Game Of Thrones Actor Dies On Christmas Eve

Game of Thrones actor Andrew Dunbar, who was the body double to Theon Greyjoy star Alfie Allen and a frequent extra on the HBO series, died on Tuesday, December 24, 2019. 

According to Deadline, Dunbar passed away at his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where a funeral was held on Monday, December 30, 2019. Though he was in his 30s and reportedly had no publicly known health issues, Dunbar's death isn't being treated as suspicious, as noted by Irish Central.

On Game of Thrones, which wrapped its eight-season run in May 2019 with a highly divisive finale, Dunbar primarily served as Allen's body double, standing in for the actor during various scenes to ensure no breaks in visual continuity. In addition to that gig, he also appeared on the fantasy epic as a Northern Ally during the acclaimed season 6 episode "Battle of the Bastard," as well as a Stark bannerman throughout various episodes. 

Beyond the realm of Westeros, Dunbar appeared as an extra on the hilarious Netflix original series Derry Girls, the now-cancelled Superman prequel show Krypton, and the BBC police procedural Line of Duty. He was also a DJ and an artist — and, according to Irish Central, chose to divide his time across music, art, and acting instead of pursuing acting full-time.

The Extras Department — the biggest extras agency in Northern Ireland — posted to Instagram a statement following Dunbar's death, remembering him as a beloved and talented actor who brought passion and a sense of joy to every project on which he worked.

"To say we are shocked and saddened at the passing of Andrew Dunbar is an understatement. We have so many fond memories of the years Andrew worked with us. He was so versatile we could cast him in anything, he was such a talented performer he would always end up being featured, and he was so adored that he was always requested by productions again and again," the statement reads. "He'll be remembered in his roles as a Stark and Theon Greyjoy's Double on Game of Thrones, a corrupt Police Officer on Line of Duty, the poor fella cornered by Colum on Derry Girls, and a Rebel on Krypton to name a few. But most of all he'll be remembered by his kind soul and infectious personality. Thank you for all you did for us Andrew. We will miss you dearly."

Pamela Smyth, who served as the head of crowd makeup during Game of Thrones' run, said of Dunbar, "[He was] always professional and mannerly, with a big broad beaming smile. A beautiful soul — he will be missed by all the GoT family" (via Deadline).

Another person who has come forward to honor Dunbar's memory is Alfie Allen himself. The actor, who began playing Theon Greyjoy on Game of Thrones in 2011, took to his Instagram Story to share a tribute to his Thrones companion. "Andrew was an actor who was also a stand-in as Theon on GoT. Extremely shocked and saddened to hear of his passing," wrote Allen. "To lose a loved one so young, I can only imagine what his family are going through. RIP Andrew xxx."

Our thoughts are with Dunbar's loved ones during this time of mourning.