No one knows who he’s playing, but Ian McShane is returning to HBO to star in next year’s sixth season of “Game of Thrones.”
The mystery of McShane’s character is especially acute because this year’s fifth season used up pretty much all of George RR Martin’s five published A Song of Ice and Fire novels, and even some of Martin’s unpublished sixth novel in the series, “The Winds of Winter.”
McShane, who turns 73 next month, appeared opposite “Justified” star Timothy Olyphant in HBO’s “Deadwood” between 2004 and 2006, and subsequently starred in NBC’s 2009 drama “Kings” and Starz’ 2010 “The Pillars of the Earth.” This year McShane has a recurring role on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.”
His big-screen roles subsequent to “Deadwood” include turns in “We Are Marshall,” “Hot Rod,” “Death Race,” “44 Inch Chest,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Jack The Giant Slayer,” the Dwayne Johnson “Hercules,” and “John Wick.”
This is not the first time HBO has lured one of its former British stars into "Thrones." Dominic West, who starred in HBO's "The Wire" for five seasons, was pursued to play Mance Rayder, a role that eventually went to HBO's "Rome" star Ciaran Hinds.
HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo indicated earlier this week that “Thrones” showrunners intend to make the series’ eighth season its last.
Find all of Entertainment Weekly’s exclusive on the matter here.
