An 86-year-old actor on the HBO hit series “Game of Thrones” died Friday just days into filming his scenes for its upcoming season.
JJ Murphy was an actor from Ireland who had been cast to play Ser Denys Mallister, the oldest member of the Night’s Watch and longtime Shadow Tower watchman in the fifth season of “Song of Ice and Fire,” the Guardian reports.
The cause of his death is unknown, but his agent Phillip Young did say the seasoned actor was “absolutely delighted” to be given a role “in one of the biggest productions in the world at this stage in his career.”
Murphy’s career began in the 1940s as a theater actor in Northern Ireland.
Young called the actor’s death a “tragic loss,” but added that Murphy had enjoyed a “long and full career.”
“We will not be recasting JJ Murphy,” “Thrones” producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff said in a statement.
“He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended.”