Jack Gleeson, who famously played Joffrey Baratheon in the hit Game of Thrones series, has opened up about why he took a step back from acting following his appearance in the show.
As fans will be painfully aware, Game of Thrones officially closed its doors in May 2019. The popular fantasy series had a successful decade-long run, wrapping up after 8 seasons.
The show started out by introducing us to the 9 Great Houses in Westeros; Stark, Greyjoy, Arryn, Baratheon, Tully, Lannister, Martell, Tyrell, and Targaryen.
Following the death of Robert Baratheon, the show depicts a deadly game of control over the 7 Kingdoms of Westeros that ensues.
Fans immediately fell in love with the story and the complex characters. After ten long years (a pretty huge commitment) many of us had grown attached to the long list of characters.
But despite the popularity, the ending left many feeling disappointed. Fans complained that the events that unfolded in the final series were rushed, as well as criticisms surrounding the deaths and survivals of certain major characters, as well as the eventual ruler of Westeros.
So much so, the finale received the lowest ratings in the show’s history, picking up a dire overall rating of 4.2 out of 10 — compared to other episodes in the final series, which earned respectable 8s and 9s.
Since the show ended, some of our favourite characters have gone on to do other projects, but surprisingly, one member of the cast has tried to steer clear of acting as much as possible.
Jack Gleeson, who is best known as the ‘baby-faced king’ Joffrey Baratheon until the end of 2014, is now totally unrecognisable.
The actor now rocks a moustache and hair length that reaches down to his shoulders, the Daily Mail reports.
Following his role in the hit series, Gleeson said he wanted to retire from acting because he didn’t like it as much as he used to.
Back in 2014, the actor told Entertainment Weekly: “The answer isn’t interesting or long-winded. I’ve been acting since age 8.”
“I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to.
“And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun,” he said.
“I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do,” Gleeson added.
After taking a long break from acting, the thirty-year-old returned to his acting career in 2020.
He played a role in a 6-part comedy, Out of Her Mind, written by Sara Pascoe.
But it looks like he’s still struggling to throw himself back into the spotlight after all the hate that came his way playing Joffrey.
Despite this, he will star in the forthcoming thriller Land of Saints and Sinners, starring Liam Neeson and Kerry Condon.
Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on his comments, with one saying: “I remember when all this was fresh. It’s sad that his perfect portrayal of the character caused people to dislike him in real life. He obviously played it very well. He deserves recognition for it.”
While another commented: “ Have never cheered so hard for a child to meet their demise! Jack was fantastic. I hated Joffrey so much, I was so joyous when he croaked. People need to remember he is a person playing a character. Hate the character, respect the actor.”
“I actually enjoyed his acting a lot. It takes a dang good actor to pull that character off and he did. Well done. He should be patting himself on the back,” a third added.
We can’t wait to see what he does next!
