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Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles as Stuart Alan Jones in Queer as Folk (1999–2000); Tommy Carcetti in The Wire (2004–2008); John Boy in Love/Hate (2010–2011); Petyr Baelish in Game of Thrones (2011–2017); Aberama Gold in Peaky Blinders (2017–2019); Milo Sunter in Mayor of Kingstown (2021–2024); and Frank Kinsella in Kin (2021–2023). His film roles include Lord Nathan Rathbone in Shanghai Knights (2003), a CIA operative in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Dr. Frank Harte in Calvary (2014), Janson in (2015) and (2018), Robert in Sing Street (2016), and John Reid in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, and a Tony Award.
Gillen joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of fourteen, and also joined Dublin Youth Theatre in his teens. His career began when he was 16, with the role of Nick Bottom in the Dublin Youth Theatre's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Project Theatre in 1983.
He obtained his Equity 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. He moved to London in 1987 when he was 18 or 19.
In 2005, he played one of three men in a prison cell in Dominic Dromgoole's production of Irish playwright Frank McGuinness's 1992 hostage drama, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me at the New Ambassadors in London.
In 2008, Gillen played Teach in the Dublin Gate Theatre's 2007 production of David Mamet's American Buffalo.
Gillen had his Broadway theatre debut playing Mick, alongside Patrick Stewart and Kyle MacLachlan, in Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker in 2003, directed by David Jones. The New York Times reviewer Ben Brantley called his performance a "smashing Broadway debut".
In 1997, he appeared alongside playwright Harold Pinter in Mojo based on the 1995 play of the same name by Jez Butterworth and directed by Butterworth.
In 2000, he starred in The Low Down, director Jamie Thraves' first feature film. The film was named among the "neglected masterpieces" of film history by The Observer in its rundown of 50 Lost Movie Classics.
In 2003, he played the villain in the Shanghai Noon sequel, Shanghai Knights.
In 2004, having been spotted by producers in The Caretaker, Gillen was cast as Tommy Carcetti in the HBO series The Wire, for which he received an Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Television.
In 2011, Gillen began playing Petyr Baelish on the HBO series Game of Thrones, for which he received his second Irish Film & Television Award nomination. He appeared in seven seasons, until his character's death in the season 7 finale "The Dragon and the Wolf". He starred as cop killer Barry Weiss in the British crime-thriller Blitz and in the British horror film Wake Wood. Gillen played crime boss John Boy in the acclaimed Irish crime-drama Love/Hate, for which he received his third Irish Film & Television Award nomination and second win.
In 2012, he played CIA operative Bill Wilson (the character's name is from the novelisation; his name is not directly said in the film's script) in The Dark Knight Rises, his first role in a major Hollywood film. Gillen said he enjoyed playing the role, but preferred low-budget lead roles to blockbuster bit-parts. 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 of 4chan's /tv/ board. Thus, he subsequently became the subject of an Internet meme popular among /tv/ users known as "Baneposting", which references the dialogue between Wilson and Tom Hardy's character Bane in said scene. The same year, Gillen also starred in the British spy-drama Shadow Dancer, and was announced as the new host of the music show Other Voices.
He starred in the BBC five-part thriller Mayday in 2013, and the Irish comedy-drama film Calvary the following year. He shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the cast of Game of Thrones for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Gillen also starred in the short film Ekki Múkk, created for the Valtari Mystery Film Experiment by Icelandic band Sigur Rós, as well as Janson in the second film, , and third film, , in the Maze Runner trilogy.
Gillen played Queen's manager John Reid in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which was released on 2 November 2018. He starred as Aidan in the short film titled I Didn't...I Wasn't...I Amn't, written and directed by Irish actress Laoisa Sexton.
He starred in The History Channel's two-season series Project 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.
Gillen co-wrote the script of and starred in Jamie Thraves' fourth feature film, Pickups (2017). This was the third collaboration with Thraves.
