He was not originally seen for the part of the bald informer Lord Varys, known as the King's Spider, but for another role entirely. Exactly which role, I don't know, as Hill, like all good spymasters, keeps this information close to his chest.
I saw the first series and I found some of the sexuality & violence a little gratuitous and it annoyed me but then it calmed down a bit, but the storytelling and the juggling of the storylines are fantastic. It draws you in and takes you elsewhere.