I don’t think I’ve ever written about Jack Gleeson, the young Irish actor who plays King Joffrey on Game of Thrones. It’s not that I don’t have thoughts about King Joffrey, or that Jack isn’t killing it as Joffrey. It’s just that when I choose to write about GoT, I usually focus on Kit Harington or Arya or Peter Dinklage or The Khaleesi or how much I hated Kaitlyn. So, let me say this – I want King Joffrey to die a horrible death. I hope it’s okay to say that about a character. I want him to be tortured and to die a horrific death. He’s a little psycho and he’s got it coming. Now, I’ve read several interviews with other GoT actors where they say that Jack Gleeson, out of character, is a total sweetheart. Apparently, he’s just a great young actor and before today, I had no idea he has such a lovely Irish accent.
Anyway, Jack appeared on an Irish talk show over the weekend and he was asked point-blank if Joffrey dies in Season 4. So… SPOILERS. Even though he doesn’t confirm anything, I do think he’s giving a significant hint.
During the interview, Jack also said that he’s not going to continue acting after Game of Thrones is over. He just returned to Ireland after traveling to Haiti with aid agency Goal, and I guess he wants to spend the rest of his life doing more important work. He said:
“[Acting] was always a recreation beforehand, but when I started doing Game of Thrones perhaps the reality was made too real for me. The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn’t something I gravitate towards. I don’t tend to [watch myself]. It’s bizarre when you see clips. You tend to abstract yourself from the creepiness of it when you’re playing it, but when you see it on television it sends shivers down my spine. I would like to try and defend him, but I would have a pretty hard job doing it. I suppose he’s the product of his context and his family. In terms of redeemable qualities, there wouldn’t be many.”
Gleeson, who was 17 when he auditioned for the role, said he has been able to live a normal life as a student in Trinity, where he is reading philosophy and theology.
“Since going to Trinity and garnering an interest in philosophy and with Goal and my theatre company I’ve kind of just re-evaluated what I want to do,” he said. “I’m 21, so it’s hard to decide what kind of course life will take.”
Gleeson’s time in Haiti was spent looking at projects for impoverished people. An earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, killing more than 230,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless.
“I’d been looking to use the celebrity I’ve got from the show to bring awareness for causes Goal supports,” he said. “I had the connection with the organisation through my uncle, Tim Gleeson, and he worked with Goal in the 1980s. It was inspiring to see the improvements being made in Haiti, to see the motivation of the people to improve the quality of life. People are eager to get on with their lives and be resilient.
It’s nice that he has a social conscience and that he’s prioritized his education and doing smaller theater work. And he’s right, the life of a working actor on a successful TV show isn’t for everyone, especially when his fame came so early and when he didn’t really know if this was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. That being said, I do wonder if Hollywood is really breaking down his door, offering him role after role. He’s perfect as Joffrey, but that doesn’t translate into more job offers. Anyway, I’m not worried about him. He’ll figure it out. And SPOILER I would love it if Joffrey dies this season.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’ve read all of the books so I won’t say anything about the series itself, but yeah, it must be hard for him to have the role of such an as*shat. I can only imagine the reactions he must get from die hard fans. Good for him if he wants to focus on other things.
Do you think the show follows the books pretty accurately?
I’ve read the books and so far, yes, they have been very faithful to the main storylines. I can think of one or two small diversions, but that’s all.
He’s adorable in real life.
I’d say about 85% accurate, yeah. There are some storylines (mostly in season 2) that were changed a bit, but nothing major. Season 3 was pretty faithful to the half of the book that they covered, so I’m assuming Season 4 will be the same way.
For the most part, although they completely changed the circumstances of Robb meeting and marrying his wife. I HOPE they make a point of following the novels, and don’t try to contrive a happy ending. GoT is gruesome, and it’s might to be.
SPOILER: (sort of) Lots of characters die in Season 4 – assuming they follow the books.
I also read all the books and I didn’t like what they did to Robb. Oona was wonderful, but having Talisa instead of Jayne changes Robb’s personality quite a lot.
I also find it so hard not to spoil things when people say things like: ” I hope Joffrey dies”.
