New Game of Thrones cast interviews continue springing up around the net as Season 6 draws nearer and nearer. Today we have Stephen Dillane with French magazine Liberation on his time spent as Stannis, Daniel Portman teases what’s next for Pod and Brienne with IGN, and Ian Beattie discusses Arya’s dark path with Express.
We also have a look at the last pages of the “Mother’s Mercy” script which conveys the entire scene of Jon’s stabbing thanks to Entertainment Weekly and a behind the scenes video of Emilia Clarke in Season 5!
First up, Dillane speaks out on his indifference towards the role of Stannis Baratheon and the Game of Thrones phenomenon as a whole:
I am not regretting having done Game of Thrones, but I have nothing to say about it. I didn’t understand the show nor its success when I was part of it. The experience was very strange, I wasn’t affected by it. In order to like a role, I need to be interested in it, and that wasn’t really the case with Game of Thrones. I was a bit overwelmed by the events.
When asked then why he would take on such a role he paused and stated simply:
Between other things, for the money.
Ironically, and despite his feelings toward the material, these remarks wholly convey that Dillane was the perfect casting choice as Stannis Baratheon.
Head on over to Liberation for the full interview (if vous parlez français, if not, have a translator at the ready!)
Next up, Daniel Portman reminisces about his favorite moments of Season 5, working with Gwendoline Christie and Peter Dinklage and what’s next for the most loyal of squires in Season 6.
There was the horse chase that we had at the beginning of Season 5, which was just very exciting to shoot, and it was nice to do something action-packed. But a scene I think in episode 3 or 4, of where Brienne and Pod are sitting on the side of a mountain, they discuss each other’s past.
He also touches on Pod being misjudged:
I think most of the characters that come into contact with Pod think he’s stupid, but he’s not stupid, as is demonstrated in Season 4 and Season 5. He picks up on things very quickly, and he is a very smart guy. I think his intellect is actually one of his biggest assets. Because if you’re quiet, then people think you’re stupid and no threat to anybody, so he just keeps his head down.
This also extends to the audience which makes for surprising moments like when he saves Tyrion at Blackwater or turns the tables of pleasure at Littlefinger’s Brothel.
He dishes on working with huge personalities such as Christie, Dinklage, and even Jerome Flynn (Bronn):
Working with both actors was so entirely different. I mean, everything I shot with Peter was almost exclusively interior, and everything I’ve shot with Gwendoline was almost exclusively exterior. The stuff with Gwendoline has been a lot more action-packed. I really think both parts of the character’s journey have been hugely enjoyable and a lot of fun in different ways.
Details, Pod…copious details…
You know, when I was working with Peter, we also had Jerome Flynn, who was working with us in that trio, and that was a lot of fun to have those two guys and to be learning from those two guys who are older than me and working with such great actors who are lovely men. Being with Brienne, it’s much more isolated. So it’s been a lovely difference, a nice chance to explore and understand what it’s like to do both those different things.
Since Pod has been mostly following other characters, IGN asked what Portman thought Pod would do if he found himself on his own:
If Pod was to go on a mission by himself, I think his mission would be to track down Tyrion again and to make sure he could keep Tyrion safe. I think if he was given one goal, one mission, I think that would probably be it.
He also adds that he’d love for the two to meet up again:
I would love that, yeah. I think that would be a hugely satisfying moment for the audience. It would be wonderfully satisfying for me as an actor as well, to have that sort of dramatic — tie off a loose end, because as soon as Tyrion sends Podrick away, neither of them are in contact with each other, and you really hope they get the chance to see each other again and that, when it’s all said and done and all the war and horrors and atrocities that happen in Westeros have blown over, that they could maybe sit down and have a glass of wine together and catch up. That would be nice.
My face when I read Portman’s answer
Lastly, the adventures of Brienne and Pod continue in Season 6:
Season 5 was a series of near misses. Brienne is a very strong-minded character, and she has goals and a real drive to do the right thing, and while Podrick is with Brienne, they’re going to continue down that path, trying to fulfill the oath that she made. So I would say that’s where we start in Season 6, essentially in the same place — not geographically, but in the same place as we started in Season 5, where they’re still trying to do what she said she was going to do.
If they’re not geographically in the same place, then where are the two?
Read the rest over at IGN where Portman discusses Pod’s character growth, Sansa Stark, and Westerosi intellect.
Speaking at a recent press event in London to Express, Ian Beattie (Meryn Trant) worries for the fate of Arya Stark after she murders his character:
It made me worry for Arya’s character. I would ask Arya after she killed Ser Meryn: ‘What would your father think?’ Arya’s going down a very dark path. As a fan of Arya Stark, I don’t want her to go down that path. I’m worried for her, I hope she turns back to the light. Make no mistake about it, Arya has killed before and the things that have happened to Arya in her life have been extraordinarily difficult for her, Sansa as well. But when she killed Meryn, she just didn’t just kill him, she tortured him. That was torture and it was vicious and it was cruel and some people might even suggest that it was evil.
A view shared by the Many-Faced God as well as Arya was blinded for her actions. Other fans of Arya (this one included) may still defend her actions saying the young wolf’s savage attack was an act of pure revenge which is a prevalent theme in Game of Thrones. It doesn’t make her actions morally right but arguably, the scene still produced a satisfying result.
Ned may not condone her actions but at least she passed the sentence and swung her own sword (or shucking knife).
Beattie concludes by resolving Trant was indeed a “monster” and “deserved everything he had got.”
If it had been me dealing with Ser Meryn, I would have taken a week to kill him if he touched one of my kids. No quibbles about that but I am worried about Arya and where she may go.
In other Stark and stabbing related news, Entertainment Weekly has the final three pages of the “Mother’s Mercy” script:
The scene proves just as haunting to read as it was to watch. Head on over to EW for the previous two pages!
Lastly, Games Radar has a behind the scenes look at Emilia Clarke’s (Daenerys Targaryen) first scene in Season 5 with director Michael Slovis (The Wars to Come & The House of Black and White).
With the Season 5 Blu-Ray/DVD just released and Season 6 quickly approaching, Game of Thrones season has begun! Stay tuned for more news and enter to win your own copy of Season 5!
What did you think of the interviews? Do you hope Pod and Tyrion meet up again? Can you condone Arya’s actions? Let us know below!
I understand that these older actors like Mcshane and Dillane don’t understand the show phenomenom but they don’t have to be so condescending about it,honestly i lost a bit of respect for Dillane .
Re: Dillane, eh, not a big deal if he only did it for the money. Lots of actors do that.
Kind of weird he has “nothing to say about it”, though, as in, no good experiences? Interactions with the cast and crew? Nonetheless, he was an awesome Stannis.
loved the interviews, loved the stannis character, and Dillan did a brilliant job.
script was interesting to read, loved reading how it’s written on the page.
It’s pretty sad how I’ve read every single jon snow spoiler and still have a little doubt that he’s coming back, I wonder why that is. I trust the spoilers, something is just telling me what if lol
That’s so Stannis. The man who would refuse to call Robert his “beloved” brother in a letter.
Season 5 was by far my least favorite season so far. It had a few highlights such as Hardhome, but there were many things that should have been better. There were some very poorly written and shot scenes. “Bad Pussy” comes to mind and I was disappointed with the “For The Watch” scene as well as the “Dance of Dragons” climax. That said, I am extremely excited for season 6, and I think they will redeem themselves!
I find it strange that Dillane was that indifferent about his role, even though he played it so well. Perhaps that’s what they liked about him. It does seem a very Stannis thing to say!
That Dany video is an excerpt from the 30 minute locations video they released last year around this time. Stephen Dillane’s attitude towards GoT is exactly how I imagined him being, not really giving 2 fucks about it. We’ve never seen him at any of the red carpet events or premieres, and to my knowledge this is the first interview where’s hes even mentioned his character or the show. I feel like he did ok with the character, but I do wish they had someone who was passionate about the character and/or the show, I think it would have translated onto the screen.
He actually takes care to point out that he’s not bashing the show here, and says he liked hanging out with his fellow cast members, so that’s something at least!
Hey, now. Don’t mess with Bad Pussy, that was easily the best part of Dorne, hands down, after Tyene’s boobs that is. Ehem.
People ought to remember “Bad Pussy” won an Emmy for writing. Hehehe. (not saying this in a fanboyish manner, but really -Bad Pussy is the best).
I don’t even understand my doubt as well, I have no reason to doubt it but I do.
If only all of the actors did as amazing a job just ‘for the money’, how awesome it would be! I feel as though trying to figure out what Dillane is thinking would be about as hard as trying to figure out what Stannis was thinking….perfect.
That Pod/Brienne side-eye glance made my damn day. 😀
Honestly the show doesn’t need to redeem itself because it ever was bad,if you stopped watching the show nothing of use would be lost so stop thinking you’re a special snowflake .
If they’re not geographically in the same place, then where are the two?
Since this is a transcript of a conversation, the sentence structure isn’t perfect, but I believe what he means is that they start Season 6 in a different place geographically than they started Season 5, but doing the same thing.
From filming spoilers and the trailer, that probably means that Brienne learns that she missed Sansa’s signal and that that Boltons are hunting for her, so she has to race to get to her first.
A few clips of an interview with some of the cast if anyone else is interested:
My first reaction to Dillanes comments was, “wow, what a prick.” My second reaction was, “well, he was absolutely the right choice to play Stannis.”
Nothing against the guy, though. He’s very talented, as is his son (the teenage kid in FTWD). We were lucky to have him.
Also I have a big hairy crush on Daniel Portman. Seems like such an awesome guy.
