The game is up for Littlefinger
Irish actor Aidan Gillen has farewelled his Game of Thrones character and opted for a TV series on UFOs, writes
NORMALLY at this time of year Aidan Gillen would be in the middle of a press tour for Game of Thrones.
But after the death of his delightfully villainous character Littlefinger in season seven of the hit fantasy series, Gillen is now, for the first time, going to enjoy watching the highly anticipated final season as a fan.
“I have no idea how it’s going to end. As long as Liam Cunningham dies I’ll be happy,” he tells The Guide, referring to his fellow Irishman who plays Ser Davos Seaworth.
“I’m going over to the premiere in New York next week to see episode one (of season eight). It’s going to be fun watching it in a regular, punter fashion.”
Littlefinger’s demise has freed the Dublin native up to work on new projects, including the lavish sci-fi drama Project Blue Book.
Gillen stars as Dr J Allen Hynek, a brilliant yet under-appreciated college professor who is recruited by the US Air Force to spearhead a clandestine operation called Project Blue Book.
The 10-part series, which has been renewed for a second season, is based on de-classified US government investigations into UFOs and unexplained phenomena conducted between 1952 to 1969.
“Each episode is based on actual reports of UFO sightings, so it’s pretty cool and unique,” he says.
“Of course you’ve got to change the colour a little ... we’re definitely edging toward the more sensational interpretations. You’ve got to keep that game up so people don’t get bored.”
Dr Hynek’s sons Paul and Joel were on board as advisers and helped Gillen to shape his interpretation of the astronomer, who became a ufologist and developed the “Close Encounter” classification system.
“Having their approval and understanding that you aren’t either trying to impersonate their father or assuming you can emulate everything about him was a relief and a boost in confidence,” he says.
“One is an Oscar-winning special effects guy, so they understand the entertainment industry and they get dramatic licence, which was great for me.”
The series follows Dr Hynek as he becomes more and more frustrated by the government’s attempts to use him as a debunker to cover up baffling cases.
“People have been talking a lot about Hynek and that he went from a sceptic to a believer, but I don’t think that’s an accurate description,” Gillen says. “He was a sceptic and believer always. He was rigorous and he never really found what he was looking for but he kept looking. That’s what’s more interesting than anything.”