'Game Of Thrones' Actor JJ Murphy Dead At 86
By Bill Bradley
Days after filming his first scenes for the upcoming season of "Game of Thrones," Northern Ireland actor JJ Murphy collapsed and died, according to the Belfast Telegraph. He was 86.
Murphy was set to play the oldest member of the Night's Watch, Ser Denys Mallister, in Season 5 of "GoT." It is not clear yet if producers will recast the role or rewrite the scenes in which Mallister was scheduled to appear.
Murphy is reportedly best known for training with the Ulster Group Theatre School in 1948, and working at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast alongside actors Liam Neeson and Ciaran Hinds.
UPDATE: Following news of Murphy's death, "GoT" executive producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff issued a statement saying, "We will not be recasting JJ Murphy. He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended," E! News reports.
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Bill Bradley
Entertainment Editor, HuffPost
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