My grandfather played a mandolin, so I got my hands on that. Then on down to a banjo, and I found I couldn't play any kind of soft or mournful music with that so I took up the fiddle in my late 20s or early 30s - and that was far too late. But it keeps me off the streets. It has been a love of mine since I was 17 maybe.

Joseph's CBS in Fairview Dublin where he was a member of the school drama group. While Gleeson portrayed Irish statesman Michael Collins in The Treaty he later portrayed Collins' close collaborator Liam Tobin in the film Michael Collins with Liam Neeson taking the role of Collins. Gleeson confirmed in July 2011 that he has secured funding for the project.

His best-known films include Braveheart Gangs of New York In Bruges 28 Days Later Troy the Harry Potter films The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty. He won an Emmy Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the film Into the Storm.