It may have been a while since we last saw the unscrupulous Joffrey Baratheon grace our screens in season four of Game of Thrones, but Jack Gleeson's absence from the acting world is coming to an end.
Since the evil ruler's demise at the hands of Lady Olenna Tyrell back in 2014, Gleeson, 27, has taken a complete step back from the global spotlight and hasn't appeared in anything since.
But six years later, Gleeson is set to make his long-awaited TV return in new BBC Two comedy Out of Her Mind, fronted by Sara Pascoe and co-starring Cariad Lloyd (Peep Show), Juliet Stevenson (Riviera), Adrian Edmondson (The Young Ones), Navin Chowdhry (Doctor Foster), and spoken word poet/musician Scroobius Pip.
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According to the BBC, Pascoe, 38, said: "Out of Her Mind is a direct expression of my mind. We've turned my brain into a theme-park, and everyone's invited! The cast are INCREDIBLE and I can't wait for people to see what we've made."
Fans of the sociopathic fantasy character Gleeson played so well will no doubt be pleased to see him back on our screens, but it wasn't his intention to merely take a break after the intensity of playing such an unlikeable villain.
In fact, the former Thrones actor had considered quitting the acting game altogether and revealed the potentially life-changing decision during an interview on Saturday Night Live: "I have wanted to become an actor and it's just the last few years I've started to change my mind about it, so I'm liable to change it again.
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He said: "It's hard to explain, once the prospect of becoming an actor professionally, and essentially my dreams became a reality, well it nearly professionalises it too much.
"It was a recreation beforehand and when I started doing Game of Thrones there was, I wouldn't say pressure, but perhaps the reality became too real for me.
"I feel slightly ungrateful because I'm in a position that, as you said, a lot of people would like to be in, but I guess I'll just have to be ungrateful for the time being."
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Clearly Gleeson's views on an acting career have since changed after agreeing to the BBC series but, based on his former quotes, that's not to say he won't change it again in the future.
Either way, it's highly unlikely we'll see another display quite as wicked as King Joffrey's reign, that's for sure.
With the casting for Out of Her Mind only just announced, there's currently no confirmed release date for the six-part series.
Words: Mike Williams
Featured Image Credit: HBOTopics: TV and Entertainment, Game of Thrones