Dillane is a great actor, and this wasn’t his favorite role, obviously. And ironically, his portrayal of Stannis was on-point, and perhaps that’s why he was so good: his indifference was channeled into the character.
Sophie also has an interview. I don’t know if it was posted
Well… Idk what to say haha. I have no problem with nudity, language or anything like that, but that scene just felt really awkward and uncomfortable to watch. I don’t disagree that it may have been the best part of the Dorne story line, though…
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. I wasn’t a fan of a lot of what they did in season 5. I do not expect that to be the case for the next season. I consider that redeeming. Am I not allowed to have high expectations?
I am not special, I am not a beautiful and unique snowflake. I’m the same decaying organic matter as everything else.
Off topic: Hey guys, here’s me advertising another one of my videos. Do check it out if you’re willing to sacrifice half a minute for some hype 🙂
Maisie’s answer to the deleted scenes question was interesting. The interactions between Jon and Arya in Arya’s first AGOT chapter were in one of the drafts of the pilot script floating around the web, but this is the first I heard that they actually filmed it. Too bad that wasn’t in the episode.
You’re right, but I don’t remember Benioff and Weiss ever saying about season 6 that it’s goint to be
“a big East-meets-West season”… I thought that would be season 7, when Daeny lands with her fleet and Arya starts haunting the Riverlands 🙂 Maybe both happens in E10, but that wouldn’t make the whole season about East meets West, would it?
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is Stephen Dillane ?
Not to hijack another thread, but that Dillane interview just provides more evidence that he’s still on the show. Sometimes when people lie, they go to extremes to try and throw off the scent. I think if he really was off the show, a more normal response would’ve been a lot more respectful of the fans and all the people he worked with for 5-6 years. And from what I’ve seen previously of Dillane, he doesn’t seem like a curmudgeony guy. So…we shall see I guess.
BTW, since we know Jon’s storyline will start from when we left it, could the same be true for Sansa and Theon’s?
Pablo Escobar:
I understand that these older actors like Mcshane and Dillane don’t understand the show phenomenom but they don’t have to be so condescending about it,honestly i lost a bit of respect for Dillane .
Oh noes! Another professional treating their job like a job. The temerity! Maybe you should help me with my campaign to be the starting point guard for the Carolina Tar Heels. My love for the team and the sport transcends my apparent “weaknesses”.
He is very careful not to give anything away, but I do like this bit:
Does he find a new reason to go on? Something to fight for?
Well, I think he did, even when Stannis was there, when they were parlaying with Jon Snow. They both recognized, Davos certainly, that he was a fellow traveler, that he had the interest of Westeros in his heart. It wasn’t about him, it wasn’t a power trip, or any ambition to be a leader. In a bizarre way, I think there’s an inevitable bond between the two of them, dramatically. But that’s all been taken away!
I’m really looking forward to Jon and Davos’ relationship in season 6!
I read his remarks as though Brienne and Pod are still on the same mission they had started in S5 and still trying to complete it in S6.
and…Perfect casting for Stannis.
About Stephen Dillane, I’ve suspected that for quite some time. He never appeared at public TV show events and gave very few interviews. But still, he was perfect for the role. His indifferent attitude towards the show may have even helped.
In theory, perhaps, but I think that’s less likely. The events at the Wall at the end of 510 have to have been set weeks later. Granted, the timeline on this show is murky, but those are sequential events, linked by Melisandre’s traveling from Winterfell to the Wall within the episode.
Well done! I’d have taken it for a professional spot. 😀
Wylie: You’re right, but I don’t remember Benioff and Weiss ever saying about season 6 that it’s goint to be
Well, the only thing about a East-West thing I’ve heard was that vague Reddit spoiler about [ spoiler ] Theon and Yara (Asha) Greyjoy traveling to Essos after the Kingsmoot (presumably to meet Danny?) Remember in the trailer where Yara was kissing that woman? Wasn’t the woman dressed like they dress on Essos? (Maybe Volantis?) That snippet in the trailer didn’t have an “Iron Islands” vibe to me… [ / spoiler ]
People always complained that HBO never used Stephan Dillane to promote the show and he never got any promotional photos and never showed up at premieres and what not – I guess now we know. He obviously didn’t want to promote the show. I never liked Stannis in any way and now I don’t really care for him as a person either. So no loss. I mean he’s entitled to not like the show but to bad mouth it after he’s killed off isn’t very professional.
After Harrenhall and the red wedding, little was left of the Arya we met in S1, mostly her stubborness/determination. All of her behavior since then is consistent with this. I expect her to become even darker. LatrineDiggerBrian,
Hmmmmmmm.
So do you think Brienne is going to take Sansa to the Wall or to the Riverlands?
Honestly, I don’t think Sansa and Theon would even survive one night out in the cold without shelter and more clothing. Then there’s the food situation… I expect that we see them running in the woods just a few hours later – even it may not be in tune with the timeline -and then be rescued by Brienne.
Or we see them a few days after, starving and freezing in some shed they found debating about which direction to go,
Anyway, I don’t think they could survive a few weeks.
No what he meant is that you typed that mess as if you’re the only one who has on this board, who feels that way for the first time, or has expressed that SAME opinion that a lot of fans have about last season on EVERY other board. Beating a dead horse, drum, whatever you can call it, is the least of it. but yes we understand it’s only an opinion.
My vote stays with Sansa in the North (Wall or not, but North). Now that I reread the interview in which Sophie is so excited to shoot scenes with ´´these amazing people” and “couldn’t believe that the storylines had intertwined so much”, I can’t help myself but thinking of our beloved trio infernale at Castle Black… 🙂
I don’t find it plausible either, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Though Sansa, for the record, was dressed for winter; she was expecting to have to flee when she left her room.
I find it strange that Dillane was that indifferent about his role, even though he played it so well. Perhaps that’s what they liked about him. It does seem a very Stannis thing to say!
Yeah I agree, and the author of the article summed it up beatifully as it seems Dillane was perfectly cast: douche of a guy playing a douche of a character. So not really a great stretch for an actor (and makes me question his skill as one tbh). I defended Mcshanes words (still do) as GOT was a one episode gig for him and nobody can expect him to be overly invested, but this show has kept Dillane in the public eye when he most likely would’ve been struggling to find more work otherwise. that douchebag needs to get some perspective. :/
Does he find a new reason to go on? Something to fight for?
Well, I think he did, even when Stannis was there, when they were parlaying with Jon Snow. They both recognized, Davos certainly, that he was a fellow traveler, that he had the interest of Westeros in his heart. It wasn’t about him, it wasn’t a power trip, or any ambition to be a leader. In a bizarre way, I think there’s an inevitable bond between the two of them, dramatically. But that’s all been taken away!
Turner said, “Every scene I shot I couldn’t believe that I was shooting this scene with these amazing people, and I couldn’t believe that the storylines had intertwined so much that this is how it ends up. So many characters’ paths intertwine this season…You really get a sense that the story is coming together and rounding up this time.”
Jon snow lives, jon Snow lives, Jon Snow lives, jon Snow lives. Watchersonthewall speaks the truth, actors lie. Jon snow lives.
Matthew The Dragon knight:
Turner said, “Every scene I shot I couldn’t believe that I was shooting this scene with these amazing people, and I couldn’t believe that the storylines had intertwined so much that this is how it ends up. So many characters’ paths intertwine this season…You really get a sense that the story is coming together and rounding up this time.”
Yep, this is a Sophie Turner quote from a couple of months ago.
Presumably Sansa, Davos, Mel, Rickon, (some) Northern Lords, the Wildlings and a few remaining Watch loyalists will be on Team-You-Know-Who this season.
I think people are overreacting to Dillane’s comments. All he is saying is that the show doesn’t appeal to him, and that isn’t anything new. He made similar comments a couple of years ago. I don’t think he is trashing the show either. He was just never passionate about the role, and ironically that attitude meshed very well with the character he played.
Dillane was an excellent Stannis and I really like his attitude towards the show after the demise of his character. There is no offense for me as fan of the GOT. On the contrary I am bit tired by all these interviews where participants in the show have to pretend to have fun with stupid/silly/nonsensical questions.
I seem to remember the most fancasted actor for Stannis being Christopher Eccleston and he would have had the same blase attitude about being part of a successful show (ahem Doctor Who) as well so it just must fit the role 🙂
I think Davos might want to find out what happened to Shireen and
will probably want to prevent Jon from becoming Stannis No.2 under Mel’s influence. Also, who knows what his reaction might be when Jon comes back. He also seems to value Jon because Stannis too saw something in him (and Davos supported Stannis).
I would like Sansa’s and Theon’s story to start right from the moment they landed in the pile of snow. When I watched “Mother’s Mercy” for the first time, I had such a strong impression that they committed a suicide, that I even got irritated finding out that both of them are to survive. And though I got used to this idea and feel very happy now, I really want to see how exactly they made to the woods and further. I mean, it was still daytime when they jumped, and there was an open area around, so, someone had to notice them running. I will be disappointed, if we see them simply running through the woods and no explanation is provided.
They made a point to have Ramsay tell her about Jon, so I think she’ll want to go to the Wall. She could end up somewhere else in the North, but I doubt she’s going South. She’d have to make it past Moat Cailin, which is also guarded by Boltons, and the distance is too great.
