All men must die in HBO's hit series, "Game of Thrones," but when the actor that plays a part does, it's a sad day for production.
The off-screen passing of cast member, J.J. Murphy, rocked the series last week. The actor died four days into filming his scenes for the upcoming season.
According to the New York Daily, the Irish actor, who plays Ser Denys Mallister, the oldest member of the Night's Watch, died after filming a few of his scenes for the show.
According to Mashable, Murphy's character was supposed to play an important role in Jon Snow's (Kit Harrington's) storyline, being one of the top contenders for Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, after the previous Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, was brutally murdered.
"Game of Thrones" showrunners, DB Weiss and David Benioff, released a statement saying: "We will not be recasting J.J. Murphy. He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended."
A long-standing member of British actors' union, Equity, Murphy also worked at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, helping other actors hone their crafts, some of which included Ciaran Hinds and Liam Neeson.
Maggie Cronin, an actress as well as Murphy's fellow Equity member, said in a tribute that "His passion for theatre, for the welfare and betterment of actors and those who worked in the performing arts was always there. It was an integral part of the man."
His agent, Philip Young, has told The Guardian that Murphy was "absolutely delighted" to have been cast in the hit series.
His character, Ser Denys Mallister, was one of the slew of new characters that will be joining the next season. Other cast members, in a recap made by the Sydney Morning Herald, includes:
Alexander Siddig as the ruler of Dorne, Doran Martell; DeObia Oparei as Aero Hotah, his personal guard, and Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell, his son; Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella, Cersei Lannister's oldest daughter; Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand, a fearsome warrior who happens to be the Red Viper's eldest bastard daughter; Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand, who are also bastard daughters of the Red Viper; Enzo Cilenti as Yunkai's wealthiest slave owner, Yezzan, and Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow, an evangelical figure in the series.
As for the possible delay in production, Weiss and Benioff did not comment, but considering that they will not be replacing Murphy's role, it seems that the show will go on as planned.