“Hey, they were in Game of Thrones”—Where else have you seen these 55 GoT cast members? (Part 2)

41) RON DONACHIE

Veteran Scottish actor Ron Donachie radiated loyalty and strength as the Master-at-Arms of Winterfell, Ser Rodrik Cassel, a character who, predictably, did not survive the fall of House Stark. And if you didn’t already know, his son is actor Daniel Portman, who plays Poderick Payne on Thrones.

In an interview with ScienceFiction.com, Donachie talks about his Scottish connection to the world of Westeros, and how tradition isn’t always the best thing:

"Scotland was a warrior culture for many centuries, and a great deal of that remains in us still. The House of Stark with its ferocity, bravery and integrity is very attractive to a certain part of the Scot’s soul. That being said, however, modern Scots might also recognize that inflexibility and an unwillingness to change can lead to disaster – as is all too sadly the case with House Stark. The old ways are not always the best by any manner of means."

Donachie has been acting since 1983, when he appeared as a bouncer in the TV series Goodnight and God Bless. His impressive list of TV credits include roles on Coronation Street (1984), Tutti Frutti (1987), The Justice Game (1989), High Road (1992-1993), Ivanhoe (1997), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999-2000), The Bill (1990-2004), Doctor Who (2006), Waterloo Road (2012), Downton Abbey (2012, above, center), Casualty (1992-2015) and The Loch (2017).

Donachie’s movie credits include parts in titles like Fierce Creatures (1997), Titanic (1997, below, as Master-at-Arms), Beautiful Creatures (2000), Max Manus: Man of War (2008), Blitz (2007) and Filth (2013).

Donachie has moved on to many other projects, but he tells ScienceFiction.com that Thrones was a special time for him. “I’ve read all of A Song of Ice and Fire thus published. The scripts are the best I’ve ever worked on and I think they do a remarkable job of translating a complex and lengthy work of imagination into television films.”

2018 finds Donachie in the TV series Vera and the movie Outlaw King.