The casting so far has been very good, minus a few horrible miscasts ( Kit, Emilia). Can’t wait to see the rest.
Oh, and by Kaitlyn you mean Catelyn?
Oh Spooks, do elaborate on who and why you think certain actors and actresses were miscast.
Well ,Jon in the books looks like Ben and Ned and is less pretty and more “Stark” than Robb. Kit is just a pretty boy. Emilia does look the part. The main reason I think they’re miscast is because they aren’t great actors , and they got 2 of the 3 main roles.
Kit is a pretty boy and doesn’t portray the grit well. Sometimes I’ll see it and then it disappears. But I don’t wonder if Dan & Dave wanted it that way… When his storyline deviates it’s the pretty boy angle they play up.
Too bad that Richard Madden is gone — now he’s a fantastic actor. Especially since he doesn’t even have a POV in the book.
I’m die-hard fan and I’m absolutely love him as Joffrey – create such a perfect villain! And he is in his character really entertaining. A really stupid die-hard fans could be a problem.
But being 21 years old and seeing the internet explode with murderous feelings to fictional someone who borrowed his face, yeah this could be hard
If you read the books, which the show follows very closely, IMO, you already know what happens to Joffrey unless the show is going in a different direction in this instance.
Yup. Joffrey’s fate is revealed by the end of book 2.
I haven’t read the books and have tried to stay away from spoilers but that is nearly impossible. Based on all that had been said I think they hinted strongly about what will happen to Joffrey in one of the layer episodes of season 3. No one commented on any of the write ups on what I saw so can’t be sure.
It is indeed ridiculously hard to stay away from spoilers nowadays, especially for a work that’sbased on a series of books as successful as GOT.
I think he’s one of the best actors on this show. He plays a Joffery my mind couldn’t even conjure. He does ‘psycho’ really well, he creeps me out in his scenes!
Yeah, when he’s supposed to be a sweetheart in real life, he must be a good actor. He really brings Joffrey to live, in the worst way possible 😉
Yes, he’s an incredibly talented young man. The fact that everyone DESPISES the character he is playing means he’s doing a pretty darn good job of being Joffrey.
Exactly! I absolutely hate him and his smarmy little face. When I read the books I didn’t hate him as much… he put a life into the little tyrant that wasnt there before. And for him to be this good at that age shows talent!
Boo Joffrey! It’s testament to Jack’s acting skills that Joffrey is such a loathsome character. The look on his face after what happened to Ros gave me cold chills. When he dies the internet is going to go into absolute meltdown.
Team Arya & Sansa.
He became an actor because of his family. Its probably wasn’t even a very conscious decision.
I wonder how many people who see him equate him with his character.
(dating myself here) I remember reading an interview with Jamie Walters, the guy who played Ray Pruit on BH 90210. After they turned Ray into a domestic abuser, the actor apparently took all sorts of guff from people who would see him in public, saying crap like “how could you treat Donna that way…you’re such a jerk!” etc.
Jack has said this before. He thinks acting is fun but it’s never been a career for him.
I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully he’ll change his mind.
As for the show following the books. IMHO they are straying a bit more now than in the beginning but it does, for the most part, stay true to the main ideas (if that makes sense).
He may not get thousands of offers in the industry, but I’m sure there would be something for him if he wants to continue to be an actor. It speaks in his favor that he wants to step back. Most of these kids today just want fame and money, whereas he seems to be pretty smart.
He seems *very* grounded and has his priorities straight. I think that’s a bigger plus with him than others wanting fortune and fame. You can achieve that (F&F) w/o selling yourself to the devil which is what too many young artists believe.
NOOoooo! Jack Gleeson, please don’t retire from acting! You have a gift, young man. Think of how much more money and attention you’d garner for the unfortunates of our world on a successful actor’s salary and position. Please, keep your podium of fame and use it for Good.
I, for one, treasure the life you breathed into King Joffrey. I’m confident you have equally incandescent performances in you, and you must share them with the world! Don’t sentence the viewing public to enduring another CW model bland ‘actor’ in your stead; we have too many of them already in our ‘entertainment’ and not enough YOU!
