Belfast star Ciarán Hinds on the buzz of Game of Thrones

Ciarán Hinds on the UTV LIfe sofa. Credit: UTV

Belfast actor Ciarán Hinds has paid a visit to UTV Life to chat about his extensive stage and screen career – including the joy of working back home on hit series Game of Thrones.

The 63-year-old, who has toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company, has an extensive list of credits to his name.

His many and varied roles include parts in films like Road To Perdition, Munich, the final instalment of the Harry Potter saga, and of course Terry George’s locally set Oscar-winning short The Shore.

However, it was as ‘King-beyond-the-Wall’ Mance Rayder that he most recently graced the small screen in hit fantasy series Game of Thrones.

“It was very thrilling to be asked,” he said, of his involvement in the HBO drama which has been filming over the last few years across parts of Northern Ireland, as well as around the world.

“I had heard, not having been living here, what a fantastic show it was becoming from the first series on.

“And then to be asked to be involved with it from the third series, it was just a joy because I hadn’t worked at home for ages really.”

Ciarán, who is patron of the Youth Action NI charity, added: “And then you realise that this has given a huge impetus to the city itself, I mean huge.

“And not just about the actors, but people who work in transport, or through set decoration, through the production side.

"It’s created a whole buzz about the place and that’s very exciting.”

Ciarán went into acting, inspired by his mother, despite initially setting out to study Law.

“I did attend Queen’s University for a good … six or seven months,” he smiled.

“And then it was suggested to me that maybe I should put whatever talents, if any, somewhere else.”

He swapped Queen’s University Belfast for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and the rest, as they say, is history.

“The rest was that the first professional job I got was being the back-end of a pantomime horse …” he added.

Everyone has to start somewhere!

  • WATCH: Ciarán Hinds on the UTV Life sofa with Pamela Ballantine