Born Name
Aidan Murphy
Nick Name
Aidan Gillen
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland
Residence
Aidan is based in Dublin, having lived in Kerry, a county on the west coast of Ireland, for half a decade with his former wife and children.
However, he often travels to Los Angeles, London, and New York City for work commitments.
Nationality
Education
Aidan Gillen went to the St. Vincent’s C.B.S. in Glasnevin, Dublin.
Occupation
Actor
Family
- Father – Was an architect. He has passed away since.
- Mother – Was a nurse.
- Siblings – Fionnuala Murphy (Older Sister) (Actress), John Paul Murphy (Older Brother) (Playwright), Patricia Murphy (Older Sister) (Teacher). He has two other older siblings.
Manager
Aidan is represented by Greene & Associates Talent Agency.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
Weight
68 kg or 150 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Aidan has dated
- Olivia O’Flanagan – The details of his relationship with Olivia O’Flanagan aren’t clear. There are some sources that report they had met in their teens in Dublin and had started dating soon after, whereas there are others that state otherwise. In 1997, she gave birth to a daughter, Berry. Berry was followed by Joe in 2000. They got married in an intimate ceremony in 2001. They are no longer together.
- Camille O’Sullivan (2015-Present) – The rumors of Aidan dating singer Camille O’Sullivan started swirling around in the second half of 2015. They were reported to have been spotted at a number of events such as art exhibitions in Dublin. They finally decided to make their relationship public in November 2015 as he took her out for a U2 concert in Belfast.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
His natural hair color is “Black” but due to an advanced age, he often has few gray strands.
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Loves to play villainous characters
- His smirking expressions
Measurements
His body specifications may be –
- Chest – 41 in or 104 cm
- Arms / Biceps – 14 in or 35.5 cm
- Waist – 33 in or 84 cm
Shoe Size
Unknown
Brand Endorsements
Aidan hasn’t done endorsement work for any brand.
Religion
His religious views aren’t known publicly.
Best Known For
- Being cast in the role of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish in the fantasy drama HBO series, Game of Thrones.
- Having played Tommy Carcetti in the American crime drama series, The Wire.
- Being one of the high acclaimed Irish actors with nominations for leading awards such as Tony Award, British Academy Television Award, and British Independent Film Award already in his resume.
First Film
In 1987, Gillen made his first film appearance in a minor role in the drama movie, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.
Before that, he was only seen in the short film The Drip in 1985.
First TV Show
In 1982, Aidan made his TV show debut in the Irish children’s TV series, Wanderly Wagon.
Personal Trainer
Aidan Gillen has worked with fitness blogger and personal trainer Mayling Ng to upgrade his fitness for physically challenging roles. The workout routine devised by Mayling comprised of compound exercises such as barbell squats; bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and dips; and explosive plyometric exercises. The focus was on to build functional strength that would serve him well while doing grueling action sequences.
If he is not working in the gym, he likes to head out for a jog to maintain his fitness. His other preferred form of exercise in to get on a stationary bike in his flat.
Aidan Gillen Favorite Things
- Movies – Jaws (1975), Taxi Driver (1976), The Exorcist (1973), The Wicker Man (1973), Badlands (1973), Performance (1970), Scarecrow (1973), Day for Night (1973)
- Music Artist – Sun Kil Moon (aka Mark Kozelek)
- Technology Gadget – 8mm Vintage camera
- Theater – Curzon Soho Cinema
- Book – The Bandini Quartet by John Fante
- Greatest Fear – Tickled to death by large spiders
- Most Treasured Possession – Coffin box, which is essentially a 1970’s money box
- Super Power – Tidying house through telekinesis
- Word – Unhalfbricking
- Smell – Chips, vinegar, and salt in a brown paper bag
- Guiltiest Pleasure – Too Shy (By Kajagoogoo)
- Greatest Love of his Life – His children
- Funeral Song – Pyramid Song by Radiohead
Source – Irish Examiner, The Guardian, The Guardian
Aidan Gillen Facts
- He left Dublin at the age of 18 and moved to London for better acting opportunities. He hadn’t been outside Ireland till his departure for the English capital.
- To prepare for his deranged role of hammer wielding murderer in Jason Statham starrer thriller Blitz, he made apocalyptic videos. And, to check whether he has got character perfectly, he got in a costume and character and tried to buy a hammer, and he was refused.
- He got his breakthrough after he was cast in the role of Stuart in the short lived British TV series, Queer as Folk, which was centered on lives of three gay men.
- He had to use his mother’s surname (Gillen) for his professional name because someone else had already registered Aidan Murphy with Actor’s Guild.
- His first acting project on the American shores was an Indie movie called Buddy Boy.
- When he was cast in Queer as Folk, he had signed a contract for only 10 episodes as he feared he might get struck with Stuart for the rest of his life.
- Due to his shy and introvert nature, he rarely succeeds in auditions. Most of the roles he has got were due to casting team noticing his other works and signing him up without audition.
- At the age of 10, he won a local art competition.
- To relax and unwind, he relies on meditation, sleep, alcohol, and cycling.
- While growing up, he wanted to become a stuntman. His role model was Evel Knievel, who was well known for motorcycle stunts and is reported to have tried more than 75 ramp to ramp jumps in his lifetime.
- He doesn’t have any social media account.
Featured Image via Aidan Gillen / CC BY-SA 4.0
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