Following his exit from "Game of Thrones" as one of the most hated characters in the series, Jack Gleeson recently opened up about being offered with numerous roles to appear in blockbuster action movies.
However, the 23-year-old actor, who played King Joffrey Baratheon in the hit HBO series, said he chose not to take on such projects to concentrate on operating a theater company that he and three of his friends from Trinity College in Dublin founded.
Gleeson, along with pals Aaron Heffernan, Eoghan Quinn and Dan Colley, created the Collapsing Horse Theatre Company after meeting at the drama club while studying at the university.
Currently, the foursome is prepping up to bring their surreal comedy titled ‘Bears in Space,’ which has raked in positive reviews, to London’s Soho Theater.
"The offers came in, but I just had a lack of desire to do a big action movie," Gleeson told London Evening Standard. "What I enjoy most is this kind of thing, where I can have fun with my friends."
"My real interest is in creating something from the ground up," the Irish actor added. "I never say never to anything, but for the time being I get far more fulfillment from being part of a project that I have helped create and have more of a stake in."
Gleeson also confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that, for an indefinite period, he will be retiring from acting following King Joffrey’s death scene in ‘Game of Thrones,’ which was aired in April 2014.
When asked what influenced his decision to stay away from acting for a while, he explained: "The answer isn't interesting or long-winded. I've been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to."
The ‘Batman Begins’ actor also opened up about not taking interest in making a living out of his acting career.
"And now there's the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it," he added. "When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It's not like I hate it, it's just not what I want to do."
Nonetheless, Gleeson mentioned that ‘Bears in Space’ had given him a positive boost, stating: "I never said anything so definitive. Plus, I don't really see this as acting -- it's more like a fun project with friends."
