Brendan Gleeson and Jackie Gleason are two famous actors who have made their mark in the film and television industry. But are they related to each other? And what about Jack Gleeson, the young actor who played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones? Is he part of the Gleeson clan as well? In this article, we will explore the truth behind these rumors and reveal the surprising answer.
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Who is Brendan Gleeson?
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor and film director who was born on March 29, 1955, in Dublin, Ireland. 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.
He started his career as a teacher of Irish and English at a secondary school in North County Dublin, but left the profession to pursue acting full-time in 1991. He joined the Dublin-based Passion Machine Theatre company and appeared in several plays written by Roddy Doyle and Paul Mercier.
He made his film debut in The Field (1990) and gained international recognition 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 also starred in films such as The General (1998), In Bruges (2008), The Guard (2011), Calvary (2014), Frankie (2019), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He won a 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).
He is married to Mary Weldon since 1982 and has four sons, two of whom are also actors: Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson.
Who is Jackie Gleason?
Jackie Gleason was an American actor, comedian, writer, and composer who was born on February 26, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York. He was known affectionately as “The Great One” and developed a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy, exemplified by his city bus driver character, Ralph Kramden, in the television series The Honeymooners. He also developed The Jackie Gleason Show, which maintained high ratings from the mid-1950s through 1970.
He also had a prominent secondary music career during the 1950s and 1960s, producing a series of best-selling “mood music” albums. His first album Music for Lovers Only still holds the record for the longest stay on the Billboard Top Ten Charts (153 weeks), and his first 10 albums sold over a million copies each. His output spans more than 20 singles, nearly 60 long-playing record albums, and over 40 CDs.
Among his notable film roles were Minnesota Fats in 1961’s The Hustler (co-starring with Paul Newman) and Buford T. Justice in the Smokey and the Bandit series from 1977 to 1983 (co-starring Burt Reynolds).
He was married three times: to Genevieve Halford from 1936 to 1970, to Beverly McKittrick from 1970 to 1975, and to Marilyn Taylor from 1975 until his death. He had two children: Linda Miller, who is also an actress, and Geraldine Gleason.
He died on June 24, 1987, at age 71 from colon cancer.
Who is Jack Gleeson?
Jack Gleeson is an Irish actor who was born on May 20, 1992, in Cork, Ireland. He is best known for his role as Joffrey Baratheon, the sadistic king of Westeros, in the HBO series Game of Thrones. He received widespread acclaim and criticism for his performance, which earned him two Irish Film and Television Awards and a Young Artist Award nomination.
He started acting at the age of seven and appeared in films such as Batman Begins (2005), Shrooms (2007), and A Shine of Rainbows (2009), where he co-starred with Domhnall Gleeson. He also performed in several plays with the Dublin-based Collapsing Horse Theatre Company, which he co-founded with his friends.
He retired from acting after Game of Thrones ended in 2014 and pursued his academic interests. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in philosophy and theology in 2015 and received a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. He is currently pursuing a PhD in medieval studies at Trinity College Dublin.
He has two older sisters, Rachel and Emma, who are also involved in Irish theatre, but no brothers.
Is Brendan Gleeson Related to Jackie Gleason?
According to multiple sources, Brendan Gleeson and Jackie Gleason are not related to each other. They have no blood ties or family connections, despite both being actors and having the same last name. In fact, their surnames have different origins: Gleeson is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Glasáin, meaning “descendant of Glasán”, while Gleason is derived from the English surname Glisson, meaning “son of Glis”.
They also have different ethnic backgrounds: Brendan Gleeson is Irish, while Jackie Gleason was Irish-American. Jackie Gleason was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Irish-American parents. He had no ties to Brendan Gleeson’s family or Jack Gleeson’s family.
Is Jack Gleeson Related to Brendan Gleeson?
Similarly, Jack Gleeson and Brendan Gleeson are not related to each other or to Jackie Gleason. They are just two talented actors who happen to share a common surname and a common nationality. They have never worked together on screen, although Jack Gleeson has worked with Domhnall Gleeson in A Shine of Rainbows (2009).
They are not father and son, uncle and nephew, or cousins. They have no family resemblance or connection whatsoever.
Conclusion
The rumor that Brendan Gleeson, Jackie Gleason, and Jack Gleeson are related is false. They are not part of the same family tree or lineage. They are simply three actors who share a similar name but have different careers, lives, and histories.
