Swashbuckling Cunningham gung-ho for latest TV role

Rugged Irish action star Liam Cunningham has told how he jumped at the chance to pull on his armour again to become the Games of Thrones newest hero.

The Dublin actor is no stranger to swords and savagery with starring roles in Clash of the Titans, The Centurion and the First Knight.

He believes Irish and British actors are favoured by the US makers of the medieval TV hit, winning over millions of telly viewers around the globe because of their experience in treading the boards.

“It’s all good. There’s a lot of top Irish and British talent involved in Game of Thrones.

“I think there is a great tradition of theatre in Europe, which involves two-hour-long plays, with lots of dialogue and that lends itself well to something like Game of Thrones.”

The Warhorse star told how he had to turn down the first role he was offered in the hit TV show but he got a second chance to take up a sword when the makers came back with another role in the series, largely filmed in the North.

“I’d met some of the guys for a different role but because of timing and availability it didn’t work out. For the second season, the producers said they had liked what I done already and asked if I would come back. I was delighted to.

“I’d already worked with some of the cast before such as Aiden Gillen and with Rory on Clash of the Titans.”

He said he very happy to star in a production by US cable giant HBO, which is responsible for Boardwalk Empire, Band of Brothers and Entourage.

“The productions HBO is creating right now are some of the best television shows that have ever been made.

“The show is beautifully crafted, with great visuals and writing, and it’s full of extraordinary characters doing extraordinary things.

“People who haven’t seen the show might say to themselves they’re not into swords and magic but Game of Thrones is much more than that, it’s a drama with great characters.”

The epic fantasy is set in a place called the Seven Kingdoms in the fictional land of Westeros and features brutal horse lords, enslaved princesses and scheming servants.

The series is based on the popular series of books by America’s contemporary answer to Tolkien, George RR Martin, called A Song of Fire and Ice.

Cunningham plays Davos Seaworth, a former smuggler who earned the nickname the Onion Knight for his history of smuggling onions among other things.

He’s knighted and becomes a great supporter and confidante to Lord Stannis Baratheon after saving his life.

He is well-versed in the choreography for action scenes in an epic medieval drama as he had a starring role in the movie Clash of the Titans.