Lol
I’m Belgian so I read Dillane’s full interview and the quotes that are posted on here don’t even begin to describe how truly exasperated he was with the whole Game of Thrones topic. The interviewer notes that Stephen asked “do we really have to talk about it?” when asked if he would answer a GoT-related question. The way the interviewer describes Stephen’s response to the GoT questions is just… Let me give some examples. The interviewer says he was “rétif à évoquer le sujet” which means ‘unwilling to address the (GoT) subject’. When asked why he doesn’t do GoT press the interviewer says he retorted back, not just ‘answered’ but retorted (his answer was “not interested” btw). The interviewer went on to describe him as “agacé” and “évasif” which basically means annoyed/irritated and evasive. Mind you, he only seems over it when asked about GoT questions. It amazes me because this guy never does any GoT interviews and yet answering just 2 GoT related questions seems to be way too much for him. I think he genuinely hated being a part of it. Oh well..
Sorry for the grammatical errors. English is not my first language.
Actually Dillanes comments gave me a chuckle, as the article says it kind of is in perfect sync with Stannis’s character and so it feeds into the believability and depth of his portrayal
In the books there’s a sense that Soldier Stannis, the second born who like Ned wasn’t raised to rule Storms End as Lord, or to be the heir of King Robert, that he is doing it as a matter of duty
So from this perspective it was quite fitting he didn’t do any extra PR work as it is such a “Stannis thing to do”
Secondly, his, “I’ve got nothing to say about it” attitude eg cast and crew etc and “I didn’t like it” perfectly fits in with Stannis attitude about Mel and R’hlorrism, he wasn’t a fanatic
And so in a kind of humorous and bizarre way this actually helps Dillane to be oh so much more a believable Stannis in the sense we get this attitude behind the performance
So the way he went out with a “do your duty” to Brienne is quite fitting
The Wall would be weeks ahead in the timeline, I agree. You can argue that
Mel and Sansa left their respective areas on the same day, with Sansa maybe being a couple of hours to half a day behind Melisandre. If Sansa decides to go straight to the Wall (and has the help to get there from someone with a horse…like Brienne), she could arrive during the conflict with the NW traitors or in the morning, when it has wrapped up.
She might also find Jon dead when she arrives (which would be a very dramatic moment). For all I know, things could turn out differently (those pictures of Sansa and Theon that were released to tease season 6 were shot during the day). But to me this idea is appealing because there’s a sense of urgency about it and that usually translates well on TV.
Well, I believe that was my second ever post, so I am sorry I did not scroll through the archive to make sure it was not previously stated.
I wish I was a little bit taller
I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat
And a six four Impala
Interview with Stannis:
“So tell us, Mr. Baratheon, why do you think it’s you who must be the king of the Seven Kingdoms ?”
“Well, personally I don’t like this idea to be a king, I ahve no clue why the king is so popular. I mostly do it for money, your know.”
But most of all I would like to see Stannis’ king campaign placats … is there something like that parody for the presidential election, but with ASOIAF ?
tkk:
A few clips of an interview with some of the cast if anyone else is interested:
That was a weird choice of background music…thanks for the links though! Liam did all the talking. Carice didn’t say anything lol.
Dorne decides to side with Dany to take down the Lannisters and they begin the preparations to welcome her there with her army.
George, Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,
Thanks, you two! Totally forgot about that rumour with Yara and the involvement of Dorne.
I just looked up the quote and it turns out Benioff and Weiss said it before Season 5 (!) was aired, so I guess they meant Tyrion meeting Daeny and Arya meeting the Faceless.
As you were! 🙂
Edit: I wonder if we’ll get a pre-season interview with the showrunners as every year. I’d really love that.
Well, if that’s true then I do think Dillane could tune it down a little bit. I’m not
sore that apparently he didn’t like the show, as others have said, he is a professional and he doesn’t have to like GoT as long as he delivers in his role, which he did. On the other hand part of being a professional is not being disrespectful (and I would count acting piqued when someone asks you questions about a show you worked on and were paid good money for as disrespectful) about the projects, and in extension the other people on these projects, as long their really deserve it.
Yup out of all the shows coming out or have already come out i’m the most excited for this. Better call sault, Vinyl, walking dead, and Dare devil season 2. Game of thrones season 6 is on the top of my hype meter.
Honestly the show doesn’t need to redeem itself because it ever was bad,if you stopped watching the show nothing of use would be lost so stop thinking you’re a special snowflake .
LatrineDiggerBrian: from what I’ve seen previously of Dillane, he doesn’t seem like a curmudgeony guy.
Really?
This only makes me love Stannis/Dillane more. They’re both darkly hilarious. And for what it’s worth, he may be privately as frustrated with the bare bones nature of his denouement as some viewers. Three years of Dragonstone buildup, hitting similar notes again and again, and then he burns his daughter over some bad weather and dies.
Really great actor, best possible Stannis.
I wonder if the wall will come down this season? We have to see the white walkers threaten Westeros at some point this season or next….
Jonathan: I find it strange that Dillane was that indifferent about his role, even though he played it so well.
What often makes actors really enjoy roles is getting to portray the evolution of a character. However, Stannis is not the sort of role the provides that: he is, after all, a very static individual. They did a little to provide him an arc of sorts in the last season, but in many ways, the point of Stannis is to be unable to evolve or adapt so that characters such as Davos can bend the world around him.
No one here should confuse Dillane’s attitude with him being like Stannis or with this being important for his performance. All of these actors can portray a wide range of personalities: they can swing from comedian to lover to dictator to victim to whatever depending on what tonight’s role is. They also are not “staying in character”: most of them are from the British and European acting traditions, which frowns heavily on “method acting.”
Laura: Christopher Eccleston and he would have had the same blase attitude about being part of a successful show (ahem Doctor Who) as well so it just must fit the role
Eccleston’s issues were personal ones with some members of the production crew. The details have been vague, but it amounted to him not enjoying his time as the Doctor at all. Sadly, he declined to appear in the 50th anniversary episode because of it, even though the production crew had almost entirely turned-over. He did joke that he’d be psyched and ready for the 75th anniversary!
Kind of biting the hand that feeds you, as well as disrespectful to the show fans. But at least he was being honest, I guess.
Dillane’s comments strike me as someone who has a long acting career, yet only gets GoT questions. It was a job he took, that now overshadows any other job. Eh, well, translated to a perfect Stannis.
As far as Mcshane and Dillane go in their opinion of GoT, I can only say this.
Great actors are like great musicians. A fantastic drummer or saxophone player can get hired into a band and read some sheet music and with a little direction absolutely nail it. Doesn’t mean they have to like the style of music they are playing, could even be a style of music they dislike but it wont matter because they are great musicians.
I think the same holds true with great actors but instead of sheet music they get a script.
Mcshane and Dillane obviously don’t have a taste for GoT but I am still happy D&D landed them in this gig.
Sometimes fandoms forget this is just a job to these people. This is their chosen profession and it’s not a requirement they enjoy the show/film as much as you do. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his comments and I wouldn’t be surprised if others on the GoT cast share similar sentiments as him.
Jonathan:
Season 5 was by far my least favorite season so far. It had a few highlights such as Hardhome, but there were many things that should have been better. There were some very poorly written and shot scenes. “Bad Pussy” comes to mind and I was disappointed with the “For The Watch” scene as well as the “Dance of Dragons” climax. That said, I am extremely excited for season 6, and I think they will redeem themselves!
I find it strange that Dillane was that indifferent about his role, even though he played it so well. Perhaps that’s what they liked about him. It does seem a very Stannis thing to say!
I liked season 5 overall. The Dorne plot was weak, and Sansa in Winterfell was a little forced. But pretty much all the other storylines were great, in my opinion.
The Jorah and Tyrion journey and stories were great. The Faith and Cersei story was great. Everything at the Wall was great, starting with the Stannis-Jon-Mance interactions.
I loved the last 4 episodes, which really picked up the pace. Cersei getting tossed in jail was awesome. Hardhome of course was amazing. I loved the scene in the arena in episode 9. First the drama with Jorah fighting, then the Harpies attack, them Dany accepts death and Drogon comes. Very dramatic and satisfying.
Final episode was great, too, in my opinion. Loved the end of Stannis. It was swift poetic justice after his terrible sin. He had to go down and quickly,,and he did. Cersei’s walk of shame was great, and the FrankenMountain with Quburn meeting her at the end was very cool.
Myrcella’s death redeemed the Dorne storyline a bit and provided good closure,to the season’s opening scene where young Cersei heard the prophecy of her children dying. Jon’s murder was brutal and shocking, very well done, in my opinion. The Olly twist was predictable but still carried good emotional weight.
Overall a good but flawed season, not nearly as bad as bad as it’s made out to be on here.
Apollo: Yeah I agree, and the author of the article summed it up beatifully as it seems Dillane was perfectly cast: douche of a guy playing a douche of a character. So not really a great stretch for an actor (and makes me question his skill as one tbh).I defended Mcshanes words (still do) as GOT was a one episode gig for him and nobody can expect him to be overly invested, but this show has kept Dillane in the public eye when he most likely would’ve been struggling to find more work otherwise. that douchebag needs to get some perspective. :/
“Between other things, for the money”… Just goes to show what a mercenary little shite Dillane is and good that he’s no longer in the show. Actors with that attitude are arrogant pricks IMHO if they only play a part for the money and get little enjoyment out of doing it – Fuck Dillane and fuck Stannis says I 🙁
Ser Emerson of House Alves:
Dillane is a great actor, and this wasn’t his favorite role, obviously. And ironically, his portrayal of Stannis was on-point, and perhaps that’s why he was so good: his indifference was channeled into the character.
Whatever other roles he’ll play, people will always see him as Stannis now. Hehe.
Yeah god forbid he take a job in his chosen profession. The man is an actor. This is his profession. Would you not take a high paying job in whatever your profession is? These people aren’t acting for you or simply because you find the show/film entertaining.
