Aidan Gillen | |
|---|---|
 Gillen in 2010 | |
| Born | Aidan Murphy 1967 or 1968 Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner(s) | Camille O'Sullivan (2014–present) |
| Children | 2 |
Aidan Murphy (born 1967 or 1968), better known asAidan Gillen (/ˈɡɪlən/), is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles as Stuart Alan Jones inQueer as Folk (1999–2000);Tommy Carcetti inThe Wire (2004–2008); John Boy inLove/Hate (2010–2011);Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish inGame of Thrones (2011–2017), Aberama Gold inPeaky Blinders (2017–2019); as Milo Sunter onMayor of Kingstown (2021–present); and as Frank Kinsella, in the crime dramaKin (2021–2023). His film roles include CIA operative Bill Wilson inThe Dark Knight Rises (2012), Janson inMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), andJohn Reid inBohemian Rhapsody (2018), and several films directed byJamie Thraves.
He is the recipient of threeIrish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for aBritish Academy Television Award, aBritish Independent Film Award, and aTony Award.
Aiden Gillen was born Aiden Murphy in theDrumcondra area ofDublin, the youngest of six children born to Patricia (née Gillen) and Denis Murphy,[1] in 1967 or 1968.[2]
He was educated atSt. Vincent's C.B.S. in Dublin'sGlasnevin neighbourhood.[3]
Gillen joined the National Youth Theatre[a] at the age of fourteen,[6] and also jointed Dublin Youth Theatre in his teens.[7] His career began when he was 16,[4] with the role ofNick Bottom[8] in the Dublin Youth Theatre's production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream at theProject Theatre[9] in 1983.[10][11]
He obtained hisEquity card straight after leaving school, and began getting small professional roles at 17. The name Aidan Murphy was already registered so he began using his mother's maiden name as a stage name.[7] He moved toLondon in 1987 when he was 18 or 19.[7][8]
Gillen's first role on a London stage was at theBush Theatre, inBilly Roche'sWexford Trilogy. Soon afterwards he had a role inJuno and the Paycock at theRoyal National Theatre.[8]
In 2005 he played one of three men in a prison cell inDominic Dromgoole's production of Irish playwrightFrank McGuinness's 1992 hostage drama,Someone Who'll Watch Over Me at theNew Ambassadors in London.[12]
In 2008 Gillen played Teach in the DublinGate Theatre's 2007 production ofDavid Mamet'sAmerican Buffalo.[13][14]
Gillen had hisBroadway debut playing Mick, alongside alongsidePatrick Stewart andKyle MacLachlan, inHarold Pinter's playThe Caretaker in 2003, directed byDavid Jones.The New York Times reviewer Ben Brantley called his performance a "smashing Broadway debut".[15]
During the 1990s Gillen played a number of roles in television dramas and series, including a TV adaptations of theWexford Trilogy.[8] Gillen played a lead role as Stuart Alan Jones in the 1999Channel 4 television seriesQueer as Folk and its sequel.[14]
In 1997, he appeared alongside playwrightHarold Pinter inMojo[15] based on the1995 play of the same name byJez Butterworth and directed by Butterworth.[16]
In 2000 he starred inThe Low Down, directorJamie Thraves' first feature film.[17] The film was named among the "neglected masterpieces" of film history byThe Observer in its rundown of 50 Lost Movie Classics.[18][19]
In 2003 he played the villain in theShanghai Noon sequel,Shanghai Knights.[8]
In 2004, having been spotted by producers inThe Caretaker, Gillen was cast asTommy Carcetti in the HBO seriesThe Wire, for which he received anIrish Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television.[20]
In 2011, Gillen began playingPetyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on the HBO seriesGame of Thrones, for which he received his second Irish Film & Television Award nomination.[21] He appeared in seven seasons,[22] until his character's death in the season 7 finale "The Dragon and the Wolf".[23] He starred as cop killer Barry Weiss in the British crime-thrillerBlitz and in the British horror filmWake Wood. Gillen playedcrime boss John Boy in the acclaimed Irish crime-dramaLove/Hate,[24] for which he received his third Irish Film & Television Award nomination and second win.[25]
