Actor Ian McShane is joining the cast of "Game of Thrones' for Season 6. HBO announced the news on Saturday, Aug. 1. The character that the British actor will portray has not yet been revealed.
McShane is known for his villainous roles, such as Blackbeard in "Pirates of the Caribbean,' Judas Iscariot in "Jesus of Nazareth,' and Murder Santa in "American Horror Story.'
"The plot of season six is the most unknown one yet, as the show has largely caught up with the five books George R. R. Martin has published so far in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series," reported THR.
Michael Lombardo, HBO's programming president said that the network wants to extend "Game of Thrones' for longer than seven seasons.
"Seven-seasons-and-out has never been the conversation. The question is how much beyond seven are we going to do," said Lombardo on Thursday.
McShane is the first actor to be confirmed for Season 6. At age 72, his acting career has been successful for over five decades.
"Being an actor is like being a magician, a great dream. I'm lucky I'm still going. But actors never retire - they just lose the script," said McShane to Daily Mail.
