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Why The Fu*k Hasn't Brendan Gleeson Won An Oscar Yet?

By Petr Navovy | Think Pieces | December 1, 2016 |

By Petr Navovy | Think Pieces | December 1, 2016 |


There’s a time and a place for thoughtful think pieces, considerate appraisals, and reflective homages.

This ain’t that place, and it is most definitely not that fucking time.

Why? Because this is the place where Brendan Gleeson has yet to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. Because this is the time when he hasn’t even got a nomination.

But Leonardo DiCaprio has one. He gets to gaze at his over-polished gold statuette, perched on the mantle in his silver yacht as he puffs on a vape pen, idly thumbing through a Victoria’s Secret catalog. He gets to do that because he wrestled a bear while making that face.

Eddie ‘Hellmouth-upon-Thames’ Redmayne has one. He probably tucks it underneath his arm as he pops over to the servants’ quarters to ask whether his soul has come back from the dry cleaners yet. ‘I’m afraid not, Sir!’ they exclaim, meekly averting their eyes lest he steal theirs out of envy and lust.

But Brendan Gleeson.

Brendan motherfucking Gleeson.

He doesn’t have one.

Because Michael Collins apparently wasn’t good enough.

Because The Guard wasn’t good enough.

Because In Bruges wasn’t fucking good enough.

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Look, I get it: the Oscars don’t really matter. Did you see the bit above about this not being the time or the place for reason? Good, then shut up.

Brendan Gleeson is a towering talent. A presence so immense in his skill and a man so immersed in his craft that it’s a wonder he doesn’t get cast in literally every fucking film. Sensitive, nuanced portrayals laced with humanity and humour — that’s the Gleeson Guarantee™. Oh, you want an understated side role? Gleeson’s got you covered. Hulking lead? Gleeson. A mournful examination of what it means to exist in an absurd world devoid of objective law or meaning?

G

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S

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Did you see Calvary? A stunning piece of work by John Michael McDonagh anchored by Brendan Gleeson’s phenomenally layered and finely tuned central performance. It was dark; it had pathos; it came out in 2014. Would have been a good year to acknowledge one of the greatest talents to ever appear on the big screen with an Oscar, or at least a nod.

Know what else came out in 2014?

The Theory Of Bloody Everything.

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Blood and furious fucking hellfire.

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I don’t care where you stand, Brendan, as long as you’re standing tall and everyone knows you’re the tits.

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Petr Knava
lives in London and plays music