Jerome Patrick Flynn (born 16 March 1963) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Bronn in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011–19). His other roles include Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier (1991–95), Bennet Drake in the BBC mystery series Ripper Street (2012–16), Hector in the Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance (2016), and Banner Creighton in the Paramount+ western series 1923 (2022–present).

Jerome Flynn
Flynn at the 2013 BAFTA TV Awards
Born
Jerome Patrick Flynn

(1963-03-16) 16 March 1963 (age 61)
Bromley, Kent, England
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1985–present
Websitewww.jeromeflynn.com

He and his Soldier Soldier co-star Robson Green also performed as Robson & Jerome in the latter half of the 1990s. They released a version of "Unchained Melody", which stayed at number 1 for 7 weeks on the UK Chart, selling more than a million copies and becoming the best-selling single of 1995. The duo had two further number 1 singles: "I Believe" and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted". Their eponymous debut album and the follow-up Take Two both reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart.

Early life

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Flynn was born on 16 March 1963,[1] in Bromley, Kent,[1] (now part of Greater London), the son of actor and singer Eric Flynn, who was born on Hainan Island in China, and drama teacher Fern Flynn.[2] He has a brother, actor Daniel Flynn, a sister; and a half-sister and a half-brother, musician and actor Johnny Flynn, from his father's second marriage.[2][3]

Career

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In 1986, Flynn appeared in the LWT television film London's Burning as firefighter Kenny "Rambo" Baines.[4] When the film spawned a series of the same name in 1988, he was unable to reprise his role due to previous commitments. Also in 1986, he played a minor role as the soldier "Franny" in "The Monocled Mutineer". In 1988 he played the character Freddie in the ITV drama; The Fear,[1] which was about the London underworld. He appeared as D.S Eddie Hargreaves for six episodes of the British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) winning police drama, Between The Lines between 1992 and 1994.[citation needed]

Flynn portrayed Corporal Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers, alongside Robson Green in the ITV series Soldier Soldier.[4] After Flynn and Green performed Unchained Melody on the programme, ITV was inundated by people looking to buy the song, and the pair were persuaded by record producer Simon Cowell to record it and release it as a single, a double A-side with White Cliffs of Dover.[5] The single was released under the name Robson & Jerome and reached number one in the UK chart in 1995.[5] It stayed at No.1 for 7 weeks in the UK Singles Chart,[5] selling more than 1.9 million copies, and making it the best-selling single of the year,[5] and winning the duo the Music Week Awards in 1996 for best single and best album. The duo had two more number one hits in 1995 and 1996 with "I Believe" and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" both re-makes of standards, they also produced two number one albums.[5]

In 1997, he starred as Eddie Wallis, alongside singing partner Robson Green, in the comedy-drama Ain't Misbehavin.[4] In 1999, Flynn starred in the short-lived police show Badger, played real-life footballer Bobby Charlton in the film Best,[4] played Tommy Cooper in Jus' Like That, a tribute to the late comic, written by John Fisher and directed by Simon Callow.[6]

In 2007, Flynn having semi-retired from acting and moved to Pembrokeshire,[7] directed and starred in the low budget film Rude Tales. The film was split into a series of short stories centred in the lead character, Jerome Rude, played by Flynn. In July 2010, after almost 10 years away from acting,[7] it was confirmed that Flynn would be playing the role of Bronn in the HBO television series Game of Thrones.[7][8] He continued the role for nine years until 2019.[9]

Flynn provides the voice of Daniel (the hound) in the children's television show Tommy Zoom. In 2012, Flynn stars alongside Matthew Macfadyen in four series of Ripper Street for the BBC.[10]

In 2016, Flynn appeared in "Shut Up and Dance", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.[11] In 2017, he was the voice of Dr. Gachet in the film Loving Vincent.[4][1]

In 2019, in an interview, Flynn revealed that he'd been cast in Amazon Prime Video's upcoming series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series in an unannounced role.[12]

In 2021, Flynn portrayed Neil Wallis specialist in crisis management in the BBC1 television drama film The Trick,[1] based on the true story around Climategate. In 2022, he starred alongside Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, where he played Scottish sheep farmer, Banner Creighton in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 (TV series).[4]

Flynn has narrated several Sleep Stories for the Calm App and is an advocate for Meditation and Mindfulness.[13] Flynn acts as patron for the Mindfulness in Schools Project.[13][14]

