The first real shock in Game of Thrones came when – SPOILER ALERT – Sean Bean’s character Ned Stark got his head lopped off before the first season was over.
Formerly introduced as the main character in the series, it was a game-changing moment for the show – and one which left viewers thinking they’d never see Ned ever again.
Until, that is, a young figure cut a curiously familiar silhouette in the Season 6 trailer – and fans speculated that we might see a young Eddard Stark in a flashback.
That turned out to be correct, and in Episode 3, Oathbreaker, we saw a young Ned and Lord Howland Reed fight their way to the Tower of Joy.
So who picked up Sean Bean’s mantle as Ned Stark? Meet young British actor Robert Aramayo, who described his appearance on the show as a “dream come true” and “a gift”.
This was the first major role for the Hull-based actor, though he has some exciting projects coming up.
Aramayo will soon be seen in Tom Ford’s new film Nocturnal Animals, alongside the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
He’s also signed up to play Bill Harley in Discovery’s mini-series Harley & The Davidsons, about the origins of the motorcycle company, and will star in HBO’s upcoming Lewis & Clark mini-series.
Whatever he goes on to do, he’s got a cracking accent and does a perfect job of injecting the young Ned Stark with Sean Bean’s mannerisms.
Game of Thrones: Season 6
He's not done with Thrones yet, either – we’re bound to see more of him in future episodes of Season 6, as the Tower of Joy flashback was left on a tantalising mini-cliffhanger.
Sky Atlantic, 9pm
