Iain Glen Movies and TV Shows: Complete Guide to the Game of Thrones Star’s Career

Iain Glen, Scottish actor known for Game of Thrones, Silo and The Rig, in a recent portrait

Iain Glen is a Scottish actor whose career spans theatre, film and television with unusual consistency. Best known to global audiences as Ser Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones, he has built a body of work that moves easily between prestige British drama, major Hollywood franchises and recent high-profile streaming series.

Born Iain Alan Sutherland Glen on 24 June 1961 in Edinburgh, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (winning the Bancroft Gold Medal) and has remained active on stage as well as screen for nearly four decades. This guide focuses on his most notable movies and television appearances, organised for easy reading.

Early Career and Breakthrough Roles

Glen first drew serious attention with the 1990 film Silent Scream, playing imprisoned Scottish poet Larry Winters. The performance earned him the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival. The same year he portrayed explorer John Hanning Speke in Mountains of the Moon and took the role of Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

These early credits established him as a versatile dramatic actor capable of both intensity and quiet authority.

Key Film Roles

Glen has appeared in a wide range of films. Standout credits include:

  • Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) – Manfred Powell, the calculating antagonist opposite Angelina Jolie
  • Resident Evil series – Dr. Alexander Isaacs / Tyrant in Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
  • Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Richard the Lionheart
  • The Iron Lady (2011) – Alfred Roberts, Margaret Thatcher’s father
  • Eye in the Sky (2015) – James Willett
  • My Cousin Rachel (2017) – Nick Kendall
  • Black Beauty (2020) – John Manly
  • The Windermere Children (2020) – Jock Lawrence
  • The Colony / Tides (2021) – Gibson
  • The Lost Girls (2022) – Captain Hook
  • Operation Napoleon (2023) – William Carr
  • The Last Front (2024) – Leonard

More recent and upcoming film work includes Quezon (2025) as Leonard Wood and Tanvi: The Great (2025).

Television Highlights

Television has given Glen some of his most sustained and widely seen roles.

Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
As Ser Jorah Mormont, the loyal but complicated knight who becomes adviser and protector to Daenerys Targaryen, Glen appeared across all eight seasons. The role brought him international recognition and remains the part most closely associated with his name.

Jack Taylor (2010–2016)
Glen starred as the title character, a hard-drinking former detective solving cases in Galway, in this Irish crime series based on Ken Bruen’s novels. The role allowed him to lead a series with a mix of grit, humour and vulnerability.

Downton Abbey (2011)
He played Sir Richard Carlisle, the ambitious newspaper proprietor who becomes engaged to Lady Mary, appearing in the second series.

Titans (2019–2021)
Glen portrayed Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DC series, bringing a mature, world-weary take on the character.

The Rig (2023–present)
As Magnus MacMillan, he leads this Amazon thriller set on a North Sea oil platform facing unexplained events. The series continued into a second season.

Silo (2023–present)
Glen plays Dr. Pete Nichols in Apple TV+’s dystopian adaptation of Hugh Howey’s novels. The role has become one of his most prominent recent performances, with appearances across multiple seasons.

Other television credits include Mrs. Wilson (2018), Reyka, Delicious, Spooks/MI-5, The Diary of Anne Frank and City of Vice. Upcoming projects include Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix) as Lord Caterham.

Stage Work and Range

Although this article focuses on screen roles, Glen’s reputation in British theatre remains strong. He has performed leading parts in Shakespeare and contemporary plays, including a well-regarded turn opposite Nicole Kidman in The Blue Room. That stage foundation continues to inform the grounded intensity he brings to film and television characters.

Why His Filmography Stands Out

Glen rarely plays the same type twice. He has been a tragic knight, a ruthless scientist, a compromised detective, a corporate Batman and a quiet father figure in a sealed underground world. The consistency of quality across decades of work, combined with his ability to move between mainstream franchises and character-driven drama, explains why audiences keep seeking out his projects.

Whether you first discovered him as Jorah Mormont or more recently in Silo and The Rig, his body of work rewards exploration.

FAQ

What is Iain Glen best known for?
Most people know him as Ser Jorah Mormont from all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. He is also recognised for the Resident Evil films and recent series Silo and The Rig.

Is Iain Glen in Silo?
Yes. He plays Dr. Pete Nichols in the Apple TV+ series.

What movies has Iain Glen been in?
Notable films include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the Resident Evil series, Eye in the Sky, My Cousin Rachel, Black Beauty, The Windermere Children and The Last Front.

Did Iain Glen play Batman?
Yes. He portrayed Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DC series Titans.

Where is Iain Glen from?
He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 24 June 1961.

Conclusion

Iain Glen’s movies and TV shows form a rich, varied catalogue that stretches from 1980s British drama to some of the biggest television events of the 21st century. From the emotional weight of Ser Jorah Mormont to the quiet authority of Dr. Pete Nichols, his performances reward both longtime fans and new viewers discovering his work for the first time.

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