Why Game of Thrones' Jack Gleeson took a break from acting as Joffrey

Jack Gleeson found it difficult to portray the despised Joffrey Baratheon on HBO's Game of Thrones, which caused him to rethink his career.

The most recognizable Game of Thrones character is Joffrey Baratheon, played by Jack Gleeson. Widespread praise followed Gleeson's portrayal of the disgruntled king, but he recently admitted that the part was more demanding than people might have imagined.

undoubtedly, Game of Thrones was a master at capturing some truly vile villains. Even Kit Harington's Jon Snow occasionally displayed morally dubious behavior in the series, but there were a select few truly unredeemable characters. One of these characters was King Joffrey, who was incredibly cruel and power-hungry while also being callous and sniveling at the same time. King Joffrey was practically created to be a character that audiences love to hate.

Gleeson admitted in a speech to a class at University College Dublin (via Unilad) that the role caused him to question whether acting was his profession. It really just came down to not enjoying acting as much as I used to, according to Gleeson. "When I started watching Game of Thrones, I don't know why, but it kind of became mechanical and less passionate." Gleeson added that the way the show was produced didn't bother him, saying, "I don't think it has anything to do with the way they film it. I believe that as it became less of a hobby and more of a profession, it put more pressure on the acting itself, making it slightly less enjoyable."

Fans have occasionally criticized the show for Gleeson's decision to step away from the spotlight. Fans of Game of Thrones have discovered a number of production flaws following a disappointing eighth season, but it doesn't appear that Gleeson had a problem with the show for that reason. Instead, it appears that Gleeson merely lost interest in acting. Despite having been an actor since he was a young child, Gleeson's biggest role was in Game of Thrones, and as such, he probably had to deal with additional pressures.

Gleeson's performance was masterful, especially considering how easily the character of Joffrey could have become over-the-top in the wrong hands. Joffrey's claim to the Iron Throne was shaky because his father was publicly Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), despite being the product of Cersei Lannister's (Lena Headey) incestuous union with her brother Jaime. (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Many other characters had a stronger claim, though Joffrey outlasted many of them. Fans celebrated his death in Game of Thrones Season 4 because he was so cruel. Gleeson, on the other hand, is described as friendly and intelligent. Unfortunately, fans frequently confuse character and actor.

Fans' jubilant responses to Gleeson's departure from the series were documented in an ironic parody of the Red Wedding. Sadly, some of these admirers reportedly bully Gleeson because of his relationship to the character. It's been speculated that this is one reason Gleeson chose to step away from the spotlight (though he has not said so), which would be unfortunate. Nevertheless, all that matters is that Gleeson appears content with his choice.

Game of Thrones is available on HBO Max.

Source: Unilad