Jack Gleeson started acting professionally at a young age — he plays a little kid impressed by Batman in 2005’s Batman Begins — but his breakout role was undoubtably as the contemptible King Joffrey Baratheon on Game of Thrones. Everyone wanted to slap that guy, and his death was a watershed moment for the show.
After that, the popular line was that Gleeson was “retiring” from the screen. He said back then that the experience of acting full-time had made him less “passionate” about the job, according to The Guardian.
Gleeson still worked in theater, and lately he’s been popping up onscreen more often. He appeared on the BBC sitcom Out of Her Mind in 2020 and had a role in the small film Rebecca’s Boyfriend in 2021. But now he’s coming back to the screen in force with a new role in The Famous Five, based on a series of children’s adventure novels by Enid Blyton.
Jack Gleeson plays Wentworth in The Famous Five
The Famous Five is about a group of four children (and their dog Timmy) who go on adventures together, mostly during their school holidays. The first book in the series is called Five on a Treasure Island, to give you an idea of the tone we’re working with. Think The Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, but British.
That’s Diaana Babnicova, Elliott Rose, Kit Rakusen and Flora Jacoby Richardson as the kids: George, Julian, Dick and Anne. (Also Timmy, can’t forget Timmy.) Gleeson plays a character named Wentworth. I’m not entirely sure what his deal is, but based on this picture, I’m guessing that Gleeson has once again embraced playing a villain:
Tell me that guy wouldn’t try to steal a diamond from the queen’s vault or whatever. If only those meddling kids hadn’t gotten in the way!
The Famous Five is being adapted by Nicolas Winding Refn, known for movies like Drive. As for Gleeson, he’s also appearing alongside Liam Neeson in the movie called In the Land of Saints and Sinners. Joffrey is back!
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