Ian McElhinney
Actor · Since 1987
Known for
Ian McElhinney is a Northern Irish actor and director who played Ser Barristan Selmy in 'Game of Thrones'. He is also widely known as Grandpa Joe in 'Derry Girls'. His career has been built substantially in theatre in Belfast and Dublin, where he has directed as well as acted, and his film work includes 'Hamlet' and 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'.
Ian McElhinney
Actor · Since 1987
44 Movies · 37 Series
Ian McElhinney is a Northern Irish actor and director who played Ser Barristan Selmy in 'Game of Thrones'. He is also widely known as Grandpa Joe in 'Derry Girls'. His career has been built substantially in theatre in Belfast and Dublin, where he has directed as well as acted, and his film work includes 'Hamlet' and 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'.
Movies
Plays General Dodonna
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016
Plays Builder
City of Ember
2008
Plays Priest
Leap Year
2010
Plays Elderly Joe Rantz
The Boys in the Boat
2023
Plays Barnardo
Hamlet
1996
Plays Tom Malcolmson
The Last Rifleman
2023
Plays Reggie Bell
The Boxer
1997
Plays Belfast Detective
Michael Collins
1996
Plays Cathal Thomas
Closing the Ring
2007
Plays Ivan
Triage
2009
Plays Lodger
A Prayer for the Dying
1987
Plays Barristan Selmy
Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience
2015
Plays Eamon
Bad Day for the Cut
2017
Plays D.I. McKie
Sacrifice
2016
Plays Jack Cunnigham
Hidden Agenda
1990
Plays Mr. Shawcross
Zoo
2018
Plays Da Stokes
This Is the Sea
1997
Plays O'Hare
Children of the North
1991
Plays Reefer
Reefer and the Model
1988
Plays Freddie Clarke
A Patch of Fog
2015
Plays Rory O'Suaird
The Journey
2017
Plays Verreker
Borstal Boy
2001
Plays Groom
Angel
1982
Plays Mikey
The Front Line
2006
Plays Stanley McCombe
Omagh
2005
Plays Sean
An Old Fashioned Christmas
2010
Plays Maguire
Lamb
1986
Plays Joe Cassidy
The Playboys
1992
Plays Stranger
Fools of Fortune
1990
Plays Major Cussen
Wodehouse In Exile
2013
Plays James Fenton
The Truth Commissioner
2016
TV Shows
Plays Barristan Selmy
Game of Thrones
2011
Plays Val-El
Krypton
2018
Plays Granda Joe
Derry Girls
2018
Plays Sam Dryson
High Country
2024
Plays C.S. Jack Freeman
Maisie Raine
1998
Plays Sir Henry Carlton
Titanic: Blood and Steel
2012
Plays John Snr
The Outlaws
2021
Plays Johannes Kleiman
A Small Light
2023
Plays Lance
Kat & Alfie: Redwater
2017
Plays Lord Tony Hume
Unforgotten
2015
Plays Max Raines
Wipe Out
1988
Plays Edward Butler
Rebellion
2016
Plays Alex
Hearts and Minds
1995
Plays Ex-Garda Sergeant Gerry Driscoll
Single-Handed
2007
Plays Padraig McFadden
No Tears
2002
Plays Reverend Patterson
Small Town, Big Story
2025
Plays Kennedy
Brond
1987
Plays Father Timothy
Mrs Wilson
2018
Plays Martin
A Woman's Guide to Adultery
1993
Plays Adam Corry
Bloodlands
2021
Plays Morgan Monroe
The Fall
2013
Plays Theodore Swift
Ripper Street
2012
Plays Dr. Lenox
The Frankenstein Chronicles
2015
Plays Bill Williams
Cold Feet
1998
Plays Captain Hammond
Hornblower
1998
Plays Clive Jones
Queer as Folk
1999
Plays Inspector McBride
Screen Two
1985
Plays Ko Sharmus
Doctor Who
2005
Plays Grandad
Suspicion
2022
Plays Vice Chancellor Ralph Graham
Fairy Tales
2008
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Lost Children of Tuam
Full Filmography 81
Finnegan's Foursome
Jack Finnegan
2026
Small Town, Big Story
Reverend Patterson
2025Season 1
High Country
Sam Dryson · 16 episodes
2024–
The Boys in the Boat
Elderly Joe Rantz
2023
The Last Rifleman
Tom Malcolmson
2023
A Small Light
Johannes Kleiman · 8 episodes
2023–
The Ulysses Project
Mr. Deasy / Barrister JJ Molloy
2022
Suspicion
Grandad
2022Season 1
The Outlaws
John Snr
2021–
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ian McElhinney and where are they from?
Ian McElhinney is 78 years old, born on August 19, 1948 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
What are the most famous roles of Ian McElhinney?
Ian McElhinney is best known for roles in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Leap Year, City of Ember.
How many movies has Ian McElhinney been in?
Over a 44-year career (since 1982), Ian McElhinney has appeared in 43 movies and 37 TV shows.
What was Ian McElhinney's first movie?
The career of Ian McElhinney began with Angel (1982).
What is Ian McElhinney's most recent movie or series?
Ian McElhinney's most recent release is The Lost Children of Tuam, which premiered on September 25, 2026.
What TV shows has Ian McElhinney appeared in?
On television, Ian McElhinney has appeared in Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, The Fall, The Tudors.
Ian McElhinney
1948-08-19 · Belfast, Northern Ireland
Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include Taggart, Hornblower, Cold Feet, and The Tudors. In recent times his best known roles are as Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones, Morgan Monroe in The Fall, and Granda Joe in Derry Girls.