Personal life

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Vegetarian since the age of 18,[15] Flynn is a patron of the Vegetarian Society and Compassion in World Farming.[16][17] He has joined PETA in advocating the vegan lifestyle he himself lives by.[18] In December 2018, Flynn joined the board of directors of VeganNation,[19] an Israeli-based vegan lifestyle project that aims to create an ‘international vegan economy based on a virtual currency, the VeganCoin.”[20]

Having taken childhood holidays in Pembrokeshire, Wales with his family, as a then follower of Ratu Bagus, a form of meditation, Flynn and some friends moved to a Georgian house there in the late 1990s, where he still lived in 2014.[7]

Flynn was in a brief relationship with Game of Thrones co-star Lena Headey, which ended in 2014.[21][22]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 A Summer Story Joe Narracombe
To Kill a Priest Traffic militiaman
1991 Edward II Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent
Kafka Castle Attendant
2000 Best Bobby Charlton
2007 Rude Tales Jerome Rude
2013 Dante's Daemon Fisherman
2017 Loving Vincent Dr. Gachet
2019 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Berrada

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 American Playhouse Kurt Episode: "Displaced Person"
1986 Screen Two Nigel Episode: "The Russian Soldier"
The Monocled Mutineer Franny Episodes: "When the Hurly-Burly's Done", "Before the Shambles"
Breaking Up John Mailer
London's Burning: The Movie Kenny 'Rambo' Baines TV movie
1988 Troubles Matthews TV miniseries
The Fear Freddie
1989 Flying Lady Benny Barton Episode: "The Trip"
1990 Bergerac Alan Bruton Episode: "Under Wraps"
1991 Casualty Alan Deacon Episode: "Living in Hope"
Boon Chris Shepley Episode: "Lie of the Land"
1991–1995 Soldier Soldier Patrick "Paddy" Garvey
1992 Between the Lines Eddie Hargreaves 6 episodes
1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Tony Fleming TV movie
1995 A Mind to Murder Peter Nagle TV movie
1997 Ain't Misbehavin' Eddie Wallis TV miniseries
1999 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Martin Urban Episode: "The Lake of Darkness"
1999–2000 Badger Tom McCabe
2007 Tommy Zoom Daniel Voice role
2011–2019 Game of Thrones Bronn 36 episodes
2012–2016 Ripper Street Bennet Drake 31 episodes
2016 Black Mirror Hector Episode: "Shut Up and Dance"
2022 1923 Banner Creighton Miniseries
2023 The Change Pig Man TV series[23]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2011 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones Nominated
2013 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actor Ripper Street Nominated
2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Jerome Flynn", rottentomatoes.com, retrieved 10 May 2023
  2. ^ a b "Eric Flynn's obituary". The Telegraph. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Johnny Flynn's special relationship". The Guardian. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Jerome Flynn Credits", tvguide.com, retrieved 7 May 2023
  5. ^ a b c d e "Robson Green live on Breakfast". BBC.co.uk. 4 December 2002. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Cooper tribute serves laughter on a plate". bbc.co.uk. 24 September 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d Gerard Gilbert (22 November 2014). "Jerome Flynn: Game of Thrones and Ripper Street star is back in the limelight". The Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Game of Thrones cast gets local additions". BBC News. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  9. ^ "From HBO". Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  10. ^ "In like Flynn: Soldier Soldier star Jerome is back on TV in Ripper yarn". mirror.co.uk. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Joe Wright To Direct 'Black Mirror' Episode For Netflix; Bryce Dallas Howard & Alice Eve To Star". Deadline. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  12. ^ Jenkins, Kelly (20 April 2019). "Game Of Thrones star quit acting and bought holiday cottage before bagging role". Mirror Online. mirror.co.uk.
  13. ^ a b Calm. "Jerome Flynn chooses mindfulness over the sword".
  14. ^ Mindfulness in Schools Project. "Jerome Flynn, MiSP Patron".
  15. ^ "Jerome Flynn". Viva! Vegetarians International Voice for Animals. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  16. ^ "List of patrons". Vegetarian Society. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Patrons and High profile supporters". www.ciwf.org.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Jerome Flynn Urges People to Go Vegan," vegconomist.com, 11 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Jerome Flynn Joins the VeganNation Initiative". Medium. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Game of Thrones Star Jerome Flynn for VeganNation!". YouTube.com. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Game of Thrones stars Lena Headey and Jerome Flynn 'not on speaking terms'". Telegraph. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  22. ^ Bill Bradley (13 July 2019). "'Game Of Thrones' Star Jerome Flynn Shoots Down Long-Time On-Set Feud Rumor". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Bridget Christie comedy reveals cast". Comedy.co.uk. 5 July 2022.
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