles