Bio
Ciarán Hinds is an Irish actor best known to television audiences for his roles as Gaius Julius Caesar in Rome (2005-207), as James Langton in Above Suspicion (2009-2012), as Bud Hammond in Political Animals (2012) and as Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones, in 2013.
Hinds was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His early career was spent on stage.
After a long stint with the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, Hinds went on to perform in various theatres in London and Ireland. He appeared in many productions for The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre, and was in the original cast for Patrick Marber's hit play Closer.
One of Hinds' first screen roles was in Excalibur, a retelling of the King Arthur legend. The film also starred Helen Mirren and Cherie Lunghi, and launched the careers of fellow Irishmen Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne.
During this time he also appeared in a number of television dramas such as Seaforth and Prime Suspect. He played Brian Keenan, alongside Colin Firth, as John McCarthy in Hostages, a fictionalised account of real events in Lebanon in the 1980s.
He also appeared as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion with Amanda Root.
His career continued with the baddie in the second Lara Croft, Tomb Raider film; he was husband to Helen Mirren's character in Calendar Girls; and the subject of a hit in The Road To Perdition. He also appeared in the big-screen remake of Miami Vice.
Other films he has acted in include There Will Be Blood, Race to Witch Mountain, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Woman in Black and John Carter.