He plays Frank Kinsella, a member of a prominent Irish crime family in the RTÉ One crime drama Kin (2021–2023).
Career
Stage
Gillen's first role on a London stage was at the Bush Theatre, in Billy Roche's Wexford Trilogy. Soon afterwards he had a role in Juno and the Paycock at the Royal National Theatre.
Screen
During the 1990s Gillen played a number of roles in television dramas and series, including a TV adaptations of the Wexford Trilogy. Gillen played a lead role as Stuart Alan Jones in the 1999 Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and its sequel.
Personal life
Gillen resides in his native Dublin. He met Olivia O'Flanagan when they were teenagers. They have two children. They married in 2001 and separated in 2005.
Gillen has been in a relationship with singer Camille O'Sullivan since 2014.
Awards and nominations
In 2008, Gillen was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award for his portrayal of Teach in the Dublin Gate Theatre's 2007 production of David Mamet's American Buffalo.
2000 Queer as Folk British Academy Television Award for Best Actor 2000 The Low Down Edinburgh International Film Festival for Best British Newcomer 2004 The Caretaker Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 2009 The Wire Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television 2010 Treacle Jr. British Independent Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor 2011 Milan International Film Festival Award for Best Actor 2012 Love/Hate Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television Game of Thrones Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Supporting Role Television Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2014 Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Supporting Role Television 2015 Charlie Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television Game of Thrones Empire Hero Award 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain 2017 Quantum Break NAVGTR Award for Supporting Performance in a Drama 2018 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain
Filmography
Film
+ 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 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 Master 2015 You're Ugly Too Will Janson 2016 Sing Street Robert 2017 The Lovers Robert Goosefat Bill 2018 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 2024 Amongst The Wolves Power London Calling Freddy Darby TBA Panic Carefully Filming
Television
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 Tommy Carcetti 35 episodes 2005 Jimmy Colby Episode: "" 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 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" 2024 Rock Paper Scissors Steven Shadowwhispers (voice) Episode: "Trash"
Music videos
Audiobooks
1994 Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha ASIN B0051H6FW4 1995 Felicia's Journey ASIN B000PYA4MA The Barrytown Trilogy: The Commitments ASIN B002SQCXX6 1998 Irish Short Stories 2010 The Poetry of Ireland ASIN B003GQ6S2O 2015 The Art of War
Radio
2013 The Last Tycoon BBC Radio 4
Video games
2016 Quantum Break Paul Serene Also motion capture
Stage
1981 The Do-It-Yourself Frankenstein Outfit Robot Dublin Youth Theatre 1985 Our Day Out Andrews Dublin Youth Theatre A Midsummer Night's Dream Nick Bottom National Youth Theatre 1988 The Wexford Trilogy: A Hand of Stars Tony Bush Theatre 1989 Juno and the Paycock Soldier Royal National Theatre Blue Ed Ache / Fred National Theatre Studio The Long Way Round Albin Royal National Theatre The Water Engine Bernie Hampstead Theatre 1990 Lovers Meeting Joe Hession Druid Theatre Company 1991 The Patriot Game Pearse Abbey Theatre The Wexford Trilogy: Belfry Dominic Bush Theatre 1992 Drama at Inish Eddie Twohig Abbey Theatre 1993 The Wexford Trilogy Tony / Dominic Abbey Theatre Marvin's Room Hank Hampstead Theatre
Comedy Theatre1994 The Playboy of the Western World Christopher Mahon Almeida Theatre 1995 Mojo Skinny Royal Court Theatre 2000 The Tempest Ariel Almeida Theatre 2001 Platonov Platonov Almeida Theatre 2003 The Caretaker Mick Roundabout Theatre 2005 Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Edward New Ambassadors Theatre 2007 American Buffalo Teach Gate Theatre Glengarry Glen Ross Richard Roma Apollo Theatre 2015 The Dead Sam Wanamaker Playhouse 2021–2022 Faith Healer Frank Hardy Abbey Theatre
Footnotes
External links
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