AIDAN GILLEN

He’s back to explore Area 51 and Roswell in Project Blue Book

- Tara Bennett

Despite three decades of playing eclectic roles around the globe, actor Aidan Gillen is still a man seeking something surprising. Whether it’s theatre, film or TV, he’s just as happy finding his space in a large ensemble piece like Game Of Thrones as he is taking the lead in Project Blue Book. But the characters have to make him intrigued. “I’ve always been after good characters in well written dramas,” the soft-spoken actor tells SFX from his home in Ireland. “If it’s not well-written and not about something, what’s the point?” Luckily, he’s had quite the range of characters to pique his interest, with the most recent being the real-life ufologist Dr J Allen Hynek – soon to appear in Project Blue Book’s second season.

You’ve always been intrigued with the idea of UFOs, even before Project Blue Book, right?

Yeah, this is nothing new to me. I’ve sought it out, always. With early camping trips, I got out of the city in Dublin, out into the mountains with the Scouts or whatever, staring up, looking at shooting stars. I’ve always been awed.

Now you’re two seasons into the series, do you look at the skies any differently?