Who is Jim Broadbent playing in the upcoming 'Game of Thrones' season?

Broadbent has reportedly been cast for the new episodes of the smash hit HBO fantasy series 'Thrones.' He follows actors who recently joined the show like Max von Sydow, Ian McShane, and Jonathan Pryce.

The smash hit HBO TV show “Game of Thrones” is welcoming another face that is most likely familiar to TV viewers. 

Actor Jim Broadbent, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the 2001 movie “Iris” and starred in the “Harry Potter” film series, among other work, is reportedly appearing in the upcoming season of “Thrones.” 

Secrecy around the “Thrones” plotlines being what it is, his role has not been revealed. 

“Thrones,” which is based on a bestselling fantasy series by George R.R. Martin, aired the conclusion to its sixth season in June and is nominated for many Emmys at the ceremony that will take place later this month, including best drama series (a prize it won last year) and acting awards for “Thrones” thespians including Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Maisie Williams. 

Broadbent coming aboard represents the newest well-known actor to join the show. While some actors on "Thrones" such as Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, and Stephen Dillane were likely recognized by most TV viewers when the show debuted, actors like Ms. Clarke, Mr. Harington, Ms. Williams, Sophie Turner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Jack Gleeson, and Richard Madden were likely unfamiliar to fans at first. “When ‘Game of Thrones’ premiered on HBO in 2011, the main cast of actors were still relatively unknown,” Tech Insider writer Megan Willett notes.

Yet the past few seasons have seen several well-known actors come aboard for roles, with Tony Award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films and the movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” joining the program in its fifth season. 

Then for its sixth season, Ian McShane, also a veteran of the “Pirates” franchise and who delivered an Emmy-nominated performance on the TV show “Deadwood,” appeared in a then-unspecified role. Max von Sydow of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” also joined the show for the sixth season.

Telegraph writer Catherine Gee noted at the time of Mr. von Sydow's casting the various acclaimed actors who had recently joined the show.

“After casting acting veteran actor Jonathan Pryce in season five, ‘Game of Thrones’ has now added to its roster of respected stars with Max von Sydow,” Ms. Gee wrote. 

Now Mr. Broadbent is arriving for the seventh season, with his role being kept secret for now like that of Mr. McShane’s. 

As the seasons have progressed and the TV show has gone beyond Mr. Martin’s source books, the roles of new actors joining the show have become more mysterious.