From everything I’ve read, this guy has been universally described as being a nice normal university student (still hard to believe he’s 21) He’s talked in the past about wanting to get his PhD, so good for him. Seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders and will live a quiet life.
He also has a great sense of humor about himself. See him reading the line ‘it’s sunny outside’ as himself and then as a villian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heuKepgG7uQ
That was awesome. He’s got great creepy stare.
He’s very talented and seems quite mature.He’ll find his way.
I always want to punch in Joffrey’s smug little face. Kudos to him..He doesn’t like the madness surrouding a hollywood career and is taking steps to remove himself from the situation. Much better than other hollywood snots who complain about fame but yet keep collecting paycheck after paycheck & keep paparazzi on speed dial
He’s studying philosophy and theology which means he’s got a keen interest in the spiritual and the metaphysical. Words like “evil” likely resonate strongly with him. It’s possible that playing Joffrey for so long has taken a lot out of him as a person — intellectually and spiritually — and he just feels weighed down by it right now. Hopefully he’ll get a fine education and feel really accomplished and fulfilled by that and in several years will return to acting. He’s really, really good.
Sad, because this kid can actually act. But If it’s not for him, then it’s not for him. People should do what they love. Life is too short not to.
Agree.
He’s brilliant on the show (I HATE his character so much!), but if he realizes acting is not for him then good on him for pursuing what he wants to do.
He’s been saying this since season 1 of GoT, so this is not news to me. He is young and could change his mind. But good for him for choosing to do what will fulfill him. He is very good on the show.
I was just about to write that. Last year I saw him give an interview where he talked about wanting to step back from acting but I think he was more interested in theater production than tv or movie production. Good for him though.
This kid is adorable. He’s talented and can still have a career outside GoT. But he’ll be like Alan Rick man, people still see him as Snape despite playing diverse roles.
I’m from dublin too, and according to my friend who went to school with jack, George rr Martin decided to give him some kind of bonus as he thought he portrayed Joffrey closest to his original vision of the character! Also jack managed to get ‘schols’ in Trinity, which basically means he took his university second year exams 5 months early and got a first in them! Pretty impressive…
Wow. Fair play to him; I went to Trinners (back in the dawn of time) and Schol is a big deal, even getting the exam exemptions is not easy nevermind the other bonuses.
I love Jack Gleeson’s portrayal of Joffrey. Though I have never read the books but his acting is great as he truly makes me hate Joffrey.
Jack has said many times he won’t continue acting but I wish he would as he has raw talent which can be polished further and he can be one of the greatest actor of his generation.
I like him even more now cz he said in an interview that his fav tv shows are West wing and BBC Sherlock just like me 🙂
In one way, it’s a shame because he’s such a great actor but fareplay to him for knowing what he wants, focusing on his studies and doing some great humanitarian work in the process.
I actually met Jack. I graduated from university back in the Summer and he showed up at our Summer Ball for some reason or another. I’m not sure why seeing as he goes to the rival university 😆 (he’s a Trinity student and I’m a Dublin City University student). Anyway, I managed to talk with him and he was such a nice guy. Very intelligent and very open to everyone who approached him.
I asked him if he got a hard time for playing Joffrey and he said he rarely ever received any hate and that people would always congratulate him on his performance and if they ever did criticise his character, it was all in good fun and on a love-to-hate basis. Sadly, I’d say the women on the show probably get much more hate than he does. Like the actresses playing Sansa and Catelyn who get a lot of vitriol because they don’t fit into the “badass” mould like many of the other characters.
(And I’m saying Sansa and Catelyn are above scrutiny and there are many rational reasons to dislike them but I find a lot of fans always write them off completely).
I’ve noticed that as well! God forbid there be women who aren’t rough and tumble. I have a feeling Sansa is going to deliver the sweetest vengeance… how or when or why or where… I have no idea. But she seems like a boiling pot no one is watching.
I love Sansa. She was weak and unlikeable in the first season (a silly girl), but the loss of her dad has really changed her. She is so quietly strong now. Full faith in the character. Her moment will come!
I’ve got to tell you, it’s difficult to reconcile the vile, id filled character that he plays with his very generous real self. He’s a great actor and I SO believe him as Joffrey . The scenes between him and Peter Dinklage are among my favorites.
