King Joffrey may be a power-hungry jerk, but the actor who plays him is just the opposite. In fact, "Game of Thrones" star Jack Gleeson plans to step off the throne for good when his HBO series ends.

In a new interview with the Independent, the 21-year-old Irish actor dropped the bomb that he will quit acting once he's finished with "Game of Thrones."

"The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn't something I gravitate towards," explained Gleeson. The actor added that he feels more at home working with aid agency Goal, which is helping Haiti rebuild 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."

As for what he will do instead, Gleeson is currently studying philosophy and theology at Dublin's prestigious 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 said. "I'm 21, so it's hard to decide what kind of course life will take."

It was four years ago that Gleeson auditioned to play Queen Cersei's evil son and heir to the Iron throne, and the actor has been disturbing "Thrones" fans since 2011.

"I would like to try and defend [Joffrey], but I would have a pretty hard job doing it," Gleeson told the Independent of his character. "I suppose he's the product of his context and his family. In terms of redeemable qualities, there wouldn't be many."

The same cannot be said for Gleeson, apparently. "Game of Thrones" returns to HBO in 2014.