Darren Kent, British actor from 'Game of Thrones' and 'Dungeons & Dragons,' dies at age 39

Darren Kent, a British actor who appeared on HBO's fantasy hit series "Game of Thrones" and the English soap opera "EastEnders," has died at age 39.

His talent agency, Carey Dodd Associates, confirmed to USA TODAY Tuesday that Kent "passed away last Friday surrounded by family and close friends." No cause of death was given, although he dealt with a rare skin disorder as well as osteoporosis and arthritis during his career. "His indomitable spirit and love of life inspired all he met and he will be remembered not only for his talent, but as a warm and generous friend."

Born and raised in Essex, Kent had early roles on a 2004 episode of the British comedy series "Shameless" and in the 2008 Kiefer Sutherland horror film "Mirrors." He notably appeared in the 2014 Season 4 finale of "Game of Thrones" as a goatherd who showed Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen the burned body of his child, a victim of her dragons.

Kent also had roles in the 2018-19 limited series "Les Miserables" as well as "EastEnders," and most recently was featured in a memorable comedic scene as a rather unhelpful reanimated corpse alongside Chris Pine in the big-screen fantasy adventure "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." Director Jonathan Goldstein posted a tribute to Kent on X, formerly Twitter, calling him "a sweet, talented, funny actor gone too soon."

A 2007 graduate of the Italia Conti Stage School, Kent was also a filmmaker, directing an episode of the BBC series "The Break" in 2021 as well as the short film "You Know Me," which won best director and best short at January's London International Monthly Film Festival.

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