And if he dies this season, who am I going to hate? My hatred for King Joffrey is so pure, so unwavering that I don’t think I could ever hate anyone the same way again. It’s true hate… and true hate last forever.
P.S. I still haven’t recovered from the Red Wedding…
I hate Joffrey with a burning hate as well. And I love it. That’s why this kid is such a talent! I love an actor who can bring up such emotions in me. Raw, pure emotions. Visceral. As if that person they’re playing is real.
Best of luck for him in whatever he does! Also, he seems younger than 21!
I don’t think you can spoil a show that is based on books. Personally, I haven’t read the books, but I don’t consider his death a spoiler since the info is in print.
tell that to the people on winteriscoming.net, they guard non-bookreaders from spoilers like pitbulls!
Philosophy and theology. WOW. Good for him. There’s more to life than fame and making movies/TV. And anyway, he’s so young that he can always change his mind in 10 years and still be hirable. Plus, he’s super talented!
Are those majors respected? Because round here, they’re not. Most people ( not all) who major in that do it because they weren’t good enough for something better.
I don’t know and don’t really care.
They are respected here.
Where do you live? They’re respectable as any other major.
Perhaps not in of themselves per se, but everyone I know who did Philosophy at Trinity- who I’ve heard of since graduation) or who did philosophy/theology in other Unis did well afterwards and are still working. They’ve all gone on to do other careers sure but they developed skills which were transferable.
I think he’s such a talented actor, he truly brings Joffrey from the books to life on the show! And as a nod to one of his earlier roles I’ll just leave this pic here, I almost peed my pants with laughter when I saw it: http://imgur.com/gallery/rKdos
You really must hate the character, as its Catelyn, not Kaitlyn.
I don’t really like the show as much as I do the books, but I am hoping the show will encourage George R.R. Martin to GET ON WITH IT in releasing the next two books.
They’re FREAKING OUT. Martin basically has to have the next book out by the end of Season 5/6 and then hustle that last book out.Part of the problem is that he totally doesn’t get it – Martin has at one point talked about trying to do a prequel series if there’s a lag between books and show, but the show has a bunch of child actors in major roles that could age out of the series if they wait too long. and no one particularly wants a Dunk and Egg tv show.
Martin can be such a derp at times. He’s so busy writing and editing all these other books. I don’t know if he’s got writer’s block or if he just can’t be bothered. But pretty soon the pressure’s going to be on him, and HBO will be on his case.
I just don’t get why he isn’t writing them. I’m sure it’s freaking difficult, but yeah. He seems to have time to write some of the TV episodes!
I feel bad for this kid. I’ve read adult bloggers tear him down on the basis of his looks (he looks so creepy, his eyes are soulless, he looks perfect for the role of psychopath, etc.). I know it’s all because of his character, who really is one of the most repugnant characters around, but I’m sure it’s been hard for him to hear people talk about his real-life physical features in that context.
Anyhow, he seems like such a nice person off-camera. I totally understand why he wouldn’t want the life of a “star.” I hope he finds happiness wherever he ends up.
I like that he jokes about HBO snipers coming for him if he reveals any secrets. As cute as this actor is in real life, I hope the character Joffrey burns!
He borrowing notes from Richard Madden. That was Madden’s line about revealing plot twists last season, that HBO snipers would be out to get him.
GoT is one of my favorite shows and I have to say, from what I’ve seen of the cast in the press, all of them seem down to earth and fun. Jack is no exception here.
I´m sorry that he is quitting acting, he is very talented, if not the most talented of all young GOT cast. His cast was brilliant, I was huge fan of the ASOIAF before GOT and he is perfect as Joffrey. I guess he is fully aware of everything that comes in hand with fame and Hollywood and he decided that kind of life is just not for him. Hands down for that, he knows what he wants and craziness of living in the limelight surely isn´t. I´m sure that he will do fine whatever he chooses to do in the future. I have met Jack in person, I was one of the extras on GOT set for Season 4, and he is really polite and sweet guy with zero arrogance and vanity. He is real sweetheart and a great person.
