Conleth Hill

Conleth Seamus Eoin Croiston Hill (born 24 November 1964) is an Irish actor. He has performed on stage in productions in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and received two Tony Award nominations. He is best known for his role as Varys in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2011–2019).

Early life Conleth Hill was born in Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He has an older brother who works as a cameraman, a sister who is a producer, and a younger brother, Ronan, who is a sound engineer who has won four Emmy Awards for his sound mixing on Game of Thrones.

Hill attended St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's (Clothworkers Company Scholar) acting programme in 1989.

Career Hill made his Broadway debut in Marie Jones' Stones in His Pockets. For his work in the Canadian production of the play he received a Dora Mavor Moore Award. He played the German professor Max Staefel in a television adaptation of Goodbye, Mr Chips (2002). He played "Mum" to Peter Kay's character, Geraldine McQueen, in Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice, a spoof on the talent show genre of programmes. He also played the role of Edward Darby in the television series Suits, alongside his Game of Thrones co-star, Michelle Fairley.

From 2011 to 2019, Hill appeared as Varys in the television series Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. Martin hinted, in a February 2013 post on his website, that he thought Hill would be a good choice to play the title character in a TV show based on Martin's science fiction novel Tuf Voyaging. He also appeared as Carlos Santini in Season 3, Episode 4 of Derry Girls.

Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes 1994 A Man You Don't Meet Every Day Michael 1998 Crossmaheart Coulter Also known as Dead Man's Girl (DVD) 2003 Intermission Robert (Teacher) 2009 Whatever Works Brockman Perrier's Bounty Russ National Theatre Live: All's Well That End's Well Parolles 2011 The Shore Paddy Short film National Theatre Live: The Cherry Orchard Lopakhin Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Bernard Sugden 2012 Whole Lotta Sole Barber Also known as Stand Off (North America) Keith Lemon: The Film Delivery Man 2014 Shooting for Socrates Jackie Fullerton Serena Dr. Chaney The Good Word Da Taggart Short film 2015 Two Down Harry Montague A Patch of Fog Sandy Duffy 2016 The Truth Commissioner Johnny Rafferty Two Angry Men Ritchie McKee Short film 2017 National Theatre Live: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? George 2018 The Isle Douglas Innis (Also executive producer) 2019 Official Secrets Roger Alton 2020 Herself Aido Deveney Here Are the Young Men Mark Kearney 2021 To Olivia Marty Ritt Infinitum: Subject Unknown Professor Aaron Östergaard 2023 Tell Me a Creepy Story Da Taggart (Segment: The Good Word) 2026 The Sheep Detectives Ham Gilyard

Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 Boon Second Pupil Series 3; Episode 7: "Honourable Service" 1988 Casualty Rob Series 4; Episode 4: "Day Off" 1990 ScreenPlay Soldier Series 5; Episode 4: "The Englishman's Wife" Medics Liam McGuinness Series 1; Episode 4: "Niall" 1992 Bunch of Five Roache Episode 2: "Blue Heaven" (Pilot for series Blue Heaven) On the Up Deliveryman Series 3; Episode 1: "The Golf Tournament" Screen One Neil Series 4; Episode 8: "Trust Me" 1993 The Bill Michael White Series 9; Episode 40: "Hard Evidence" 1994 Blue Heaven Roache Episodes 1–6 Lit by Love and Sunshine Narrator 1995 Casualty Theo Series 9; Episode 24: "Duty of Care" Crown Prosecutor Neville Osborn Episode 9 1996 Out of the Deep Pan Derek Television film 2000 Meaningful Sex Carl Television short film 2001 TV to Go Con Series 1; Episode 2 2002 Goodbye, Mr. Chips Max Staefel Television film 2007 Ronni Ancona & Co Various roles Episodes 1–3 The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle Jared Episodes 1–6 2008 Britain's Got the Pop Factor... Geraldine's Mum Television film (Reality show parody by Peter Kay) 2011–2019 Game of Thrones Lord Varys Recurring role (season 1), main role (seasons 2–8); 46 episodes 2012 Little Crackers Sharon's Dad Series 3; Episode 11: "Sharon Horgan's Little Cracker: The Week Before Christmas" 2013 Suits Edward Darby Seasons 2 & 3 (6 episodes) 2014 Inside No. 9 Stevie Series 1; Episode 3: "Tom & Gerri" That Day We Sang Frank Television film Sherlock Uncredited role Episode: "The Empty Hearse" 2015 Foyle's War Sir Ian Woodhead Series 8; Episode 3: "Elise" Arthur & George Sergeant Upton Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 2017 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Reverend Anthony Huxley Series 2; Episode 2: "Playing with Fire" Peter Kay's Car Share Elsie Series 2; Episode 2: "The Smurf" 2018 Dave Allen at Peace John Tynan-O'Mahony Television film 12 Monkeys Interpol Agent Bonham Series 4; Episodes 2 & 3: "Ouroboros" and "45 RPM" Hang Ups Jon Pitt 4 episodes 2019 Doc Martin Dr. Edward Mullen Series 9; Episodes 4 & 6: "Paint It Black" and "Equilibrium" Dublin Murders Superintendent O'Kelly Episodes 1–8 2019–2024 Vienna Blood Mendel Liebermann Series 1–4 (12 episodes) 2022 Magpie Murders Alan Conway Episodes 1–6 St. Mungo's Pronsias Stevenson Television film Holding Sgt. PJ Collins Episodes 1–4 Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Dr. Alwyn Thomas Mini-series; Episode 1 Derry Girls Carlos Santini Series 3; Episode 4: "The Haunting" 2023 The Lovers Philip Episodes 1 & 6 2023, 2025 The Power of Parker Martin Parker Series 1 & 2; 12 episodes 2024 3 Body Problem Pope Gregory XIII Series 1; Episode 3: "Destroyer of Worlds" Inside No. 9 Party Guest Series 9; Episode 6: "Plodding On" The Cleaner Brennan Series 3; Episode 4: "The Lighthouse" Moonflower Murders Alan Conway Episodes 1, 2 & 4–6 2025 Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes Commissioner Sir Ian Blair Episodes 1–4

Video games YearTitleVoice roleNotes 2012 Game of Thrones Lord Varys Based on the TV series of the same name

Audio books Year Book Character Publisher 2008 Tamburlaine: Shadow of God by John Fletcher Hafez BBC Worldwide Ltd. 2009 Zurich (The Wire) by Pearse Elliott Narrator

Radio Date !! Title !! Role !! Author !! Director !! Station - id="The Man Who Came to Dinner" The Man Who Came to Dinner Moss Hart and George S Kaufmanadapted for radio by Marcy Kahan Ned Chaillet BBC Radio 4 - id="Tricycles" Tricycles Colin Teevan Toby Swift BBC Radio 3 The Wire - id="The Travels of Marco Polo" The Travels of Marco Polo Philip Palmer Toby Swift BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play - id="Titanic Letters" Ciaran Hinds#Titanic letters|Titanic letters Reader, ep.33 Ciaran Hinds BBC Radio Ulster - id="The Biggest Issues" Eoin O'Callaghan#The Biggest Issues|The Biggest Issues Jerry Cartwright Annie McCartney Eoin O'Callaghan BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Drama 2017 Big Country JD Quinn Patrick Kielty BBC Radio Ulster