Dillane is a terrific actor who probably doesn’t want his career to be known for this one role. Some people also have issues with fantasy even when it is fantasy done well.
Why?? It’s his JOB, he does not have to love it ever job he had. I’m happy you have never had a job you didn’t love more than anything in the world. But, a lot of people have issues with their jobs.
Damn, people here are still whinny, hypocritical brats. God, I hope most of you are under the age of 15. Please please please tel me you are all kids!
This doesn’t surprise me, honestly. I always got the impression he felt this way.
I also remember Craster’s actor saying similar things.
Don’t cry, it’s only tits and dragons: most of you probably don’t enjoy your job, but why do you do it I say? For the money you would most definitly reply………ironic no?
Er… jobs? Um, we are fanboys (and, um, girls). We all live in our parents basements and have yet to have a social interaction with a member of the other sex. (Girls are scary.) And Dillane, McShane, etc., all are shiites who do not know how privileged they are to be documenting these immortal characters: if they just want to act for money, then they should just work on a normal TV show that is not important to anybody.
Now go away: a Babylon 5 marathon is staring soon…..
Maybe he sees himself as primarily a serious stage actor and films would be a step below theatre…television a step below films…but the pay is too good to turn down. Who knows?
Macie: God, I hope most of you are under the age of 15. Please please please tel me you are all kids!
On a side note that should not be a sidenote, the letters that Jon is (was) reading are informative. It seems that nobody is taking his call for help seriously. On one hand, that should not be too surprising given everything that has been presented before. However, it does also suggest that Jon is going to have a big uphill battle in front of him this year.
I have purchased the opportunity to have my picture taken with Captain Kirk in May at a ComicCon event. If he tells me to “get a life,” I will consider it the highlight of my year! 😉
Actually, it will be my first ComicCon and I’ve also purchased the same opportunity with Ros, Pycelle and Data. I’m not sure how it all works, but I’m looking forward to the adventure. Hoping they are friendly enough to answer a question or two. There is a separate line (and fee) for autographs.
Ironically, and despite his feelings toward the material, these remarks wholly convey that Dillane was the perfect casting choice as Stannis Baratheon.
Yes, Dillane was indeed perfect as Stannis. Perhaps Dillane brought quite a bit of his attitude to GoT to his role as Stannis. I am still in a very happy place that Stannis ended in Season 5; to have him dragged out to Season 6 would have been such a waster of precious time, that could be spent on the huge ensemble of characters.
I so, so, so hope that Tyrion and Pod can meet again before the end. After this interview, if Pod dies before meeting Tyrion again, I will be even more heartbroken. Perhaps time for Pod to leave Brienne’s service and head east across the Narrow Sea.
I have no problem with what Dillane said, it is actually funny and refreshing to have someone be so honest. Would you prefer he lie for your benefit? Acting is a job, each role different, so he wasn’t into Stannis the way he may have been into other roles. He wouldn’t be the only one now would he? Contrary to popular belief artists don’t owe the public anything other than good performances and Dillane pretty much gave us an awesome portrayal of Stannis. Can’t we just be happy with that? Dillane was also a fabulous Thomas Jefferson by the way, so GOT didn’t make him, it was just another job and I’m sure the roles will keep coming.
Wimsey: Er… jobs?Um, we are fanboys (and, um, girls).We all live in our parents basements and have yet to have a social interaction with a member of the other sex.(Girls are scary.)And Dillane, McShane, etc., all are shiites who do not know how privileged they are to be documenting these immortal characters: if they just want to act for money, then they should just work on a normal TV show that is not important to anybody.
Now go away: a Babylon 5 marathon is staring soon…..
Well said Wimsey… I couldn’t agree more. GOT will go down in history as being one of the greatest TV spectaculars/series of all time. I’m pretty sure that most of the actors and actresses (certainly the younger ones) really enjoy performing in it and as we have seen, it has boosted their careers in the profession and they’re now getting other leading roles in films.
These older established actors like Dillane and McShane and their indifference to GOT saying I did it just for the money or with McShane hoping to meet up and work again with his old mates Stephen Dillane and Charles Dance (whose characters have since been killed off in the series! ) seem to me they don’t give a shit about GOT or the fan-following it has generated, Its true what other posters have said re Dillane’s lack of interest and I’ve never seen the guy on any talk-show discussing his role playing Stannis.
I will give him some credit playing the role of Stannis which did well, but that probably came naturally to him seeing what an arrogant shite he is and playing that part obviously suited his temperament 😉
Tyrion Pimpslap:
I think people are overreacting to Dillane’s comments. All he is saying is that the show doesn’t appeal to him, and that isn’t anything new. He made similar comments a couple of years ago. I don’t think he is trashing the show either. He was just never passionate about the role, and ironically that attitude meshed very well with the character he played.
It kind of sounds similar to what Alec Guinness always said about Star Wars: He liked the cast/crew just fine, and certainly liked the money, but it was just another acting job and the way people treat it as kind of a gospel seems out of proportion to him.
I was just looking at that still of Jon Snow bleeding out and I noticed that all the blood and stab wounds are around the stomach area.
Not only is there no blood where the heart is…there isn’t even a cut in his leather vest where his heart is
I feel kind of justified in my complaint back when Dillane won the WOTW best actor poll. 🙂 There were so many Stan fans but I really wanted Kit to win.
I didn’t know Stephen Dillane before GOT. Judging from his portrayal of Stannis, he is a great actor but, imo, he should have been polite. I can’t believe he had no good words for his fellow actors or the crew, even if he hated fantasy and his part. That’s a fine line between being honest and being rude. David Bradley’s behaviour should be admired. It was obvious that he didn’t care for GOT, but he did his best to be polite and friendly.
Yeah so I’m guessing that Stephen Dillane won’t be doing too many conventions in future then xD
Good for you! If I had lived in the States, I would have gone to Comic Cons. Have fun! I’m sure you will.
We all go to work, we all do it “between other things, for the money” and yet when an actor does it, there’s a problem … his honesty should in no way diminish the awesomeness that was his performance on the show.
No need to apologize (ironically or otherwise). Lots of people state things on here that have been said many times before – if I had a penny for every time someone wrote “Am I the only one who …” on this site, I’d be a very rich lady. That’s just how it is on social media.
The problem is, there is always that one (or two) posters who need to let off steam for something and think it’s a grand idea to attack a fellow poster. Don’t worry, most of us are really nice and sociable. (Even if we live in Mom’s basement 😉 )
Shy Lady Dragon:
David Bradley’s behaviour should be admired. It was obvious that he didn’t care for GOT, but he did his best to be polite and friendly.
What made you think he didn’t care for it…?
Pepi:
We all go to work, we all do it “between other things, for the money” and yet when an actor does it, there’s a problem … his honesty should in no way diminish the awesomeness that was his performance on the show.
True on both accounts. I think the problem many people have with it is not that he didn’t like it, but that he is talking negatively about it in public. Sometimes I am really fed up with my job, but I don’t tell everyone and their mother about it. My company has a reputation to loose, too, and as long as it doesn’t do something morally or legally wrong, I – as a representative – shouldn’t badmouth it on the media.
Not that it will harm GoT in any way, and I find his honesty kind of compelling for its humanness, but I still think it’s not the most professional thing to do.
I get confused with there being two Bradley’s on the show and always think it’s Sam being mentioned. That said, I would be surprised because John Bradley does seem fond of his role and cast mates. During the 4th season I believe, maybe the 5th, there was some discussion with people wondering why we never see Dillane doing any kind of promotional stuff. There was like absolutely lack of him compared to others and those who knew (of) him stated he’s always been just a serious actor and private. But now we know better lol. Oh well, I do have a feeling there’s some sour apples for some behind the scenes reason that we’ll probably never hear about. Why else would the man have such negativity towards it. I don’t mind if he just ended up not liking his role or doesn’t care for the genre. What comes off wrong is the fact that he apparently resented the fact it was even brought up, couldn’t find one nice thing to say about it, or anyone involved in it.
I agree, but it’s not as if he’s just walking around, making negative statements. People are asking him, so he tells them how it is. And he’s not badmouthing it, anyway. He’s basically just saying that he doesn’t like it. And even then, what of it? Everyone’s just saying how adorably Stannis-like he is irl. It’s a gift and a curse, I suppose. 😀
Eh, Dillane didn’t like the show/character/story, so what?
Do you know how many actors do that?
I respect him for doing his job as good as he did. If his dislike for the story would have harmed his acting then criticizing him would have been fair but this didn’t happen.
Yeah, it was as if he tried to be as unpleasant as possible… Maybe it’s a reason we don’t know about, can’t say.
John Bradley is a sweetheart and it’s really fun to follow his interviews. I remember him saying that, if he did nude scenes, it would be good for everybody, because he has both a dick and boobs.
I was referring to the hateful Walder Frey, played by a nice man, who was very keen on saying good things about the show, although he admited he didn’t really watch it and wasn’t aware it was huge. Imo that shows lack of interest, but he knew how to behave so that he shouldn’t seem condescendent.
It’s so funny when an actor who is right in the mix of the thing, doesn’t even know that the show they’re part of is popular lol. Plus I guess I just assumed an actor would want to watch their finished product but he’s the second of third one that’s said they don’t even watch. I guess if you look at it their pov is like when we leave work for the day we don’t want to see pictures of the place or be constantly reminded lol.
That John Bradley comment was made at Comic con one year, I remember cracking up at it haha. Rose’s reaction was also funny 🙂
Its a 3 hour podcast for a 2 min trailer! What we need is a spanish speaking person willing to listen to a 3 hr podcast.
