With today’s release of the seventh season box set (you may be interested to win a copy, or even one of the entire show,) the Game of Thrones cast has come out in full force to promote it, bringing us new insights into the roads their characters have traveled so far and where the last season may take them. Below the cut, you will read and watch interviews with Jacob Anderson, Isaac Hempstead Wright, John Bradley, Pilou Asbæk, Aidan Gillen, Liam Cunningham, Rory McCann and Daniel Portman.
Speaking to CinemaBlend, Jacob Anderson focuses on Grey Worm’s highlight scene in season seven (well, except perhaps for that wonderful bedroom scene with Missandei) — that is, the siege of Casterly Rock, and Euron’s ensuing counter-siege:
“They haven’t really fought these sort of armored soldiers before. So I think it was a lot tougher for them to maneuver a castle and maneuver people that are wearing metal and steel,” Anderson explains. “[T]hey need a bit of an readjustment period. They’ve got sleeves now! So that’s good. We didn’t have sleeves before, so maybe that helps.”
“It’s not very often that you see Grey Worm get angry, per se. He definitely has moments of frustration, but he’s always quite a measured person… and so that’s one of the few times that you see him getting angry,” Anderson points out, regarding Euron’s trick. “They’re the greatest fighters in the world. So to suddenly be met with that was a shock.”
At TV Guide, John Bradley talks about how it feels to be filming the eighth and last ever season of Game of Thrones: “The stakes definitely feel ramped up. We know that we’ve got a real job to do. This has been a part of people’s lives for so many years. This is our eighth season, and we are kind of feeling the pressure to get it right because we want to satisfy people,” the actor admits. “We want to give people a payoff that they’re going to be happy with. We know how militantly passionate the fans of this show can be — in a good way — and we just kind of want to give them an ending that they deserve.”
“These characters are so detailed and so rich, you can feel that you’ve got a pretty good handle on your character. You can predict how your character will react in any given circumstance,” Bradley begins. “But when you place these characters in a new environment, it’s always putting them under a microscope, and you constantly have to reexamine your character. Each of the characters this year is placed in a completely alien environment at some point in the season that they’ve never been placed in before,” he reveals. “The thrill is seeing how they react to it and how they respond… This season, I think, more than any other is stretching these characters.”
Finally, our favorite Australian, the ever funny Ozzy Man, also interviewed the cast. In two videos, you will see Jacob Anderson, Isaac Hempstead Wright, John Bradley, Pilou Asbæk, Aidan Gillen, Liam Cunningham, Rory McCann and Daniel Portman talk about the past and future of their characters — for those who still have a future, anyway:
Funnily enough, Isaac reveals himself to be a big fan of Ozzy Man — apparently, before a press junket, he watches Ozzy Man’s famous recaps as a reminder. John Bradley, meanwhile, reveals a preference for playing the courageous side of Sam. Gillen, who sees the bright side of the characters he plays, however evil, enjoyed playing up Baelish’s charm, and sees his love for Catelyn as genuine. I’m sure that won’t be controversial.
Cunningham speaks of just what a good guy Davos is, not that any of us need convincing. As he puts it, the Onion Knight is “an island of sanity in a sea of madness,” appropriately enough for a former seafaring smuggler. “How’s that for poetic? I read it … in the back of a corn flakes box or something like that.” (Ozzy Man agrees: “That’s poetic as fuck”.)
There’s more of the actors’ insights and Ozzy Man’s sense of humor in these videos, so the transcribing will cease here — I fully recommend you actually watch them!
I would love to see Sam be courage and brave and help in the final fight ..He is going to fuck some WW with the Hearstbane this season..lol
It would be inappropriate, in several ways, for Sam to wield Hartsbane. (The most obvious reason is that he’s a very bad sword-swinger!) Sam’s courage is not the brutish kind his father prized, but he has indeed demonstrated great courage, curing Jorah of greyscale after Maester Broadbent, er Ebrose, all but told him he’d die trying.
