Who is Burn Gorman of Game of Thrones? Read About The Wife, Children, Height

Quick Facts

You’ve seen him in more villain roles than heroic ones. On Game of Thrones, Burn Gorman played the character of Karl Tanner, the creepy controlling and vicious leader of the deserters of the Night’s Watch. He drank wine from the skull of Night’s Watch leader Jeor Mormont whom he had killed and also attempted to rape a little girl.

Well, his end came in season 4 when who else? Jon Snow put a sword through the back of his skull ending his life. Apart from his GOT role, Burn Gorman who began his acting career in 1998 is known for a bunch of other roles, including that of Dr. Owen Harper in the BBC series Torchwood.

Burn Gorman Biography

Burn was born Burn Hugh Winchester Gorman on September 1, 1974, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California to British parents who lived in LA. His father was a linguistics lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood. Burn is the last of four children having three older sisters. After 7 years of being raised in Hollywood, Burn’s family relocated to the UK where he would spend the rest of his childhood. With a passion for performing, Burn attended Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Theatre. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting.

He kicked off his acting career in 1998 making his debut with the recurring role of Ben Andrews in Coronation Street. His debut feature film came in 2004’s Layer Cake that also featured Daniel Craig and .

Gormon’s big break came the following year, 2005, when he began playing as Owen Harper in the first season of BBC’s science fiction series Torchwood. He reprised the role in the following season, apeparing in a total of 26 episodes before leaving in 2008. Burn then had other projets with BBC including Funland, Bonekickers, Low Winter Sun, The Curse of Steptoe, among others.

He has also had other non-BBC small screen gigs like EastEnders, Wuthering Heights, The Runaway, Spies of Warsaw, Revenge, and more. In the big screen, Gorman has equally had a long list to boast about. He starred in Christopher Nolan blockbuster super hero film The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The following year, he appeared in the science fiction film  Pacific Rim which also starred and Idris Elba. Burn reprised his role in the 2018 sequel Pacific Rim Uprising.

Before landing a role in Game of Thrones, Burn’s was already an established actor, however, the role brought him to the knowledge of those who hadn’t known him prior. Post-GOT, Burn’s career has continued to rise both in the small and big screens. His next major small-screen gig came in Turn: Washington’s Spies where he portrayed Major Edmund Hewlett for 25 seasons.

Burn Gorman has also done a lot in theater. He has worked with the English National Opera, Soho Theatre, Young Vic, Royal Court, Paines Plough, and Oxford Stage Company.

Interestingly, Burn also has a musical side. Under the moniker B.B. Burn, he was part of Drool Skool, a human beatbox outfit that included Shlomo and DukeBox. In 2003, he was crowned the BBC 1Xtra Human Beatbox Champion. Burn has performed all around the world in clubs and on stage. He has sang alongside the likes of Neneh Cherry, Rodney P, and Groove Armada.

Family: Wife and Children

Burn Gorman is a family man. On 17 July, 2004, he married Sarah Beard who works as a school teacher. Two years later in 2006, when Gorman had just stepped up his career with his Torchwood role, the couple welcomed their first issue, a son named Max Hugh Gorman. He was born in Cardiff.

The second, a daughter named Nell Gorman, arrived on 25 January 2009. Their next child would also be a daughter, Rosa Gorman born in September 2014.

Although Mrs Gorman keeps a private life, she occassionaly accompanies her husband to film premieres. She accompanied him to the European premire of Pacific Rim at BFI IMAX, Southbank, London.

Gorman’s wife Sarah Beard is not to be confused with American shooting athlete of the same name. The athlete who hails from a family with history in shooting was born on 21st May 1991 in Indiapolis, Indiana, USA. Mrs Gorman also shares name with an author known for Porcelain Keys and Beyond the Rising Tide.

Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m)

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.