If those spoilers are true, then
1. The Meereen issue will not be solved until the finale. Which means the best case scenario for Dany would be that she/ Tyrion and her army might set out of Meereen in her last scene of the season, if at all she does this season.
2. There were already rumors floating around of Yara and Theon going to Volantis, on their way to Meereen. This supports that rumor.
3. A surprising death in the Riverlands/ Northern storyline – Rickon? Brienne? LF?
Sorry I didn’t listen to it so I can’t be helpful there. I’ve just read a few different summaries of what’s said in it. Basically all of it was covered in that IMDB post from what I’ve gathered.
Yeah, I think this points to the Volantis rumours being true about Yara and Theon. Those said she was trying to convince him of something and that she was with “an army” which would imply she’s taking on Victarion’s role to some extent, or both of them are. As for the big death, I’m really thinking Rickon at the Snowbowl.
No worries. I listened to about 40 minutes but don’t have time to listen to the rest. I do love their passion though, 3 hours for just a trailer! Lol.
Pretty interested to see if the Yara rumor is true, which all signs point to yes. And I wonder if it’s both her and Theon. I can’t imagine what else Theon would get up to so I imagine he does in fact accompany her. Theon in Essos would definitely be a surprise, and pretty intriguing.
This only makes me love Stannis/Dillane more. They’re both darkly hilarious. And for what it’s worth, he may be privately as frustrated with the bare bones nature of his denouement as some viewers. Three years of Dragonstone buildup, hitting similar notes again and again, and then he burns his daughter over some bad weather and dies.
Really great actor, best possible Stannis.
Yeah it would have been good to at least see him take Deepwood Motte
Plus they needed to play out and dramatise the challenges for the men, with “Ramsay’s 20 good men” assault being the final straw
I saw someone saying that Jaime isn’t the surprising death and that one of the people burning on those crosses died in season 5 and the other will die in season 6.
Boy am I ready to see Dothraki’s in a massive battle
In the books Victarion is enroute to Mereen with 93 ships, a dragon horn meant to bind dragons, and a red priest. In the show, the 93 ships Daario already seized for Dany, but the horn or priest may play major roles. And also more ships could be helpful. And btw, Victarion is sent to Mereen by Euron, with the ships and horn, in order to take Dany back to Westeros so Euron can marry her and claim the iron throne. Victarion however decides he’s going to take Dany for himself and marry her. So Yara and/or Theon may be sent by Euron to help bring Dany back, along with her dragons.
He did a great job, that’s literally all that matters.
I think it jars for some people because a) we obviously love the show so might be affronted by others who do not feel the same way and b) we are so used to the utter PR fluff that most actors are only too happy to spout about anything they work on.
Honestly, I find it refreshing.
Ok for Dillane, his opinion… but don’t start question every single actor who may be happy that got lucky and casted in a huge success like GoT because it’s not cool to be thankful anymore :-p .
It’s GoT… it’s huge.. and the actors there get huge publicity and chances they would never got otherwise. I would be happy for that. It’s the most successful show on the planet right now.. what can an actor ask for?
He can say and feel however he wants, by all means. Many people work only for the money. But he doesn’t have to be so ANNOYED about talking about the show. Chill buddy
Red Nightmare,
🙂
The number of people who didn’t enjoy season 5 is small. Especially on here.
I loved it, especially Sansa’s arc, and even the “bad pussy” line haha
If I had to play Crastor, I would be ashamed to talk about it. hahaha
Jack Bauer 24: That was a weird choice of background music…thanks for the links though! Liam did all the talking. Carice didn’t say anything lol
You couldn’t really call that “background” music! It was horrible, loud, and intrusive, and I gave up trying to listen to the interview. Why do people spoil things with unnecessary music.
I agree with a lot of what you say. I obviously didn’t describe in detail what I liked or disliked, as you did. The Pit Scene was cool, I just thought the CGI was pretty bad in that scene. I don’t know if you are a book reader, but FTW was much better there. There was a lot of commotion and it happened much quicker and more unexpectedly. The whole “We got information about Benjen…” was a cheap setup, imo. And I wasn’t trying to bash the show. It was still better than pretty much anything else on television. I just thought this last season was so-so compared to any of the first 4 really. It has not damaged my fandom or my excitement for this coming season.
I don’t know since I don’t understand a word of Spanish but if I had to guess it’s Stannis, tho then Brienne didn’t behead him? So many questions lol 😛
Shy Lady Dragon: Good for you! If I had lived in the States, I would have gone to Comic Cons.
They have Comic Cons in London, Tokyo and (I think) Sydney. The big “International” one is in San Diego every year, but they have “local” ones, too.
I went to one San Diego one on a lark due to flukey circumstances. (Tickets actually are hard to get.) It was fun, but weird: I spent the entire time feeling both like “I am such a geek for being here” and the rest geeking out…..
RJ:
Lol
I’m Belgian so I read Dillane’s full interview and the quotes that are posted on here don’t even begin to describe how truly exasperated he was with the whole Game of Thrones topic. The interviewer notes that Stephen asked “do we really have to talk about it?” when asked if he would answer a GoT-related question. The way the interviewer describes Stephen’s response to the GoT questions is just… Let me give some examples. The interviewer says he was “rétif à évoquer le sujet” which means ‘unwilling to address the (GoT) subject’. When asked why he doesn’t do GoT press the interviewer says he retorted back, not just ‘answered’ but retorted (his answer was “not interested” btw). The interviewer went on to describe him as “agacé” and “évasif” which basically means annoyed/irritated and evasive. Mind you, he only seems over it when asked about GoT questions. It amazes me because this guy never does any GoT interviews and yet answering just 2 GoT related questions seems to be way too much for him. I think he genuinely hated being a part of it. Oh well..
Sorry for the grammatical errors. English is not my first language.
Dillane sounds like an arsehole. I guess he’s not that great an actor after all, if he was just playing himself.
Did someone say Stannis is alive still ? LOL
Ygritte: Plus I guess I just assumed an actor would want to watch their finished product but he’s the second of third one that’s said they don’t even watch.
Sometimes revisiting your performances is hard. A lot of musicians hate to listen to their recordings. In my world, I know a lot of people (myself included) who cannot stand to read their old research papers. I would do almost everyone differently now, or write things differently, or make the figures different, or whatever. I would rather focus on the current research (which my laptop is 2/3rds of the way through as I type….).
And on the flip-side, there are artists, scientists, etc., who love revisiting their old stuff.
The other thing, though, is us. Fans drive actors, writers, etc. nuts. We make their lives hell. And the big problem is that we often pester them about stuff that has nothing to do with their part of the job. If we asked them more questions like: “What inspirations did you draw on to make Stannis?” or “What type of different takes did you and the directors do to make Stannis look like he was thinking X?” or “What sort of mechanisms did you and Cunningham use to make the Davos-Stannis dynamics work?” then we would get a much better response. He is an actor: ask him about acting and he can tell us a lot. Instead, we are far to prone to treat him and the others as if they were the character or ask them things about the overall series about which they know nothing. It’s equivalent to interrogating an army private about the tactics his country’s military used 100 years ago!
Deesensfan: I loved it, especially Sansa’s arc, and even the “bad pussy” line haha
Throughout human history, we have always had phrases like that. They sound different now, but they were always “vulgar” descriptions of one thing or another. 250 year from now, that line will sound anachronistic, and some other term that means nothing to us now will mean the same thing.
I should make it clear, Dillane is of course entitled to his dislikes, and to say that GoT wasn’t his kind of thing. It’s possible to say such things in an agreeable way, but he came over as irritable and unpleasant.
My father laughed out loud when she said that line.
I myself didn’t really find it to be bad or good, it was just a random line.
But what my father said really made me smile. He said:”That is exactly what I expected Oberyn’s girls to be like”. And I agree, since then I find the line funnier and funnier with every rewatch I do. It’s not shakespearean but it isn’t the anti-christ either.
I think FTW was just as great. What I felt was different, is that in the show it feels more personal, mostly because it was done by a guy who was Jon’s adversary since S1 rather then some random new guy, we barely now.
I agree that Allister’s character is different but again I think it’s a improvment.
Thorne in the books is way to slimy and him supporting Slint was, in my opinion a mistake, from Martin’s part. It made Jon’s adversary some random guy we barely know anything about, instead of a guy who was there since the first.
Allister being portraid as someone who cares about his duty to the Watch and someone who dislikes cowards like Slint, was a genius decision.
You can respect the guy.
EDIT; Forgot Olly. Agree it was a bit obvious, but that didn’t really took away from the moment. I tought it added a nice layer that was absent in the books.
Also the quieter assassination, rather then the hasty one in the books also worked better for me.
I think it’s possible that SD may have been a little exasperated if he was there to plug The Tunnel Part 2 and people want to ask him about GoT (though it’s not surprising they want to speak about it considering the popularity of the show). I’m linking to a short video he did a couple of years ago about getting into acting etc – he seems okay as a person in that (to me at least). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h-W73X0cDs
I think it’s possible that SD may have been a little exasperated if he was there to plug The Tunnel Part 2 and people want to ask him about GoT (though it’s not surprising they want to speak about it considering the popularity of the show).I’m linking to a short video he did a couple of years ago about getting into acting etc – he seems okay as a person in that (to me at least). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h-W73X0cDs
I think he comes over as grudging and almost contemptuous.
One of his answers bears out my conclusion though: “tip for auditions? Be yourself.”