In 2012, he playedCIA operative Bill Wilson[26] (the character's name is from the novelisation; his name is not directly said in the film's script) inThe Dark Knight Rises, his first role in a major Hollywood film.[27] Gillen said he enjoyed playing the role, but preferred low-budget lead roles to blockbuster bit-parts.[27] Gillen's character was particularly noted by some Internet circles for his delivery of supposedly awkward dialogue in the film's opening plane scene, especially by users of4chan's /tv/ board. Thus, he subsequently became the subject of anInternet meme popular among /tv/ users known as "Baneposting",[28] which references the dialogue between Wilson andTom Hardy's characterBane in said scene.[29][30] The same year, Gillen also starred in the British spy-dramaShadow Dancer, and was announced as the new host of the music showOther Voices.[31][32]
He starred in theBBC five-part thrillerMayday in 2013, and the Irish comedy-drama filmCalvary the following year.[33] He shared aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination with the cast ofGame of Thrones for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Gillen also starred in the short filmEkki Múkk,[34] created for theValtari Mystery Film Experiment by Icelandic bandSigur Rós, as well as Janson in the second film,The Scorch Trials, and third film,Maze Runner: The Death Cure, in theMaze Runner trilogy.[35]
Gillen playedQueen's managerJohn Reid in the biopicBohemian Rhapsody, which was released on 2 November 2018.[36] He starred as Aidan in the short film titledI Didn't...I Wasn't...I Amn't, written and directed by Irish actressLaoisa Sexton.[37]
He starred inThe History Channel's two-season seriesProject Blue Book from 2019 to 2020. Gillen played Dr.J. Allen Hynek, a brilliant and underappreciated college professor who is recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead an operation named Project Blue Book. He is joined by his partner Air Force Capt. Michael Quinn as they investigate UFO sightings around the country.[38]
Gillen co-wrote the script of and starred inJamie Thraves' fourth feature film,Pickups (2017). This was the third collaboration with Thraves.[39]
He plays Frank Kinsella, a member of a prominent Irish crime family in theRTÉ One crime dramaKin (2021–2023).[40][41]
Gillen resides in his nativeDublin. He met Olivia O'Flanagan when they were teenagers.[2] They have two children.[2][1] They married in 2001 and separated in 2005.[1]
As of 2020[update] Gillen has been in a relationship with singerCamille O'Sullivan since 2014.[1]
In 2008 Gillen was nominated for anIrish Times Theatre Award for his portrayal of Teach in the DublinGate Theatre's 2007 production ofDavid Mamet'sAmerican Buffalo.[42][14]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Drip | Young Guy | Short film |
| 1987 | The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne | Youth at Liquor Store | Credited as Aidan Murphy |
| 1988 | The Courier | Boy | |
| 1995 | Circle of Friends | Aidan Lynch | |
| 1996 | Some Mother's Son | Gerard Quigley | |
| 1997 | Mojo | Baby | |
| 1998 | Gold in the Streets | Paddy | |
| Amazing Grace | Young Man | Short film | |
| 1999 | Buddy Boy | Francis | |
| 2000 | The Second Death | Pool Player | Short film |
| The Low Down | Frank | ||
| 2001 | My Kingdom | Barry Puttnam | |
| Robertson Major | William Robertson | Short film | |
| 2002 | The Final Curtain | Dave Turner | |
| 2003 | Photo Finish | Joe Wilde | |
| Shanghai Knights | Lord Nelson Rathbone | ||
| Burning the Bed | Stephen | Short film | |
| 2006 | Trouble with Sex | Conor | |
| 2008 | Blackout | Karl | |
| 2009 | 12 Rounds | Miles Jackson | |
| Spunkbubble | Dessie | Short film | |
| Runners | Terry | ||
| 2010 | Treacle Jr. | Aidan | |
| 2011 | Wake Wood | Patrick Daley | |
| Blitz | Barry Weiss | ||
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises | CIA Op | "CIA Op" in film credits, "Bill Wilson" in the movie's novel |
| Shadow Dancer | Gerry | ||
| Ekki Múkk | Little One | Short film | |
| The Good Man | Michael | ||
