UPDATE: GAME OF THRONES Actor J.J. Murphy Dies; HBO Releases Statement

UPDATE: HBO has released the following statement following the passing of GAME OF THRONES actor J.J. Murphy:

"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. - D.B. Weiss and David Benioff"

Belfast Telegraph reports that actor J.J. Murphy, who was recently cast as Ser Denys Mallister on the hit HBO series GAME OF THRONES, has passed away just four days after filming his first scenes for the upcoming fifth season of the show. He was 86-years-old.

The site reports that the actor from Northern Ireland collapsed and died last Friday, Aug. 8th. His character was described as "the oldest member of the Night's Watch and commander of the Shadow Tower." He was reportedly scheduled to fillm additional scenes on the series. No details have been released as to whether his character will be written out of the series.

The actor was also set to appear in the upcoming film "Dracula Untold." His other film credits include "Angela's Ashes" and "Cal." He was best known for his stage work with the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. The actor was to join other recently cast actors Keisha Castle-Hughes, Obara Sand, and Jonathan Pryce in the popular HBO series.

Source: Variety