LOL
Fair enough. I may be mis-remembering because I’ve only read Dance once, but I thought that even though Jon and Allister clearly didn’t like each other, there seemed to be a respect between them by that time. Which is one of the big reasons I didn’t like that Allister was involved in FTW on the show, but like I said I could be completely wrong about that.
And I guess what made me like it more in the book was that it seemed more passionate… like in the heat of the moment they actually thought they were acting in the best interest of The Watch. On the show it just felt like they came up with a scheme and murdered him because they didn’t like him… it seemed like cold blooded murder, where as the book made me empathize (just a tiny bit) with the killers.
Those are the same reasons I like it as much if not better in the show!
I guess this shows just how subjective art is!
EDIT: To say a bit more. I actaully loved that Allister did it. It worked 10 times better for me.
And on the second point, I think it was more passionate in the show! And just a cold hasty assassination in the books.
Again amazing how subjective this sort’s of things can be!
dee: Jonathan,
(Even if we live in Mom’s basement )
So that’s why food keeps disappearing from my fridge! 😉
You must have a nice father. I fully agree with him, that’s the “normal” way for Oberyn’s daughters to behave. Dorne was fun to watch, I didn’t mind it.
Shy Lady Dragon:
I didn’t know Stephen Dillane before GOT. Judging from his portrayal of Stannis, he is a great actor but, imo, he should have been polite. I can’t believe he had no good words for his fellow actors or the crew, even if he hated fantasy and his part. That’s a fine line between being honest and being rude. David Bradley’s behaviour should be admired. It was obvious that he didn’t care for GOT, but he did his best to be polite and friendly.
On HBO a few years back there was a short mini-series called John Adams about the beginning of the American revolution. Dillane played Thomas Jefferson and I must say he was brilliant. Many of the actors were stupidly great in that series. I watch it at least once a year and I recall the first time I saw Stannis on the screen, I was like “hey, there’s Thomas Jefferson” only Stannis is NO Thomas Jefferson by any stretch. I know you aren’t in the states, but if you have HBO on DEMAND you can still see it for free if you have any interest.
He’s preaty old-school type of guy. But I managed to get him into TV shows!
He liked those old Spartacus movies and was excited to see the new Spartacus series, couple of years ago.
Tried to make him like LOTR but it had, and I quote ”to many elves”, he didn’t really liked the high fantasy stuff. He said he liked a bit more gritty/dark setting. GOT was in it’s first season at about EP6-7 so I convinced him too watch them with me, I promised him ”this one has no elves” 🙂
Since then every morning after the episode airs I go watch it with him. It’s a funny experience, because I watch the episode the night before with a group of friends so I know what will happen and it’s really funny to see his reactions. The RW was especially funny!
If this is true, it means that the writers have sine the one thing I was positive they would not adapt, one of martins most intricate, complex and also somewhat troublesome plotthreads, The Mereenese Knot. They’ve layed all the ground work through two seasons now, the liberation of mereen, politics with masters and slaves, hizdahr, the chaining of the dragons, søns of the harpy, daznaks pit, dany disapearing and tyrion in the mix of it all. SPOILERS: Now it looks like We’re getting the rest, sudden sickness (starvation maybe) in mereen, yunkish threat and the inclusion of the iron fleet. Im hoping for some version og the green Grace as well, But gerenally Im very happy with a simplified version of this plot. What do you guys think?
Jonathan: I thought that even though Jon and Allister clearly didn’t like each other, there seemed to be a respect between them by that time.
Jon respected Alliser’s abilities, but Thorne did not reciprocate at all. Thorne makes it clear that he believes that Jon is sending Thorne on a mission in hopes that Thorne gets killed, and he stops just short of saying that Jon is still a Wildling in his eyes. He does not flat out call Jon a traitor the way that Marsh does, but he would have in time! Moreover, B&W merge parts of Alliser and Marsh: in the books, Marsh is badly wounded in the Wildling attacks, and this probably is part of what makes him (Marsh) so unable to see the White Walkers as the bigger threat. (The other part is that Marsh is literally and figuratively a bean counter, and dead Wildlings are Wildlings he does not have to feed.)
Mihnea: Tried to make him like LOTR but it had, and I quote ”to many elves”, he didn’t really liked the high fantasy stuff. He said he liked a bit more gritty/dark setting.
This is why Epic Fantasy is held in such low regard, even in the rest of the SciFi/Fantasy community. Too much of it is escapism to bucolic worlds of inns, mugs of ale and bowls of stew, with clearly defined “evil” to defeat and simplistic “good” to uphold. Thrones is a major exception to this generalization: but the exceptions are sufficiently few and far between (and the influence of Tolkien’s work on public perception is so strong) that people do not mind the small number of babies being tossed out with the hundreds of cubic meters of bath water.
JCDavis: Dillane played Thomas Jefferson and I must say he was brilliant.
Yeah, it took me a full season to figure out where I had seen Dillane’s face before. Jefferson was such a totally different character from Stannis, of course, and Jefferson had a lot more hair! By the way, this totally belies the idea that Dillane was good at Stannis because Dillane is like Stannis: two men could not be more dissimilar than Thomas Jefferson and Stannis Baratheon, and yet Dillane nailed Jefferson and Stannis.
That my opinion exactly. The dornish plot improves on evert rewatch. Tyene especially is an awsome addition, she is gergous and sexy and funny and lethal, really lights up the screan when she’s on. She was definately the highlight though. The other two snadsnakes didnt really make an impression. Foran was intriqing But didnt her much time, while Ellaria was the ‘bad’ part of the story. Even still, it was a light little adventure about two knights trying to rescue a princess from a foreign land. i enjoyed it and wate eager to der the rest of the story unfold. Hope they ger tid of Ellaria soon, keep Turné as the ‘face’ of the sandsnakes, give us Dorans reveal and throw in an Areo Hotah fight scene.
I agree with you. The Meereenes knot has been knotting away for the last two seasons and will most likely be resolved by a Dothraki attack with Daenerys leading, late this season. The problem has been that certain events in Westeros had to line up, and certain Westerosi had to arrive in Meereen before the knot could be resolved. Having Tyrion arrive and meet Daenerys in mid-Season 5 was one HUGE simplification. Jorah too. And Varys arriving by the end. So also was killing off Hizdahr. As soon as the Iron Islanders arrive, and some aspect of Dorne support, everything will be in place to resolve Meereen and the slavery situation in Essos and then everyone can proceed to Westeros.
I think Dillane’s frustration is understandable. He has said in the past he didn’t really get much background info on Stannis before season 2, not to mention that the writing for his character was quite inconsistent to say the least.
Reema: the writing for his character was quite inconsistent
But why would Theon go to Mereen, of all places? Is there something from the novel you could disclose that would help explain it? Thanks!
It seems, I guess, that the show is replacing Victarion’s role with Yara and possibly Theon. That snippet in the trailer of Yara kissing the woman with long hair and the exotic hair ornament? That’s probably happening in Essos…
On Stephen Dillane: not everyone likes fantasy and honestly I suspect the french version of the interview is less irritating to fans than the english translation. Anyway, what I found curious is how he can be anti-syndicat and pro-Corbyn at the same time.
Pod is one of the characters I really hope they will make it to the series finale.
And I surely share the feelings of Ian Beattie (who does seem like a GOT fan, by the way) on Arya. She is getting darker and darker…
I’d say she will soon pass to the dark side of the Force or whatever. Her blindness may save her though.
Big “hairy” crush, you say? Is there something you need to share with us, m’lady? 😉
Sou: I suspect the french version of the interview is less irritating
It’s actually the contrary. The french version makes him come off as a stuck up prig who looks down on that kind of entertainment that is GoT. The interviewer is quite good at describing his reactions throughout the interview.
George: I guess, that the show is replacing Victarion’s role with Yara and possibly Theon
If that’s so, I wonder if that means that Asha’s arc is at an end early in TWOW or that it is expendable. Oh well, there’s no way of knowing…
Wimsey said
“…much of it is escapism to bucolic worlds of inns, mugs of ale and bowls of stew, with clearly defined “evil” to defeat and simplistic “good” to uphold.”
So what’s your point? I see nothing wrong with that. 😛 *runs from being pelted with sunflower seed shells*
And I agree. Thomas Jefferson and Stannis Baratheon couldn’t be further apart as to the type of person they both were, yet Dillane played them both beautifully.
That said, I do come in on the “he could have just been a bit more tactful” side. It may have to do with age and experience. These young whippersnappers where this is really their first major gig and are subject to social media, eat it up and we love them for it. It also is going to launch (has already launched) major careers for them that they most likely would not have had without GoT’s.
Consider Elijah Wood. He had some small fame prior to LotR’s, but after – he will always be Frodo to millions and millions. But what happened after LotR’s? I think he has struggled some as an actor, do you believe it is because of the “fantasy” pigeon hole? But yet the GoT’s younger folk are getting hired?
I still think Dillane was easily the best actor the show ever got. So whatever. Also I imagine based on a few interviews I’ve seen of him that his tone was lighter than some are imagining from reading the text. I suppose he could have been more positive to be a bit more professional but honestly, whatever. I’ll take a curmudgeonly “elitist” actors of his calibre over a super-enthusiastic, fan of the show, but less talented one any day.
Loved Season 5! Many great moments and dialog from that season.
My only problem with Dorne was the badily shot and edited Sand Snake fight and Obara’s monologue during their introduction…I think the pay off will be worth it and people will begin to see the big picture with Dorne!
Seasons 5 & 2 are a tie for me…GREAT SEASONS…not as action packed as the rest, but still GREAT!
