Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffen’s wild Game of Thrones reveal

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen made history at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games but it’s not the first time we’ve seen the gold medallist on our screens.

It isn't the first time the world has seen Daniel Wiffen. Photo: Getty Images and HBO

Swimmer Daniel Wiffen made history earlier at the Olympics when he became the first Irish man to win an Olympic swimming gold medal when he emerged victorious in the men’s 800m freestyle.

But while the bespectacled 23-year-old finished the Olympics with his gold and a bronze in the 1500m freestyle, it’s come to light that this isn’t the first time he’s been in the spotlight.

While this will undoubtedly be the headline in his biography, the youngster previously tried his hand at acting, appearing on Game of Thrones in one of the shows’ most infamous moments.

BBC presenter Clare Balding revealed Wiffen, along with his twin brother Nathan and sister Elizabeth, were background actors in the “Red Wedding” scene in the show, one of the best episodes of the series.

The Leeds-born swim star told Olympics.com in 2022 that the experience was “pretty cool”.

“I didn’t really know about Game of Thrones when I was younger,” Wiffen said at the time.

“My parents wouldn’t really let me watch it, but I guess my dad watched it all the time, and then my sister got a really good role in Game of Thrones — she was one of the Frey daughters.

“So she came in and did her bit and then we came in for the Red Wedding, in the background – which was pretty cool.”

Pretty sure this was cooler. Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP

Wiffen was an extra in the famous scene. Photo: HBO

Despite the scene being — spoilers — a brutal massacre, Wiffen also told the Irish Mirror “I was loving every minute of it”.

“Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) was there, all the main actors and they were all so nice as well, they were really nice,” Wiffen said.

Daniel and Nathan continued acting, playing a character named Henry Bowyer in Netflix’s The Frankenstein Chronicles as well as some other British children’s shows.

Wiffen’s Paris Games were historic for Ireland with the only previous swimming medals coming when Michelle Smith claimed three gold and a bronze in Atlanta in 1996.

Wiffen couldn’t hide his emotions when the national anthem played as he stood on top of the podium.

“I don’t normally cry, so I really hope that nobody’s gonna see that,” he said. “But, yeah, it did come out of me, and it’s obviously just a special moment.

“I’ve never heard that national anthem at an Olympics before, and it’s just crazy to say that it was me standing on a number one podium here for the first time.”

Daniel Wiffen made history. Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Ireland has appeared at 23 Olympics in the past but the nation has won just 14 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze in its history.

Wiffen claimed the 800m title ahead of defending Olympic champion American Bobby Finke and Tokyo silver medallist Gregorio Paltrinieri.

However, in the 1500m, Finke claimed the gold in a world record time ahead of Paltrinieri and Wiffen.

While Wiffen became the first Irish male swimmer to win any colour medal, Mona McSharry also got on the podium, claiming bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke.

With AFP