No, Game of Thrones isn’t back on your television yet. And yes, we’re still pining for it like a certain blondie pines for her dragons. But there is news! The HBO show is still doing some casting for season three, and the newest addition to the already massive cast? It’s Mance Rayder. King of the Far North. The Big Guy Behind the Wall. And he’s going to be played by Rome star Ciarán Hinds.
Having played Julius Caesar in Rome for two years, Hinds is no stranger to the world of huge ensemble HBO shows. And having played Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, he’s no stranger to acting in more magical worlds.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Mance Rayder is the Wilding leader, and he’s united the clans of the Far North behind the unifying goal of attacking The Wall protected by the Night’s Watch. We’ve heard many a reference to him in the show so far, but have yet to actually bear witness to him.
The season finale of the show, however, left our own Jon Snow of the perpetual pout undercover and being taken to meet the Far North’s king.
Hinds was born in Belfast, where primary production for Game of Thrones is based, so that must be nice for him when he gets to work there. Season three is also filming in places like Croatia, Iceland, and Morocco.
More recently, Hinds can be seen in the Sigourney Weaver-starring mini-series Political Animals, as well as in recent films Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John Carter, and Munich.
It’s also worth noting that Hinds skews a bit older than we were expecting for the casting of this role; one of the previous actors the show was reportedly thinking of was The Wire‘s Dominic West, who’s at least fifteen years younger than Hinds. But upon seeing Hinds, it actually seems like kind of the perfect fit.
What do you think of the casting?
(via Entertainment Weekly)
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