Jack Gleeson

Jack Gleeson is a retired Irish actor, best known for his portrayal of Joffrey Baratheon in the HBO television series "Game of Thrones."

Gleeson was born in Cork. He attended Gonzaga College in Dublin from 2004 to 2010. Gleeson is a student of Trinity College, Dublin studying philosophy and theology and is a member of DU Players. In 2012, he was awarded a scholarship at the same university.

Gleeson began acting at the age of seven in the Independent Theatre Workshop. His first roles were in films such as "Batman Begins," "Shrooms" and "A Shine of Rainbows." In 2010, he appeared in a leading role in "All Good Children." The reviewer for Variety magazine considered Gleeson "the pic's big discovery."

Gleeson starred as Joffrey Baratheon in the first four seasons of the HBO series "Game of Thrones." He cites Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus in "Gladiator" as an influence on his performance. He is the founder and artistic director of Collapsing Horse Theatre Company, which is based in Dublin.

In 2012, Gleeson indicated an intention to retire from acting to pursue an academic career once his work on "Game of Thrones" was finished. After the airing of "The Lion and the Rose," the second episode of the fourth season of Game of Thrones in April 2014, Gleeson confirmed his retirement from acting.