Aidan Gillen

Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), known professionally as Aidan Gillen , is an Irish actor. 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, a Tony Award, and a Drama Desk Award.

Gillen is known to television audiences for his roles as Stuart Alan Jones in Queer as Folk (1999–2000); Tommy Carcetti in The Wire (2004–2008); John Boy Power in Love/Hate (2010–2011); Petyr "Littlefinger" 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 Nelson Rathbone in Shanghai Knights (2003), as 'CIA' in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Dr. Frank Harte in Calvary (2014), Janson in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018), Robert in Sing Street (2016), and John Reid in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

Early life and education Gillen was born Aidan Murphy in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, the youngest of six children born to Patricia (née Gillen) and Denis Murphy, on 24 April 1968. He was educated at St. Vincent's C.B.S. in Dublin's Glasnevin neighbourhood.

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.

In 2008, Gillen played Teach in the Dublin Gate Theatre's 2007 production of David Mamet's American Buffalo.

Screen During the 1990s, Gillen played a number of roles in television dramas and series, including a TV adaptations of the Wexford Trilogy.

In 1997, he appeared alongside playwright Harold Pinter in Mojo

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 2011, Gillen began playing Petyr "Littlefinger" 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. 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, The Scorch Trials, and third film, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, 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).

Personal life Gillen resides in his native Dublin. He met Olivia O'Flanagan when they were teenagers. They have two children. Master

You're Ugly Too Will Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Janson 2016 Sing Street Robert

The Lovers Robert King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Goosefat Bill

Maze Runner: The Death Cure Janson Bohemian Rhapsody John Reid

I Didn't...I Wasn't...I Amn't Aidan Short film Rose Plays Julie Peter 2021 Those Who Wish Me Dead Jack Blackwell

Barber Val Barber Dance First James Joyce

Amongst The Wolves Power London Calling Freddy Darby 2025 Re-creation Hamilton Barnes

Gorky Resort Vasily Zarubin Cold War 1994 F.M. Hong Kong film 7 Miles Out

2027 Panic Carefully Television 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 Belfry DominicThe 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 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 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 Killers of the Cosmos Gumshoe detective (voice) 6 episodes 2021–2023 Kin Frank Kinsella 16 episodes 2021–2024 Mayor of Kingstown Milo Sunter 22 episodes2022 That Dirty Black Bag Butler 2 episodes Chicago Party Aunt Small Man (voice) Episode: "St. Patrick's Day"2024Rock Paper ScissorsSteven Shadowwhispers (voice)Episode: "Trash"TBASaviourEddieMain role

Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2012 "Ekki múkk" Sigur Rós 2014 "Valentine" I Draw Slow 2016 "Cameo" Mick Flannery 2019 "When We Go Out" Vinci "Lived Through This Before" Barry McCormack 2020 "A Hero's Death" Fontaines D.C. "Distant Shores" Barry McCormack

Audiobooks Year Title Notes 1994 Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha 1995 Felicia's Journey The Barrytown Trilogy: The Commitments 1998 Irish Short Stories 2010 The Poetry of Ireland 2015 The Art of War

Video games Year Title voice role Notes 2016 Quantum Break Paul Serene Also motion capture

Stage credits Year Title Role Venue(s) 1981 The Do-It-Yourself Frankenstein Outfit Robot Dublin Youth Theatre 1985 Our Day Out Andrews 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 Marvin's Room Hank Hampstead TheatreComedy Theatre 1994 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 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 2021–22 Faith Healer Frank Hardy Abbey Theatre

Radio appearances Year Title Notes 2013 The Last Tycoon BBC Radio 4

Awards and nominations

Footnotes