Hey, Sparkle! Are you Croatian? Were you an extra in Dubrovnik?
yes, this summer was great on the set, season 4 will rock…and Jack is so great with extras and everybody on the set. Not all of the actors were, though. But no one was rude or offensive. I wanted to go to Split too but i had other things to do (morala učit). Im glad there is someone from Croatia in here 🙂 I mostly read and very rarely comment, though. 🙂
Is Sparkle what your name means?
I like it when I see diversity anywhere 🙂
This isn’t really news as he’s said long ago he was going to quit to continue his studying….
He is intelligent and he knows what he wants to do after acting. Good for him. I imagine royalties from Game of Thrones would help him out in the future, too.
It’s too bad for the industry because he’s a genuine actor, a natural talent, and a nice person. But playing a monster like Joffrey must be exhausting and can probably lead to being typecast, not to mention the people who might want to harass him because they can’t separate him from the character he plays.
Look at what happened with Tom Felton. Even some Harry Potter fans won’t approach him on the streets because for them he is forever Draco Malfoy. The hatred of the character bleeds into real life and in all accounts Tom is also a lovely guy.
Anyway, good luck to Jack!
I never heard anyone hate Tom Felton? Really?
Yep.
Some fans wouldn’t approach him while they approached all the other HP stars at the same event.
Quite sad but it really happens.
Tom has said that the hate really got to him and it made playing the character more difficult. People either avoided him or were down right nasty. 🙁
(Sorry my 1st comment was lost)
I’m surprised because I thought all the fangirls were in love with Draco and kept trying to interpret him as anything other than a villain.
Unfortunately, no. The fan fiction-type of fans are in love with Draco Malfoy. But many casual fans are cooler towards Tom or indifferent.
His movies after Harry Potter are hardly protagonist/good guy roles. His character in the Rise of the Planet of the Apes was annoying as sh*t and hardly a sympathetic character.
I remember reading that Tom Falco had long-term aspirations that were more academic/scientific than acting.
Jack actually made me feel sorry for Joffrey. Heck, sometimes I almost like this little sadistic psycho because of Jack’s acting! 🙂
He’s a very talented and adorable young man.
Anyone remembers Max Pirkis, aka Octavian from HBO’s Rome? He was a talented, young blonde English actor who also gave up acting for his education (IRRC, Max went to Cambridge, and he was also studying theology). I’m glad these intelligent kids realized they aren’t that much into show business, but in the meantime I’m sorry because we, the audience lost two promising actors.
@LadySlippers – yes, iskra is croatian word for spark.
Thank you!
He’s looking like a younger version of Rupert Friend! lol Even his voice resembles Rupert’s, it’s uncanny!
I also think he’s very good and it would be a shame if he quit acting, but I respect his decision if he found his new goals, especially if they set out to change the world or for humanitarian efforts.
I went to Trinity and I would often see him around campus and in the library which was a bit odd once you’ve watched him on GoT. He always came across as being very grounded and just like every other student. I don’t know how he juggles college and filming but fair play to him.
He’s brilliant actor and really such a smart and sweet person. I’d love to see him do more acting, but I completely understand if he chooses to do something else with his life as well – something intellectual and even charitable. However, those two goals doesn’t necessarily exclude each other, and I’m sure he could do both if he wanted.
You could see that he does not want to be in entertainment life since he never shows up even at the Game of Thrones premiers. I guess that life is not for everyone and some people want to live normal life. It’s sad. I wish we would see him more. But I suspect that when he will leave GoT then we will never hear about him at all.
I think one has to look at the career of other young actors to see that there’s no guarantee of work, even if your are talented. Look at his GOT costar Natalie Dormer. Rave reviews in the Tudors and it’s only now that she is getting anything more than cameos in major films. Most Gossip Girl fans would tell you Leighton Meester is the better actress but it’s blake lively who is the bigger star now. Gleeson probably doesn’t want a life of Hustling and doing random red carpets, and dating people his publicist sets him up with, in the hopes that some director would cast him in some plum role.
Wow! What an articulate person he is. Extremely mature and insightful on life. I hope the best for him and what ever he choose to do, I can tell he’ll always be alright.
Also, my I add, he looks awfully a lot like Mike Boogie in the causal outfit photo. LOL