Ian McShane joins the cast of Game of Thrones

Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen was a ruthless and mustachioed hardass on HBO’s Deadwood. That was nearly ten years ago, but it looks like the actor will be returning to the network for season 6 of Game of Thrones in a bit of inspired casting for the Westeros set.

While it looks like McShane is heading for a small amount of screen-time, the character is reported to be influential, though the details surrounding the role are scarce. The show is very tight lipped about the upcoming season, especially since the season 5 finale placed us toe to toe with the current books, and now everything going forward is new frontier. However, speculation is hinting at characters ranging from Euron Greyjoy to Randyll Tarly.

McShane has also recently disturbed and delighted in his role as the sadistic and mental Santa Claus on season two of American Horror Story, so we’re in for a treat regardless of what character he brings to life.