Darren Kent, Game of Thrones and Dungeons and Dragons actor, dies at 36

Darren Kent, the actor and director best known for his performance on Game of Thrones, has died. He was 36.

The news was announced by Kent's agency, Carey Dodd Associates, in a social media post on Tuesday. A cause of death was not revealed.

"It is with deep sadness we have to tell you that our dear friend and client Darren Kent passed away peacefully on Friday," the statement read. "His parents and best friend by his side. Our thoughts and love are with his family in this difficult time. RIP my friend."

An Essex native, Kent got his start as an actor in the early aughts, landing small roles in the 2008 horror film Mirrors and the Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart-led fantasy film Snow White and the Huntsman in 2012. However, it was his spotlight performance as a mourning goat herder on the season 4 finale of Game of Thrones that served as his big break.

In the episode, Kent starred as a man who approaches Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) holding a bundle in his arms. He then reveals that it is the charred remains of his three-year-old daughter, who was killed by her then-unruly dragons. Shocked by the discovery, Daenerys tearfully locks Rhaegal and Viserion away in the catacombs in order to protect the local townspeople.

Jack Dredd/Shutterstock Darren Kent

After Game of Thrones, Kent went on to star in the 2016 drama My Feral Heart, the gothic film The Little Stranger alongside Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter, and as a hilarious skeleton who succeeds in bamboozling Chris Pine in 2023's Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. His television credits also include the BBC adaptation of Les Misérables, Happy Hours, and the long-running British soap opera EastEnders.

Kent, who had a rare skin condition, won the Best Actor award at the 2012 Van d'Or for his performance in the short film Sunny Boy. He was also as involved behind the camera as he was in front of it — he wrote, directed, and produced several short films, including 2021's You Know Me.

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