Aidan Gillen has been part of many dramas when it comes to modern TV history. From The Wire to Peaky Blinders to the role he’s probably best known for Littlefinger on Game of Thrones. He’s 100% a heavyweight in the world of TV dramas, and he brought his talents to Mayor of Kingstown to play the show’s big bad Milo, and with Season 2 getting started, the series co-creator is discussing how the actor has helped shape the series’ big bad.
Gillen has talked about playing “charming sociopaths,” as he called his characters in an interview with ABC News Australia, in multiple projects throughout his career. From The Wire to Game of Thrones Gillen has been part of major moments in TV, and that continued when he joined Hugh Dillon and Taylor Sheridans’ Paramount+ drama Mayor of Kingstown. So, with Season 2 getting started on the 2023 TV schedule, Dillon explained to CinemaBlend how Gillen has helped evolve the show’s big bad crime boss.
I can answer that by just telling you the truth. Season 1 was written before we cast it. And so what's exciting is once we cast it, and we saw those actors in those roles, then it opens up all of it for Season 2, because now we know who they are, what they look like, how they move in the world. And Aidan is just so hugely talented, and he again, just is able to just find the humanity and, the honesty in every moment. From my point of view, and having co-created it, and I'm so close to it, it's just like, ‘Oh my God, he's so good’ and you forget that you're watching a performance. And he's exceptional this year, like we knew he would be.
It’s really cool to hear Dillon talk about how in awe he was of Gillen’s performance. The co-creator had the idea for the show over a decade ago, and I’d imagine seeing his vision for Milo played out on screen and portrayed by someone like the Game of Thrones alum would be a surreal experience. I'm also not surprised that after seeing the actor in Season 1, they were enthusiastic about Gillen helping them take Milo to new heights in Season 2.
Gillen said in an interview with Collider last year that you don’t see much of Milo in Season 1, he’s being teased. Although you're still terrified of him, because when he is on screen it's chilling and important. However, after the prison riot in the finale and Milo’s escape, I’d assume his character is poised to play a massive role in Season 2.
Much like Littlefinger Milo is cool, calculated, patient, and terrifying. I know when I watched Season 1 I was even more scared of Gillen’s character on the Paramount+ series because of his subtle yet scary performance as the conniving Petyr Baelish in the best episodes of Game of Thrones.
As we move through Season 2 of Mayor of Kingstown and possibly move into Season 3, I have a feeling Milo will become one of the biggest elements of the show. I’m sure Gillen will perform in a way that makes the crime boss truly terrifying despite his calm and calculated demeanor, and truly unforgettable.
If you want to watch Gillen in Mayor of Kingstown you can stream new episodes every Sunday as well as the whole first season with a Paramount+ subscription, you can also always go back and watch his performance as the infamous Littlefinger on Game of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription.
