Finally some news about Season Six! HBO is being uncharacteristically tight-lipped about its upcoming season of Game of Thrones, but the TV network broke its silence recently. Entertainment Weekly announced earlier today that renowned Emmy Award winning actor Ian McShane will be joining the cast for Season Six. This will not be McShane’s first time in an HBO series. Ian McShane is well-known for his stellar acting in the well loved TV show Deadwood but has also made a name for himself acting in more light- hearted entertainment such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Kung Fu Panda. HBO did not disclose what character McShane would be portraying in Game of Thrones, but there are enough clues surrounding his casting for us to make an educated guess.
As many may recall, vague casting calls for the upcoming season were released earlier this year. One of the casting calls’ descriptions, which many speculate describes the character Randyll Tarley, particularly seems to fit Ian McShane.
The role, described simply as “Father,” calls for a man in his fifties or sixties who is to portray a character that is”0ne of the greatest soldiers in Westeros- a humorless martinet, severe and intimidating.” The role is described as a “very good part,” and it is mentioned that the character will be centrally involved in a protagonist’s storyline.
Overall, this fits the description Entertainment Weekly’s description of Mcshane’s role–“McShane has a relatively small amount of screen-time during the season, yet his character is of key importance.”
Randyll Tarley is Samwell Tarley’s father, who from his reputation is a hard and brutal man. One can only speculate how he will become a part of the main storyline, as next season ventures into territory that is not yet covered by George R.R. Martin’s books. While others postulate that McShane will be portraying Euron Greyjoy, a much anticipated character who was also hinted at, in the casting call, McShane’s age of 72 is suggestive that the actor will not be portraying the piratical character who is in his forties rather then his seventies. This is good news for Game of Thrones fans who are desperate for news between seasons. Let’s hope we get another casting announcement soon!
Who do you think Ian McShane will be playing? Guess below in the comments.
2 comments
I can’t wait to see who Ian McShane portrays. Many fan threads say either Randyll Tarly or Euron Greyjoy. Hm. I’d say he fits both characters but I hope he plays Randyll Tarly!