14 DAY TRIAL // The actor playing one of the most annoying and nastiest characters ever on the small screen, King Joffrey from “Game of Thrones,” Jack Gleeson, has announced his decision to quit acting altogether after he’s done with the HBO series.
Gleeson had spoken about his intention before, saying he wasn’t sure if a career in showbiz was what he wanted, but never before was he so direct about it. He’s being so now, in a new interview with The Independent.
The 21-year-old actor resides in Ireland and, except for the times he travels to America on promotional business, he’s managed to live a relatively quiet life. Ironically, he says, it was the success of “Game of Thrones” that made him understand that he was simply not cut out for the job.
“[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,” he says.
Jack admits he doesn’t watch the show, saying he finds the experience a bit too creepy for his taste, especially since there are absolutely no redeeming qualities about Joffrey.
“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,” he says.
So, what will he do once his contract with HBO is over? Amazingly, Gleeson says he will become even more involved in charity work than he’s been before, which is saying a lot considering he’s just returned from a stay in Haiti, where he oversaw a housing project through Goal charity.
He will still do theater and will probably try to do something with his interest in philosophy but, other than that, he doesn’t know yet. “I’ve kind of just re-evaluated what I want to do. I’m 21, so it’s hard to decide what kind of course life will take,” he says.
The video below, of another recent interview Jack gave, contains one major “Game of Thrones” *spoiler* so watch at your own risk.