| 2013 | Scrapper | Ray | |
| The Note | Lars | Short film | |
| Mister John | Gerry Devine | ||
| Beneath the Harvest Sky | Clayton | ||
| Song | Dan | Short film | |
| 2014 | Calvary | Dr. Frank Harte | |
| Still | Tom Carver | ||
| Song | Dan | Short film | |
| Ambition[48] | Master | ||
| 2015 | You're Ugly Too | Will | |
| Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials | Janson | ||
| 2016 | Sing Street | Robert | |
| 2017 | The Lovers | Robert | |
| King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | Goosefat Bill | ||
| 2018 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | Janson | |
| Bohemian Rhapsody | John Reid | ||
| 2019 | I Didn't...I Wasn't...I Amn't | Aidan | Short film |
| Rose Plays Julie | Peter | ||
| 2021 | Those Who Wish Me Dead | Jack Blackwell | |
| 2023 | Barber | Val Barber | |
| Dance First | James Joyce | [49] | |
| TBA | Panic Carefully | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Wanderly Wagon | Shadow | |
| 1990 | The Play on One | Harry | Episode: "Killing Time" |
| 1992 | An Ungentlemanly Act | Marine Wilcox | Television film |
| 1993 | A Handful of Stars | Tony | Television film |
| Belfry | Dominic | Television film | |
| The Bill | Jeff Barratt | Episode: "Play the Game" | |
| Screenplay | Gypo | Episode: "Safe" | |
| 1994 | In Suspicious Circumstances | James Crozier | Episode: "To Encourage the Others" |
| 1999–2000 | Queer as Folk | Stuart Alan Jones | 10 episodes |
| 2000 | The Darkling | Jeff Obold | Television film |
| Lorna Doone | Carver Doone | Television film | |
| 2001 | Dice | Glenn Taylor | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | First Communion Day | Seamus | Television film |
| 2003 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Amyas Crale | Episode: "Five Little Pigs" |
| 2004–2008 | The Wire | Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti | 35 episodes |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Jimmy Colby | Episode: "Vigilante" |
| The Last Detective | Steve Fallon | Episode: "Willesden Confidential" | |
| Walk Away and I Stumble | Paul | Television film | |
| 2009 | Freefall | Gus | Television film |
| 2010 | Thorne | Phil Hendricks | 6 episodes |
| Identity | DI John Bloom | 6 episodes | |
| 2010–2011 | Love/Hate | John Boy Power | 10 episodes |
| 2011–2017 | Game of Thrones | Petyr Baelish | 41 episodes |
| 2011–2013 | Other Voices | Himself (host) | |
| 2013 | Mayday | Everett Newcombe | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Charlie | Charles J. Haughey | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Urban Myths | Timothy Leary | Episode: "Cary Grant and Timothy Leary" |
| 2017–2019 | Peaky Blinders | Aberama Gold | 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Dave Allen at Peace | Dave Allen | Television film |
| 2019–2020 | Project Blue Book | J. Allen Hynek | 20 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Kin | Frank Kinsella | 16 episodes |
| 2021 | Killers of the Cosmos | Gumshoe detective (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2021–2024 | Mayor of Kingstown | Milo Sunter | 22 episodes |
| 2022 | That Dirty Black Bag | Butler | 2 episodes |
| Chicago Party Aunt | Small Man (voice) | Episode: "St. Patrick's Day" |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Ekki múkk" | Sigur Rós | [50] |
| 2014 | "Valentine" | I Draw Slow | [51] |
| 2016 | "Cameo"[52] | Mick Flannery | |
| 2019 | "When We Go Out" | Vinci | [53] |
| "Lived Through This Before" | Barry McCormack | [54] | |
| 2020 | "A Hero's Death" | Fontaines D.C. | [55] |
| 2020 | "Distant Shores" | Barry McCormack | [56] |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha | [57][better source needed] |
| 1995 | Felicia's Journey | [58][better source needed] |
| The Barrytown Trilogy:The Commitments | [59][better source needed] | |
| 1998 | Irish Short Stories | |
| 2010 | The Poetry of Ireland | [60][better source needed] |
| 2015 | The Art of War |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Last Tycoon | BBC Radio 4[61] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Quantum Break | Paul Serene | Alsomotion capture |
