The latest addition to the live-action adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series is Danish actor Pilou Asbæk, according to EW, who will play Euron Greyjoy in the hit show. Given how crazy things have become for House Greyjoy over the last few seasons, it seems reasonable to expect Asbæk will see quite a bit of action in the upcoming season.
In the world of Martin’s novels, Euron Greyjoy is the oldest of Lord Balon Greyjoy’s younger brothers and the uncle of Theon and Yara Greyjoy. The captain of a massive warship named “Silence,” Euron leads a crew of sailors who have had their tongues ripped out by their captain.
In the HBO series, Balon is played by Patrick Malahide, while Theon is played by Alfie Allen and Yara is played by Gemma Whelan.
Along with a role in Scarlett Johannson’s 2014 sci-fi action film Lucy, Asbæk had a recurring role in The Borgias television series. He is set to play Pontius Pilate in the upcoming remake of Ben-Hur.
Asbæk joins a notable set of additions to the cast of Game of Thrones for the upcoming season. Deadwood and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides actor Ian McShane was cast as an unidentified character back in August, and Oscar-nominated actor Max von Sydow (The Exorcist, Minority Report) joined the cast as the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven just a day later.
Set to run at least eight seasons, Game of Thrones is currently in production on the sixth season, with the ten-episode block scheduled to air next spring.
Game of Thrones is based on George R.R. Martin’s series of A Song of Ice and Fire novels, which have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide as of April 2015. Martin is currently writing the sixth chapter of the series, The Winds of Winter.