I very much suspect he’ll wield similar courage — and tools! — to pry the dragonglass from the Night’s King, thus at a stroke ending the existential threat posed to humanity for thousands of years.
One of my few (very few in fairness) disappointments was that Greyworm didn’t die at Casterley Rock once Euron started the siege. It would have felt natural to lose a secondary character and yet again reinforce the consequences of making mistakes.
Sam > Eugene
Jon Snowed,
I did prepare myself prior to and during the season for Grey Worm’s death. Jacob’s absence among the seventeen cast members at the filming location that would become the Dragonpit scene felt like a telling sign that he would meet his fate before then. However, it would have been disappointing for him to die in the CR scene (as it went down) at the hands of some “Ensign” Lannister soldier. A death from a flaming trebuchet ball would have been disappointing. Had Euron’s men gone on land they shouldn’t have been able to stand a chance against the Unsullied as Iron Islanders aren’t suppose to be strong in hand-to-hand land combat. The only “acceptable” death would have had to come from a one-on-one fight with Euron. That still would have sucked in itself, but also would have come directly on the heels of Euron’s beat-downs of the SS and Yara, which would have been repetitive. Some may view Grey Worm as not major enough to warrant a ‘special death,’ but I beg to differ.
I really like Ozzy Man’s reviews – he puts a lot of effort into making and editing them rat-rat-rat style with illustrative clips, instead of just babbling on for an hour like some reviewers.
It was such a nice surprise to see that Ozzy Man had done these interviews, and an even better surprise that Rory McCann talked about one of my all-time favorite scenes: (in S4e7) when he briefly drops his gruff facade and tells Arya how Gregor burned him and his father betrayed him, and then lets Arya dress his wound.
Luka et al.: Thanks for posting these!
Look forward to what kind of winter gear the Unsullied and Dothraki get!
Yay, more video magic from the Oz Man!
Clob,
As soon as Grey Worm did “many things” with Missandei, I figured his goose was cooked. (GoT rule of thumb: tender or heartfelt moment signals character’s impending death. See, e.g.., Barristan musing about Rhaegar singing; Stannis: “You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon, and you are my daughter.”)
I was shocked Grey Worm didn’t bite it at Casterly Rock.
Tensor the Mage, Who Already Believes Sam Is One of the True Heroes of Westeros,,
Heartsbane was clearly introduced and taken by Sam for a reason, but I agree that it’s still unclear as to who exactly will be wielding it in the end.
Azor Asshai,
My tinfoil candidates for Heartsbane-wielder:
1. Jorah Mormont
2. Sandor Clegane
3. Samwell Tarley
But what I can’t figure out is…why Randyll T. didn’t go after Sam to get back his precious VS family sword.
I think that pretty soon after Sam left Horn Hill for the Citadel (with the sword), Randyll was summoned by Cersei to Kings Landing. I’m sure he was pissed about Sam taking the sword, but also figured that Sam wasn’t going to do anything with it. And he knew where to find him.
Ditto. I was pleasantly surprised and hope to see more.
I have a feeling the Dothraki will get annihilated within the first three episodes and the weather may be a factor in that. I suspect the Unsullied will fair better and potentially make it to the end albeit with heavy losses.
i agree..but maybe to they had already prepare themselves for what they will confront ..Dont you remember in S6 a scene when Danny meets some of their leaders in a snowy place?I think living in mountains ..they know what snow/cold is.
The video clip Oz chose to show of Davos making Stannis’ case before the Iron Bank was a great reminder to me of Davos’ salesmanship.
Stannis gets the support of the Iron Bank.
Bear Island joins the fight against the Boltons.
Dany/Tyrion have to rethink their positions, somewhat, based on Jon’s position.
Gold Cloaks willingly eat fermented crab….gross.
The man can sell ice to an eskimo. Love that guy.