Game Of Thrones star Aidan Gillen has revealed he would shred his scripts from the show in order to prevent spoilers from leaking.
The Irish actor appeared in the HBO fantasy epic series for seven seasons, playing the scheming Lord Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish.
Producers of the global hit are notoriously meticulous when it comes to preventing leaks and Gillen, who previously starred in gritty crime drama The Wire, said he would ensure his used scripts were illegible if they ever fell into the wrong hands.
He told the Press Association: “I’ve always been quite diligent about shredding scripts as soon as they’re done. Going way back to when I worked on The Wire. They had a shredding machine in the office, it was the first time I was ever conscious of that, it was before social media so it wasn’t such a big deal.
“But they were ahead of their time. They were saying, ‘when you’re finished with these scripts, come into the office and shred them because we don’t want people knowing what’s going to happen’.
“So it’s always been part of my system. Once you’re finished, destroy it. I don’t tell members of my family what’s happening in scripts or if I’m going to be part of some major plot point, I keep it from everyone.”
Dublin-born Gillen, 50, was a major presence in Game Of Thrones, first appearing in 2011 when the show began.
Despite his lengthy stint on the programme, he does not know how it ends and has not asked any of his former co-stars ahead of the eighth and final season’s arrival in April.
He said: “I don’t know how it’s going to finish but I am as excited as the rest of us. I honestly have no idea and friends who I would be in contact with who are still involved, I wouldn’t ask them and they wouldn’t tell me anyway.
“And I’d rather not know, but I’m looking forward to it.”
As well as his TV roles, Gillen has also appeared on the big screen, including a part as a CIA agent in The Dark Knight Rises.
But he is perhaps best known for his role as Lord Baelish in the hugely popular Game Of Thrones, which has millions of fans around the world.
He said fans still call him by the name of the character in the street.
He said: “That’s not gone away and it won’t. People still greet you on the street by your character name. I’m not looking to either forget it or remember it for the rest of my life.
“If it’s something as widely seen as that, it’ll stay in the ether for a while and eventually something else will come along and eventually no-one will know who you are, or care. It’s going to be great.”
Press Association
