The Irish actor JJ Murphy died on Friday. He was 86 and had filmed the first scenes for his debut on HBO’s Game Of Thrones just four days earlier, according to the Belfast Telegraph. Murphy was perhaps most recognizable to American viewers for his role in Angela’s Ashes, the film based on Frank McCourt’s popular and devastating account of growing up in poverty in Ireland.
On Game Of Thrones Murphy had been cast as Ser Denys Mallister, the oldest member of the Night’s Watch. The fifth season of Game Of Thrones is currently shooting in Northern Ireland. A statement from the show’s producers said the role would not be recast. Murphy spent most of his long career in the theater. He was a regular player at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast where Liam Neeson also honed his skills.
