King Joffrey: Jack Gleeson to retire from acting after Game of Thrones season 4

'It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do'

Gleeson played the cruel king Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones (HBO)

Jack Gleeson decided to quit acting following the conclusion of his character King Joffrey's part in Game of Thrones, saying he only intended for it to be a hobby and it is 'not what I want to do' in future.

*Spoilers ahead*

The 21-year-old has hinted at his retirement before, but does not seem to be having cold feet as his time on the HBO fantasy comes to a close.

Asked why he was retiring by Entertainment Weekly, he replied: "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.

"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. 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."

And as for the future, he added: "I don’t know. Yeah. No idea. I have one year left in college. After that, I might do a post-graduate of some kind, but I don’t know in what."

Gleeson is a keen academic, having previously spoken at the Oxford Union about his dislike for celebrity culture.

His Thrones character Joffrey was poisoned at his own wedding in season 4 episode 2 "The Lion and the Rose", the scene being dubbed the 'Purple Wedding' due to the colour of Gleeson's cheeks as he breathed his last breath, coming after season 3's infamous red one.

The show recently returned for its eighth and final season. The premiere – that was heavy on reunions – featured a hilarious reference to last season’s controversial Ed Sheeran cameo as well as a terrifying death at the hands of the Night King.

Viewers in China were left furious after six minutes of the episode – which broke HBO records – was censored by tech corporation Tencent.

The final season of Game of Thrones continues every Sunday and you can watch the brand new season eight opening title sequence here.

We've also compiled the 13 Eater eggs, callbacks and book references you might have missed from the season eight premiere – find them here.

You can find our extensive ranking of every episode – from worst to best – below.

The show will be available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.