22.10.2026 09:21
Owen Teale, who brought the character 'Ser Alliser Thorne' to life in the series 'Game of Thrones', came to Turkey as part of DFFI 2026. After the festival, Teale toured Istanbul's historical sites. Stating that the music recital at the Şerefiye Cistern moved him deeply, he said, "My eyes filled with tears because it was the most beautiful 'Game of Thrones' theme music rendition I have ever heard in my life."
The BAFTA award-winning actor Owen Teale, who won the “Best Actor Award” for his performance in the film “Something Pointless” at the 4th International Digital Film Festival Istanbul (DFFI 2026), visited historical sites in Istanbul.
Teale, who came to the city to receive the award, toured the historic Şerefiye Cistern with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Tourism Director Hüseyin Gazi Coşan, Istanbul Chamber of Guides President Selçuk Eracun, the festival’s founding president İlknur Doruker and Bülent Doruker, director Metin Çavuş, and the festival team.
Having received information from the officials at the cistern, the famous actor was greeted during the visit by a surprise musical performance in which musicians performed the theme music of the “Game of Thrones” series with traditional instruments.
After visiting the cistern, Teale made a city tour, visiting historical sites including the Grand Bazaar, Cağaloğlu Bath, and Sultanahmet Square.
“MY EYES FILLED WITH TEARS”
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency reporter during the tour, Owen Teale stated that the musical performance at the Şerefiye Cistern had moved him deeply, saying: “My eyes filled with tears because it was the most beautiful rendition of the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme music I have ever heard in my life. I don’t know the names of some of the instruments, but they played so beautifully that it was a great surprise for me. I will keep this memory until the end of my life.”
“MEETING THE TURKISH AUDIENCE DEEPLY MOVED ME”
Assessing the sincerity of the Turkish audience, the British actor said: “Meeting the Turkish audience at the festival deeply moved me. They are extremely open-hearted people and they appreciate good stories. They value real stories that tell both the joys and the hardships of life.”
Teale said that he generally plays tough characters in his career, while in real life even his family has difficulty understanding this contradiction, and stated that he will appear before the audience with a rather complex role in the series “Line of Duty,” which will soon meet viewers.
When asked which character he would like to portray in the future, the famous actor added that he would like to bring the life of Owain Glyndŵr, a historical figure of Wales and the last Prince of Wales before the English took control, to the big screen.