Theatre Stage productions

Winners by Brian Friel, as Joe; One day in summer in a garden as Uncle Jim, Incredible adventure of doctor Faustus as Mephistopheles secretary, Fools' bar Various Roles, Fringe Benefits Theatre Company (1984–85) The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington, Various Roles, the Arts Theatre, Ardhowen Theatre, Belfast; Riverside Theatre, Coleraine (1986) West Side Story, as Bernardo - Leader of the Sharks, Ulster Youth Theatre (1986) Broken Nails by Damian Gorman, as Joe, St Peter's Cathedral in West Belfast (1988) Orlando, Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1988) Girl Crazy, Guildhall School of Music & Drama (1989) The School for Wives as Horace, The John Player Theatre, The Arts Theatre (Belfast) (1989) The Picture of Dorian Gray, as Dorian, Arts Theatre (Belfast) (1989) Too Late To Talk To Billy as John Fletcher, Arts Theatre, 1990 Over the bridge by Sam Thompson as Ephraim Smart, Lyric Theatre (1990) Playboy of the Western World as Shawn Keogh, Lyric Theatre (1990) The Iceman Cometh as Willie Oban, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1990) The Importance of Being Earnest as Algernon, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1990) Leave him to heaven, The Arts Theatre (Belfast) (1991) Government inspector Playwright Marie Jones Adapted Nikolai Gogol, as Headmaster, The Rock Theatre (1993) Christmas Eve Can Kill You, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1994) Playboy of the Western World as Christy Mahon, Redgrave Theatre, Farnham (1994) Tall Tales for Small People (Tall Tales For Cold, Dark Nights), Communicado (Scotland) (1995) Eddie Bottom's dream by Marie Jones, as Puck, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) Stones in His Pockets as Charlie, Lyric Theatre (Belfast); Gaiety Theatre (Dublin); Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh); Tricycle, New Ambassadors, Duke of York's (London); Winter Garden Theatre (Toronto); Golden Theater, (New York) (1996 with Tim Murphy) (1999 with Sean Campion) No Stars On Sunday by Tim Loane, Old museum Arts Center (Belfast) (1998) A Midsummer Night's Dream as Nick Bottom, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1997) Playboy of the Western World as Christy Mahon, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1997) Shining Souls, Old Vic (London) (1997) The Suicide by Nikolai Erdman, as Semyon Podsekalnikov, Communicado (Scotland) (1997) Juno and the Paycock as Joxer Daly, Royal Lyceum (Edinburgh) (1998) Northern Star by Stewart Parker, as Henry Joy McCraken, Field Day/Tinderbox (1998) Christmas Carol, Communicado (Scotland) (1998) A Whistle in the Dark as Michael Carney, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1999) Criminal Genius as motel manager Phillie, Prime Cut Productions (Belfast) (1999) Waiting for Godot as Estragon, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (1999) Conversations on a Homecoming as Michael, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (2002) After Darwin as Charles Darwin, Prime Cut Productions (Dublin and Belfast) (2002) The Chance as Daniel, Prime Cut Productions (Belfast) (2002) Democracy as Gunter Guillaume, National Theatre (London) (2003) The Producers as Roger DeBris, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (London) (2004) Shoot the Crow as Petesy, Trafalgar Studios (London); Royal Exchange Theatre (Manchester) (2005) Endgame as Hamm, Prime Cut Productions (Belfast) (2006) Philistines as Teterev, National Theatre (London) (2007) The Seafarer, as Ivan Curry, National Theatre (London); Booth Theatre (New York) (2007) Dallas Sweetman as Dallas Sweetman, Canterbury Cathedral (2008) All's Well that Ends Well as Parolles, National Theatre (London) (2009) Home Place as Richard, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (2009) STARS – A Ballycastle Nativity by Damian Gorman, Cross & Passion College and Ballycastle High School (Ballycastle) (2009) White Guard as Leonid Shervinskiy, National Theatre (London) (2010) The Cherry Orchard, as Lopakhin, National Theatre, London (2011) Uncle Vanya as Uncle Vanya, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) (2011) Quartermaine's Terms, as Henry, Wyndham's Theatre, London (2013) Macbeth, as Macbeth, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley (2016) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, as George, Harold Pinter Theatre, London (2017) SPUD, Lyric Theatre (Belfast) Director (2019) The Antipodes, as Sandy, National Theatre, London (2019) King Lear, Dublin Gate Theatre (2025)

Awards and nominations 2000 Irish Times award, for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Olivier Awards, Best Actor, for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Tony Award nomination, Best Actor in a Play, for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Drama Desk Award, Special Award, for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award, for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Whatsonstage award, Best Actor for Stones in His Pockets 2001 Dora Awards, for Stones in His Pockets 2005 The Critics Circle Theatre Awards, winner of Best Musical for "The Producers" 2005 Olivier Awards, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, for The Producers 2008 Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actor in a Play, for The Seafarer 2008 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, for The Seafarer 2011–2016 nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Game of Thrones