Michael (11) impressed director on set of HBO spin-off

AN eleven-year-old actor from Leighlinbridge, Michael O’Mara, will appear in the latest HBO Game of Thrones spin-off series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will be released on the streaming service on 18 January.

“Michael had originally gone for a different part but was too young; they went with someone older,” explained his mother Jayme O’Mara. “But the director liked him so much that he promised him a part in the series. He rang out of the blue and said he had something for him.” The fifth-class pupil of Leighlinbridge National School plays an Ashford boy in the adaptation of George RR Martin's novella The Hedge Knight, set a century before the events of Game of Thrones.

Michael appears in two episodes, one of which is with the main character, Ser Duncan the Tall, played by Irish actor, Peter Claffey. “He had a great time with Peter Claffey. He’s very funny and took the time to engage with him,” said Jayme. He has two lines in one of the episodes and appears in the other.

“He just loves acting; he was born for the stage. He wants to be like Cillian Murphy. He hopes to win an Oscar,” said his mum. Murphy is his favourite actor, she said.

The whole family travelled to Antrim for the two separate weeks of shooting last summer. They enjoyed being put up in a hotel and seeing Michael appear on camera.

“The set itself was so cool, it was like going back in time. It was mad,” said Jayme.

Jayme said the production company has confirmed that there will be a second season and Michael is hoping to be recalled for it.

“We’re very excited about the release of it now,” said Jayme. Michael was unable to watch a previous series he worked on, the R-rated Netflix series The Decameron, but fortunately, he is old enough to view this one.

Jayme is grateful to his school, which accommodates him to do projects big and small during the term, and the SRL Talent Management agency who are "really excited" for Michael.

“He puts a lot of time and effort into becoming an actor,” says Jayme. “It's not easy, there’s so much that you don't see ‒ a lot of highs and lows. He loves it and tries his best at everything.” He’s a good singer, too, said his mum, and will be taking part in a Music Generation concert with the National Concert Orchestra in Dublin. “He’s very busy, but it’s worth it,” said Jayme.