BEYOND THE THRONE

A Northern Irish actor delves into the complex life story that helped him transform an aphasic character on HBO’s Game of Thrones into a beloved hero.

When a Belfast talent booker urged the 6-foot-10 author to go to a television casting call for a “strong, tall character” who spoke just one word, Nairn reluctantly agreed. The ultimately successful audition—and the character of Hodor—changed his life. In this thoughtful, moving memoir, Nairn explores a painful past growing up during the Irish Troubles. Abandoned by his father and ridiculed for his height, Nairn grew up an outcast, a situation rendered even more excruciating by being a closeted gay man in still-homophobic Ireland. His journey to self-acceptance began with explorations of homosexual identity through his drag queen alter ego, Revvlon Miguel. His forays into the gay club scene inspired him to pursue jobs as a drag queen, then as a DJ. Yet it was only after he landed a role on Game of Thrones that Nairn felt called to take his career as an entertainer seriously. Perceived at first as little more than a “lumbering half-wit,” Hodor became the vehicle through which Nairn learned the subtleties of the acting craft. The character also offered him unexpected opportunities to develop deep friendships with people like 10-year-old co-star Isaac Hempstead Wright (whom Nairn was at first determined not to like) and to overcome the emotional demons that kept him from speaking his mind and fully connecting with others. Fans will no doubt enjoy the behind-the-scenes details Nairn offers about the meticulously crafted world of Game of Thrones. But the real delight of this book lies in its honest, sensitive portrayal of a man who comes into his own through the unexpected convergence of art and life.

Compelling and richly satisfying.