I decided to go to Spain to work in Game of Thrones because I knew an opportunity like this would never come again – I have not looked back

I decided to go to Spain to work in Game of Thrones because I knew an opportunity like this would never come again – I have not looked back

24 April 2024

A BALLYHORNAN man has said his career in the arts has given him the ownership and confidence to express himself authentically.

Actor, model, playwright and producer Remi Kristian Shore (29) said he “never looked back” after deciding to pursue the arts as a full-time career.

Born in Manchester and raised locally, Remi comes from a multi-cultural background, with his father Nigerian and his mother from Belfast.

“We moved away from Manchester when I was two years old,” Remi explained.

“We moved back to Ireland around the time of the Good Friday Agreement. We were happy in Manchester but in the 1990s it was quite a rough city and my mum wanted to raise me and my siblings somewhere a bit more rural and innocent.

“I think my mum saw the peace process as a good reason to move back home.” 

While his mother Elaine grew up in The Markets area in South Belfast, both Remi’s parents opted to raise their family on the Lecale coastline.

“I loved growing up here,” Remi said.

“I have always been in love with the scenery that extends from the Mourne Mountains to Strangford Lough. It’s a beautiful part of the world and we were so happy growing up here.”

As a child, Remi attended primary school in Killyleagh and later St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar. 

The ‘acting bug’ struck him at a young age and while at primary school, he was cast as one of the Three Wise Men in his school’s nativity play.

“I’ve always loved performing,” Remi explained.  “As a child I was always a little bit shy, but I found acting in school plays to be really enjoyable.

“As a kid, I was always aware of my skin colour and how I stood out because there was very few brown or black kids who went to the same school I did. 

Nobody made it an issue and everyone was really kind to me, but I was aware I was different and I think that’s why I was a little bit quiet growing up.”

Remi would continue to act in school productions but focused his studies in sciences. He went on to study Biology at the University of Chester, near Nantwich in England.

Like many students, Remi’s time at university felt a bit hollow as he knew that Biology was not a career he 

wanted to pursue and would give him no fulfilment.

“I had this existential crisis when I realised I would be doing all this work only to work in a lab,” Remi said. “I just knew no matter how much I told myself it would be a good career, I would not be happy.”

As luck would have it, Remi was working as an extra on the set of Game of Thrones in 2018 when a member of the crew gave him the opportunity to photo double for one of the actors. 

“It was complete luck,” Remi recalled. “From that moment it 

opened so many different opportunities and I felt like this was what I wanted to do.

“In May 2018, I was booked to go to Spain to film the last series of Game of Thrones, but the schedule conflicted with one my exams which I needed to do to get into the next year of university.

“I decided to go to Spain because I knew an opportunity like this would never come again and I have not looked back.

“I didn’t tell my parents until two months later. I felt a huge sense of relief and knew that I made the right decision.”

Since leaving university and pursuing a career in acting, Remi has racked up a number of performances and expanded his horizons into other avenues in the arts.

He has featured in advertisements for Jameson Whiskey, starred in an upcoming film called Joy To The World, BBC’s Sex on Trial and last year’s Dungeon and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

Modelled

He has also modelled for AC models, taking to the catwalk of ‘In Flight’, fashion show at Victoria Square last week, and is developing and writing his own play called ‘Momento Mori’ a play that has been commissioned by Terra Nova Productions, which focuses on ancient Greeks and Romans and their shared desire to be remembered.

Remi has also launched Project Confidence, which equips newcomers with the skills and traits needed to persevere in the industry.

“I wanted to give back to the industry and help people develop their confidence so they can best express themselves,” Remi said. “It can be a daunting industry to be a part of, but it is so worthwhile. I have had the opportunity to meet some incredible people.

“I have plenty of projects that I am so excited about and I can’t wait to share them with everyone in the near future.”