Curtain Call: Ciarán Hinds

“The fault, dear Jon Snow, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

No, Ciarán Hinds did not utter that line in his final episode last night, but if he had it would not have been that out of place. Though Hinds’ played many roles over the course of his career before landing the part of the King-Beyond-The-Wall in the show’s third season, the one he is best known for on this side of the pond is that of Julius Caesar in HBO’s other budget buster series, Rome. Unlike that show, where Hinds’ fate was sealed hundreds of years before he took the part, Rayder’s fate in the TV show was not assured. This was not a Ygritte or a Joffrey, where their deaths came predetermined. After all, in the books, Hinds’ character is still alive and well…and probably wishing the books had done away with him instead of giving him to Ramsay as his latest torture pet.

The thing about Mance Rayder’s character, both in the books and on the TV show, is that it’s not a large role on the page, but it is in the minds of readers. So the show had to find someone who cast a long shadow. Hinds was never a main cast member. He showed up in all of three episodes his first season, a quiet force of nature, seated in the corner of the tent as Jon mistakes Tormund, so much more blustery and loud, for the man who united 90 wildling tribes. His appearances were short and mostly to the point–either plot-driven or exposition-centric. And then he disappeared again, a character only heard about until the end of last season. And yet, when he returned, once again calmly sitting in his tent, the gravitas of Hinds’ performance filled the room, and we, like Jon, hesitated to take down a man who commanded so much respect.

And then he was gone. Supposedly, anyway. Hinds may not have gotten as much as exposure on the show as his talent deserved, but he carved out a place for himself in the minds of viewers with what little screen time he had.

• Published on 04/13/2015 at 9:30 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 1:05 PM CDT