Kristian Nairn
Northern Irish actor (born 1975)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kristian Nairn (born 25 November 1975) is an actor and DJ from Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He is best known for his portrayal of Hodor in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011–2014, 2016).[1][2] He also played Wee John Feeney on the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023).[3]
Career
Nairn's portrayal of Hodor on Game of Thrones was his first acting role; Nairn earned enough to buy his mother a house.[4] He is a progressive house/trance DJ, and used to be the resident DJ of Kremlin, a gay club in Belfast.[5] Since Game of Thrones began, Nairn has toured as a DJ with "Rave of Thrones" using musical themes and costumes from the television series.[6][4] At the end of 2017, he performed the first part of the Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike concerts in Antwerp.[7][8] He was the DJ during the BlizzCon 2016 anniversary party and BlizzCon 2018 closing festivities.[9][10] In October 2018, Nairn appeared in a commercial for eToro that was launched on YouTube, featuring the Internet meme Hodl.[11][12]
Nairn is an accomplished guitarist. He got the opportunity to play backstage with Megadeth during the Hellfest Open Air Festival in Clisson, France, in June 2018.[13]
He portrayed Wee John Feeney on the HBO series Our Flag Means Death from 2022 to 2023.[14][15]
In August 2025, Nairn was announced as a contestant on the upcoming twenty-third series of Strictly Come Dancing.[16] Later that month, it was announced Nairn had withdrawn from the series due to "unexpected medical reasons".[17]
Personal life
In March 2014, Nairn publicly discussed his gay identity in an interview with a Game of Thrones fan site.[18] He stated: "When you talk about 'the gay community,' you are talking about MY community. [...] I've never hidden my sexuality from anyone, my whole life in fact, and I've been waiting for someone to ask about it in an interview."[19] He went on to say that his sexuality is "a very small part of who I am on the whole, but nonetheless, in this day and age, it's important to stand up and be counted."[20] In 2015, Nairn clarified in an interview with Chicago Go Pride that it was really his "second coming out. I'd done it when I was 14 and didn't think I'd have to do it again. Especially since every single person in my life knew."[21]
In April 2023, Nairn revealed to the BBC that he had witnessed the shooting of policeman Darren Bradshaw at the Parliament Bar in Belfast in May 1997.[22]
Filmography
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Our Gay Wedding | Himself | |
| 2014 | Treasure Trapped | Himself | Documentary |
| 2015 | The Four Warriors | Baliphar | |
| 2016 | Mythica: The Godslayer | Tek | |
| 2018 | The Appearance | Johnny | |
| Robin Hood: The Rebellion | Thomas | ||
| 2023 | Unwelcome | Eoin | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2016 | Game of Thrones | Hodor | Recurring (seasons 1–4, 6), 23 episodes Nominated – 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards for Tearjerker[23] |
| 2012–2013 | Ripper Street | Barnaby Silver | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Chronicles of Comic Con | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2014 | The Wil Wheaton Project | Himself/Hodor | 1 episode |
| 2018 | The Sidemen Show | Himself | 1 episode |
| The Rookie | Wallace | Episode: "The Switch" | |
| 2021 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | Himself: Guest Judge | 1 episode |
| 2022–2023 | Our Flag Means Death | Wee John Feeney | Main role |
Podcast
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Yogpod 38: Hodor! | Himself | Interview |
| Cast of Thrones: A Golden Crown | Himself | Interview | |
| 2012 | Cast of Thrones: Bonus Episode 9 | Himself | Interview |
| 2013–2015 | Two is Company by Zack Luye and Kristian Nairn |
Himself | Talk show 16 episodes[24] |
| 2019 | Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum | Himself | Interview[25] |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Our Flag Means Death | Nominated | [26] |
