The swan song for Jack Gleeson, who portrays King Joffery Baratheon on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will be when the reigning king of Westeros steps down – or, more likely, is forcibly removed. When his role on the program ends, Gleeson told the Irish Independent that he wants to retire from acting, stating that he prefers a quiet existence over the glamor of Hollywood.

Gleeson, who recently returned from a trip to Haiti with the humanitarian organization Goal, has chosen to retire from acting when his role in the mystical drama comes to an end.

“It was always a recreation before,” he explained, “but when I started doing Game of Thrones perhaps the reality was made too real for me.

HBO

“The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn’t something I gravitate towards.”

The actor also stated that he feels more at ease working with the humanitarian organization Goal, which is assisting Haiti in its recovery efforts following the 2010 earthquake. “I’d been looking to use the celebrity I’ve got from the show to bring awareness for causes Goal supports,” he stated. “I had the connection with the organization through my uncle, Tim Gleeson, and he worked with Goal 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. People are eager to get on with their lives and be resilient.”

Gleeson also admitted that he doesn’t watch Game of Thrones because the cruel King Joffery is “too maniacal and unredeemable” for him to bear. “You tend to abstract yourself from the creepiness of it when you’re playing it, but when you see it on television, it sends shivers down my spine.”

“I would like to try and defend him, but I would have a pretty hard job doing it. I suppose he’s the product of his context and his family. In terms of redeemable qualities, there wouldn’t be many.”

In the meanwhile, Gleeson is pursuing a degree in philosophy and theology at Dublin’s elite Trinity College. “Since going to Trinity and garnering an interest in philosophy, and with Goal and my theatre company, I’ve kind of just re-evaluated what I want to do,” he added. “I’m 21, so it’s hard to decide what kind of course life will take.”

Game of Thrones is now filming its fourth season, which will premiere on HBO in the spring (and there will certainly be plenty of that slimy King Joffery to go around). Struan Rodger was just hired in the important role of Bloodraven, and Icelandic indie musicians Sigur Ros will also feature as guests on the forthcoming season.