# Aidan Gillen

Aidan Murphy (born 1967 or 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (/ˈɡɪlən/), 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 "Littlefinger" Baelish in Game of Thrones (2011–2017), Aberama Gold in Peaky Blinders (2017–2019); as Milo Sunter on Mayor of Kingstown (2021–present); and as Frank Kinsella, in the crime drama Kin (2021–2023). His film roles include CIA operative Bill Wilson in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Janson in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and John Reid in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), and several films directed by Jamie Thraves.
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.

## Early life and education

Aiden Gillen was born Aiden Murphy in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, the youngest of six children born to Patricia (née Gillen) and Denis Murphy, in 1967 or 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 jointed 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.

## 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.
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 debut playing Mick, alongside 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".

### 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.
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 "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. 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, 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. They married in 2001 and separated in 2005.
As of 2020 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.
| Year | Work | Award | Result |
| 2000 | Queer as Folk | British Academy Television Award for Best Actor | Nominated |
| 2000 | The Low Down | Edinburgh International Film Festival for Best British Newcomer | Won |
| 2004 | The Caretaker | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Caretaker | Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Caretaker | Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play | Nominated |
| 2009 | The Wire | Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television | Won |
| 2010 | Treacle Jr. | British Independent Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor | Nominated |
| 2011 | Treacle Jr. | Milan International Film Festival Award for Best Actor | Won |
| 2012 | Love/Hate | Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television | Won |
| 2012 | Game of Thrones | Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Supporting Role Television | Nominated |
| 2012 | Game of Thrones | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2014 | Game of Thrones | Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Supporting Role Television | Nominated |
| 2015 | Charlie | Irish Film and Television Award for Actor in a Lead Role Television | Won |
| 2015 | Game of Thrones | Empire Hero Award | Won |
| 2016 | Game of Thrones | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2016 | Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials | Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain | Nominated |
| 2017 | Quantum Break | NAVGTR Award for Supporting Performance in a Drama | Won |
| 2018 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain | Nominated |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 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 | Credited as Aidan Murphy |
| 1995 | Circle of Friends | Aidan Lynch | |
| 1996 | Some Mother's Son | Gerard Quigley | |
| 1997 | Mojo | Baby | |
| 1998 | Gold in the Streets | Paddy | |
| 1998 | Amazing Grace | Young Man | Short film |
| 1999 | Buddy Boy | Francis | |
| 2000 | The Second Death | Pool Player | Short film |
| 2000 | The Low Down | Frank | |
| 2001 | My Kingdom | Barry Puttnam | |
| 2001 | Robertson Major | William Robertson | Short film |
| 2002 | The Final Curtain | Dave Turner | |
| 2003 | Photo Finish | Joe Wilde | |
| 2003 | Shanghai Knights | Lord Nelson Rathbone | |
| 2003 | Burning the Bed | Stephen | Short film |
| 2006 | Trouble with Sex | Conor | |
| 2008 | Blackout | Karl | |
| 2009 | 12 Rounds | Miles Jackson | |
| 2009 | Spunkbubble | Dessie | Short film |
| 2009 | Runners | Terry | Short film |
| 2010 | Treacle Jr. | Aidan | |
| 2011 | Wake Wood | Patrick Daley | |
| 2011 | Blitz | Barry Weiss | |
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises | CIA Op | "CIA Op" in film credits, "Bill Wilson" in the movie's novel |
| 2012 | Shadow Dancer | Gerry | |
| 2012 | Ekki Múkk | Little One | Short film |
| 2012 | The Good Man | Michael | |
| 2013 | Scrapper | Ray | |
| 2013 | The Note | Lars | Short film |
| 2013 | Mister John | Gerry Devine | |
| 2013 | Beneath the Harvest Sky | Clayton | |
| 2013 | Song | Dan | Short film |
| 2014 | Calvary | Dr. Frank Harte | |
| 2014 | Still | Tom Carver | |
| 2014 | Song | Dan | Short film |
| 2014 | Ambition | Master | Short film |
| 2015 | You're Ugly Too | Will | |
| 2015 | Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials | Janson | |
| 2016 | Sing Street | Robert | |
| 2017 | The Lovers | Robert | |
| 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | Goosefat Bill | |
| 2018 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | Janson | |
| 2018 | Bohemian Rhapsody | John Reid | |
| 2019 | I Didn't...I Wasn't...I Amn't | Aidan | Short film |
| 2019 | Rose Plays Julie | Peter | |
| 2021 | Those Who Wish Me Dead | Jack Blackwell | |
| 2023 | Barber | Val Barber | |
| 2023 | Dance First | James Joyce | |
| TBA | Panic Carefully | | Filming |

### 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 | Television film |
| 1993 | Belfry | Dominic | Television film |
| 1993 | The Bill | Jeff Barratt | Episode: "Play the Game" |
| 1993 | 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 |
| 2000 | 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 | Thomas J. "Tommy" Carcetti | 35 episodes |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Jimmy Colby | Episode: "Vigilante" |
| 2005 | The Last Detective | Steve Fallon | Episode: "Willesden Confidential" |
| 2005 | Walk Away and I Stumble | Paul | Television film |
| 2009 | Freefall | Gus | Television film |
| 2010 | Thorne | Phil Hendricks | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | 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 |
| 2021–2023 | 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 |
| 2022 | Chicago Party Aunt | Small Man (voice) | Episode: "St. Patrick's Day" |

### Music videos

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

### Audiobooks

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

### Radio

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

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | Quantum Break | Paul Serene | Also motion capture |

### Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Venue(s) |
| 1981 | The Do-It-Yourself Frankenstein Outfit | Robot | Dublin Youth Theatre |
| 1985 | Our Day Out | Andrews | Dublin Youth Theatre |
| 1985 | 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 |
| 1989 | Blue | Ed Ache / Fred | National Theatre Studio |
| 1989 | The Long Way Round | Albin | Royal National Theatre |
| 1989 | The Water Engine | Bernie | Hampstead Theatre |
| 1990 | Lovers Meeting | Joe Hession | Druid Theatre Company |
| 1991 | The Patriot Game | Pearse | Abbey Theatre |
| 1991 | The Wexford Trilogy: Belfry | Dominic | Bush Theatre |
| 1992 | Drama at Inish | Eddie Twohig | Abbey Theatre |
| 1993 | The Wexford Trilogy | Tony / Dominic | Abbey Theatre |
| 1993 | Marvin's Room | Hank | Hampstead Theatre Comedy 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 | 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 |
| 2007 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Richard Roma | Apollo Theatre |
| 2015 | The Dead | | Sam Wanamaker Playhouse |
| 2021–2022 | Faith Healer | Frank Hardy | Abbey Theatre |

## Footnotes

* ↑ This is variously quoted in sources, and the National Portrait Gallery mentions an "Irish Youth Theatre", but most likely refers to the Youth Theatre Ireland and its annual programme called National Youth Theatre, rather than the (British) National Youth Theatre.