“Game of Thrones” star Jack Gleeson may leave acting when he’s done playing the sadistic Joffrey Baratheon — perhaps to focus on his charity work.
Gleeson, 21, auditioned for “GoT” at 17, and sounds as if he has not enjoyed the attention he has received since.
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“It was always a recreation beforehand, but when I started doing ‘Game of Thrones’ perhaps the reality was made too real for me,” Gleeson told Ireland’s Independent. “The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn’t something I gravitate towards.”
He said that since studying philosophy at Trinity College, working with the relief agency Goal and working with his theater company, “I’ve kind of just re-evaluated what I want to do.”
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He recently went with Goal to Haiti, where the 2010 earthquake killed 230,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless. His uncle worked with the charity 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,” Gleeson said. “People are eager to get on with their lives and be resilient.”
“I’d been looking to use the celebrity I’ve got from the show to bring awareness for causes Goal supports,” Gleeson added.