J.J. Murphy — an 86-year-old Irish actor hired to play Ser Denys Mallister in Game of Thrones — has died just four days after filming his first scenes for the HBO fantasy drama. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Murphy was "due to shoot more scenes shortly" — but despite the role his character plays in the fantasy drama's upcoming fifth season, the network does not plan to find a new actor to fill the role.
"We will not be recasting J.J. Murphy," said creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss in an official statement released by HBO. "He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended."
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