Wimsey: By the way, this totally belies the idea that Dillane was good at Stannis because Dillane is like Stannis: two men could not be more dissimilar than Thomas Jefferson and Stannis Baratheon, and yet Dillane nailed Jefferson and Stannis.
Actually, I disagree. Both characters are extremely introverted and speak bluntly if at all. Jefferson hated the limelight & interacting with the public – as he says in John Adams he “has no talent for oratory” – much like Stannis. I suppose the warrior aspect is different but that’s a small part of Stannis’ screentime. And both are leaders who think deeply about the rightness & consequences of their actions. As soon as I realized who he was during casting I was like wow, yes I wouldn’t have thought of it but it’s actually spot-on…
Thank you for your recommendation! I don’t have HBO on DEMAND, but I think I can make an account on HBO GO and see many shows for free. Hopefully, also “the one with Dillane”, I would be interested to see him playing other parts.
Shy Lady Dragon,
Hi Shy one *waves* If you ever get the chance try and see the English/French version of the The Tunnel (it’s an adaptation of Scandinavian series The Bridge). Stephen Dillane plays a character who’s very unlike Stannis: chatty, jokey and friendly, and has a serious personality clash with someone who is rather Stannis-like. Closest GoT parallell I can think of is if SD’s character in The Tunnel was Renly and was forced to work with his brother. That’s not a brilliant comparison but it gives you an idea what I mean. It’s certainly a stark(!) contrast for those of us who know him mainly from this role 😀
(and Darrio v1 and Benjen are both in a scene with SD, it’s very strange to see them together.)
Ah well. ‘Twould be a dull world if we all thought the same thing. He was okay (I thought) playing a far more relaxed character than Stannis in “The Tunnel”. I’ve just seen Lulus Mum’s comment above – she has pre-empted me about SD in “The Tunnel”.
From Dillane’s comments, I kinda get the feeling that he’s not a fan of fantasy. That is perfectly fine and he’s entitled to his opinions.
I wasn’t a fan of Dillane’s Stannis – the writing or the acting for the character – and many people take jobs for the money (and there’s nothing wrong with that IMO), so I wasn’t bothered by his comments.
Ian McShane’s comments made me cackle, but then I adore Ian McShane and I can’t wait to see him in GoT and on American Gods
JCDavis: Consider Elijah Wood. He had some small fame prior to LotR’s, but after – he will always be Frodo to millions and millions. But what happened after LotR’s? I think he has struggled some as an actor, do you believe it is because of the “fantasy” pigeon hole?
Wood has taken a lot of small roles in smaller films. He did that somewhat deliberately after Rings. He still is fairly young (mid 30’s), and he takes the view that lots of smaller roles will do more to broaden him than a few larger ones. (Interestingly, Dan Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame has taken a similar route.) So, he has stuff out there: but you have to go out of your way to find it.
Jefferson was the antithesis of a moral absolutist: he was (as you note) someone who debated with himself and with others about what was appropriate under what circumstances. Stannis is nothing like that: he is an moral absolutist who never worries about what is right or wrong because it is always obvious to him. (The one exception to this in his life – whether to honor king or family – seems to haunt him indefinitely.)
Jefferson also was a highly curious and intellectually motivated individual who, if left to his druthers would probably have been a scholar or a philosopher. Jefferson did not like public speaking, but he was a sharp witted and charming person who made men laugh and women turn their heads. (He was a bit of a lady’s man, too.) Again, that is nothing like Stannis, who shows zero scholarly tendencies and who has no use for philosophy when “honor” should be quite clear about what a man should do.
Dillane’s performance of Jefferson does capture all of these things quite well.
“In terms of epicness yes, there’s definitely something towards the end of the season which is going to blow people’s minds. You’re going to love it,” Allen told The New Daily.
“In series five there was a running theme of characters you wouldn’t expect to cross paths crossing paths so there’s more of that.”
While Allen can’t offer any insight as to whether Theon survives season six (he blames “HBO snipers”), he says the new season will have “more of a Greyjoy presence”.
“We’ve got an actor called Pilou Asbæk from a show called Borgen and he plays my uncle … there’s a scene I’m very much looking forward to.”
Alfie’s doing a lot of interviews lately. Where’s Emilia? With Kit not being able to do any promotion this time around, it would seem she should be doing more interviews.
What you said reminds me of how embarrassed i was on behalf of the panel when i saw the kind of questions posed to them at the GOT Comic con. I know dealing with that sort of thing would grow very old and wear out its welcome after awhile.
Hi, sweet penguin with donkey ears! *waving*
Thanks for your recommendation, I’ll try to find that show. It’s a pleasure to see actors playing very different parts.
I’m looking forward to see your Photoshop “prediction”, I’m sure it will be hilarious!
Would it be such an impossibility?
Were all the actors and actresses of season 6 spotted on set?
I’m just asking, what if he and Gwendoline just shot their scenes without anybody noticing? Has anyone actually noticed Gwendoline on set anywhere? Were there reports of her?
Would it be such an impossibility?
Were all the actors and actresses of season 6 spotted on set?
I’m just asking, what if he and Gwendoline just shot their scenes without anybody noticing? Has anyone actually noticed Gwendoline on set anywhere? Were there reports of her?
Hodor!
Hodor!!!
I love Pod!
I understand that these older actors like Mcshane and Dillane don’t understand the show phenomenom but they don’t have to be so condescending about it,honestly i lost a bit of respect for Dillane .
Re: Dillane, eh, not a big deal if he only did it for the money. Lots of actors do that.
Kind of weird he has “nothing to say about it”, though, as in, no good experiences? Interactions with the cast and crew? Nonetheless, he was an awesome Stannis.
loved the interviews, loved the stannis character, and Dillan did a brilliant job.
script was interesting to read, loved reading how it’s written on the page.
That’s so Stannis. The man who would refuse to call Robert his “beloved” brother in a letter.
Season 5 was by far my least favorite season so far. It had a few highlights such as Hardhome, but there were many things that should have been better. There were some very poorly written and shot scenes. “Bad Pussy” comes to mind and I was disappointed with the “For The Watch” scene as well as the “Dance of Dragons” climax. That said, I am extremely excited for season 6, and I think they will redeem themselves!
I find it strange that Dillane was that indifferent about his role, even though he played it so well. Perhaps that’s what they liked about him. It does seem a very Stannis thing to say!
That Dany video is an excerpt from the 30 minute locations video they released last year around this time. Stephen Dillane’s attitude towards GoT is exactly how I imagined him being, not really giving 2 fucks about it. We’ve never seen him at any of the red carpet events or premieres, and to my knowledge this is the first interview where’s hes even mentioned his character or the show. I feel like he did ok with the character, but I do wish they had someone who was passionate about the character and/or the show, I think it would have translated onto the screen.
There’s also this article with a bit more from Dillane: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-03-16/stephen-dillane-on-playing-stannis-baratheon-in-game-of-thrones-money-is-the-main-thing-i-got-out-of-it
He actually takes care to point out that he’s not bashing the show here, and says he liked hanging out with his fellow cast members, so that’s something at least!
Matthew The Dragon knight,
Same here yet it doesn’t make any sense.
Hey, now. Don’t mess with Bad Pussy, that was easily the best part of Dorne, hands down, after Tyene’s boobs that is. Ehem.
People ought to remember “Bad Pussy” won an Emmy for writing. Hehehe. (not saying this in a fanboyish manner, but really -Bad Pussy is the best).
Morgoth,
Bad Pussy always puts a smile to my face XD
tkk,
If only all of the actors did as amazing a job just ‘for the money’, how awesome it would be! I feel as though trying to figure out what Dillane is thinking would be about as hard as trying to figure out what Stannis was thinking….perfect.
That Pod/Brienne side-eye glance made my damn day. 😀
Jonathan,
Honestly the show doesn’t need to redeem itself because it ever was bad,if you stopped watching the show nothing of use would be lost so stop thinking you’re a special snowflake .
Since this is a transcript of a conversation, the sentence structure isn’t perfect, but I believe what he means is that they start Season 6 in a different place geographically than they started Season 5, but doing the same thing.
A few clips of an interview with some of the cast if anyone else is interested:
My first reaction to Dillanes comments was, “wow, what a prick.” My second reaction was, “well, he was absolutely the right choice to play Stannis.”
Nothing against the guy, though. He’s very talented, as is his son (the teenage kid in FTWD). We were lucky to have him.
Also I have a big hairy crush on Daniel Portman. Seems like such an awesome guy.
Dillane is a great actor, and this wasn’t his favorite role, obviously. And ironically, his portrayal of Stannis was on-point, and perhaps that’s why he was so good: his indifference was channeled into the character.
Sophie also has an interview. I don’t know if it was posted
http://dailyjour.com/game-thrones-season-6-sophie-turner-hints-major-characters-will-cross-paths-sansa-stark-bigger-role/
I’m so excited for Sansa’s storyline now. Based on what she’s saying, we might finally see her start playing the game.
Morgoth,
Well… Idk what to say haha. I have no problem with nudity, language or anything like that, but that scene just felt really awkward and uncomfortable to watch. I don’t disagree that it may have been the best part of the Dorne story line, though…
Pablo Escobar,
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. I wasn’t a fan of a lot of what they did in season 5. I do not expect that to be the case for the next season. I consider that redeeming. Am I not allowed to have high expectations?
I am not special, I am not a beautiful and unique snowflake. I’m the same decaying organic matter as everything else.
Off topic: Hey guys, here’s me advertising another one of my videos. Do check it out if you’re willing to sacrifice half a minute for some hype 🙂
tkk,
Maisie’s answer to the deleted scenes question was interesting. The interactions between Jon and Arya in Arya’s first AGOT chapter were in one of the drafts of the pilot script floating around the web, but this is the first I heard that they actually filmed it. Too bad that wasn’t in the episode.
Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,
That’s not actually a new interview. It’s a summation of a few statements she gave to other publications.
You’re right, but I don’t remember Benioff and Weiss ever saying about season 6 that it’s goint to be
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is Stephen Dillane ?
tkk,
Thank you, great videos.
Not to hijack another thread, but that Dillane interview just provides more evidence that he’s still on the show. Sometimes when people lie, they go to extremes to try and throw off the scent. I think if he really was off the show, a more normal response would’ve been a lot more respectful of the fans and all the people he worked with for 5-6 years. And from what I’ve seen previously of Dillane, he doesn’t seem like a curmudgeony guy. So…we shall see I guess.
BTW, since we know Jon’s storyline will start from when we left it, could the same be true for Sansa and Theon’s?
Oh noes! Another professional treating their job like a job. The temerity! Maybe you should help me with my campaign to be the starting point guard for the Carolina Tar Heels. My love for the team and the sport transcends my apparent “weaknesses”.
A short new interview with Liam Cunningham:
http://www.tvinsider.com/article/79959/game-of-thrones-tease-ser-davos-connection-with-jon-snow/
He is very careful not to give anything away, but I do like this bit:
Sean C.,
I read his remarks as though Brienne and Pod are still on the same mission they had started in S5 and still trying to complete it in S6.
and…Perfect casting for Stannis.
About Stephen Dillane, I’ve suspected that for quite some time. He never appeared at public TV show events and gave very few interviews. But still, he was perfect for the role. His indifferent attitude towards the show may have even helped.
Tywin of the Hill,
In theory, perhaps, but I think that’s less likely. The events at the Wall at the end of 510 have to have been set weeks later. Granted, the timeline on this show is murky, but those are sequential events, linked by Melisandre’s traveling from Winterfell to the Wall within the episode.
Dragonmcmx,
Well done! I’d have taken it for a professional spot. 😀
Well, the only thing about a East-West thing I’ve heard was that vague Reddit spoiler about [ spoiler ] Theon and Yara (Asha) Greyjoy traveling to Essos after the Kingsmoot (presumably to meet Danny?) Remember in the trailer where Yara was kissing that woman? Wasn’t the woman dressed like they dress on Essos? (Maybe Volantis?) That snippet in the trailer didn’t have an “Iron Islands” vibe to me… [ / spoiler ]
People always complained that HBO never used Stephan Dillane to promote the show and he never got any promotional photos and never showed up at premieres and what not – I guess now we know. He obviously didn’t want to promote the show. I never liked Stannis in any way and now I don’t really care for him as a person either. So no loss. I mean he’s entitled to not like the show but to bad mouth it after he’s killed off isn’t very professional.
After Harrenhall and the red wedding, little was left of the Arya we met in S1, mostly her stubborness/determination. All of her behavior since then is consistent with this. I expect her to become even darker.
LatrineDiggerBrian,
Hmmmmmmm.
So do you think Brienne is going to take Sansa to the Wall or to the Riverlands?
Sean C.,
Honestly, I don’t think Sansa and Theon would even survive one night out in the cold without shelter and more clothing. Then there’s the food situation… I expect that we see them running in the woods just a few hours later – even it may not be in tune with the timeline -and then be rescued by Brienne.
Or we see them a few days after, starving and freezing in some shed they found debating about which direction to go,
Anyway, I don’t think they could survive a few weeks.
Jonathan,
No what he meant is that you typed that mess as if you’re the only one who has on this board, who feels that way for the first time, or has expressed that SAME opinion that a lot of fans have about last season on EVERY other board. Beating a dead horse, drum, whatever you can call it, is the least of it. but yes we understand it’s only an opinion.
trarecar,
My vote stays with Sansa in the North (Wall or not, but North). Now that I reread the interview in which Sophie is so excited to shoot scenes with ´´these amazing people” and “couldn’t believe that the storylines had intertwined so much”, I can’t help myself but thinking of our beloved trio infernale at Castle Black… 🙂
Wylie,
I don’t find it plausible either, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Though Sansa, for the record, was dressed for winter; she was expecting to have to flee when she left her room.
Yeah I agree, and the author of the article summed it up beatifully as it seems Dillane was perfectly cast: douche of a guy playing a douche of a character. So not really a great stretch for an actor (and makes me question his skill as one tbh). I defended Mcshanes words (still do) as GOT was a one episode gig for him and nobody can expect him to be overly invested, but this show has kept Dillane in the public eye when he most likely would’ve been struggling to find more work otherwise. that douchebag needs to get some perspective. :/
Does he find a new reason to go on? Something to fight for?
Well, I think he did, even when Stannis was there, when they were parlaying with Jon Snow. They both recognized, Davos certainly, that he was a fellow traveler, that he had the interest of Westeros in his heart. It wasn’t about him, it wasn’t a power trip, or any ambition to be a leader. In a bizarre way, I think there’s an inevitable bond between the two of them, dramatically. But that’s all been taken away!
Turner said, “Every scene I shot I couldn’t believe that I was shooting this scene with these amazing people, and I couldn’t believe that the storylines had intertwined so much that this is how it ends up. So many characters’ paths intertwine this season…You really get a sense that the story is coming together and rounding up this time.”
Matthew The Dragon knight,
Yep, this is a Sophie Turner quote from a couple of months ago.
Presumably Sansa, Davos, Mel, Rickon, (some) Northern Lords, the Wildlings and a few remaining Watch loyalists will be on Team-You-Know-Who this season.
Matthew The Dragon knight,
All hype sounds good. 😉
I think people are overreacting to Dillane’s comments. All he is saying is that the show doesn’t appeal to him, and that isn’t anything new. He made similar comments a couple of years ago. I don’t think he is trashing the show either. He was just never passionate about the role, and ironically that attitude meshed very well with the character he played.
Dillane was an excellent Stannis and I really like his attitude towards the show after the demise of his character. There is no offense for me as fan of the GOT. On the contrary I am bit tired by all these interviews where participants in the show have to pretend to have fun with stupid/silly/nonsensical questions.
I seem to remember the most fancasted actor for Stannis being Christopher Eccleston and he would have had the same blase attitude about being part of a successful show (ahem Doctor Who) as well so it just must fit the role 🙂
Matthew The Dragon knight,
Yeeeees!! The Northern storyline has me so hyped.
I think Davos might want to find out what happened to Shireen and
Wylie,
I would like Sansa’s and Theon’s story to start right from the moment they landed in the pile of snow. When I watched “Mother’s Mercy” for the first time, I had such a strong impression that they committed a suicide, that I even got irritated finding out that both of them are to survive. And though I got used to this idea and feel very happy now, I really want to see how exactly they made to the woods and further. I mean, it was still daytime when they jumped, and there was an open area around, so, someone had to notice them running. I will be disappointed, if we see them simply running through the woods and no explanation is provided.
trarecar,
They made a point to have Ramsay tell her about Jon, so I think she’ll want to go to the Wall. She could end up somewhere else in the North, but I doubt she’s going South. She’d have to make it past Moat Cailin, which is also guarded by Boltons, and the distance is too great.
Lol
I’m Belgian so I read Dillane’s full interview and the quotes that are posted on here don’t even begin to describe how truly exasperated he was with the whole Game of Thrones topic. The interviewer notes that Stephen asked “do we really have to talk about it?” when asked if he would answer a GoT-related question. The way the interviewer describes Stephen’s response to the GoT questions is just… Let me give some examples. The interviewer says he was “rétif à évoquer le sujet” which means ‘unwilling to address the (GoT) subject’. When asked why he doesn’t do GoT press the interviewer says he retorted back, not just ‘answered’ but retorted (his answer was “not interested” btw). The interviewer went on to describe him as “agacé” and “évasif” which basically means annoyed/irritated and evasive. Mind you, he only seems over it when asked about GoT questions. It amazes me because this guy never does any GoT interviews and yet answering just 2 GoT related questions seems to be way too much for him. I think he genuinely hated being a part of it. Oh well..
Sorry for the grammatical errors. English is not my first language.
Actually Dillanes comments gave me a chuckle, as the article says it kind of is in perfect sync with Stannis’s character and so it feeds into the believability and depth of his portrayal
In the books there’s a sense that Soldier Stannis, the second born who like Ned wasn’t raised to rule Storms End as Lord, or to be the heir of King Robert, that he is doing it as a matter of duty
So from this perspective it was quite fitting he didn’t do any extra PR work as it is such a “Stannis thing to do”
Secondly, his, “I’ve got nothing to say about it” attitude eg cast and crew etc and “I didn’t like it” perfectly fits in with Stannis attitude about Mel and R’hlorrism, he wasn’t a fanatic
And so in a kind of humorous and bizarre way this actually helps Dillane to be oh so much more a believable Stannis in the sense we get this attitude behind the performance
So the way he went out with a “do your duty” to Brienne is quite fitting
Sean C.,
The Wall would be weeks ahead in the timeline, I agree. You can argue that
She might also find Jon dead when she arrives (which would be a very dramatic moment). For all I know, things could turn out differently (those pictures of Sansa and Theon that were released to tease season 6 were shot during the day). But to me this idea is appealing because there’s a sense of urgency about it and that usually translates well on TV.
Hoderes,
Well, I believe that was my second ever post, so I am sorry I did not scroll through the archive to make sure it was not previously stated.
I wish I was a little bit taller
I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat
And a six four Impala
Interview with Stannis:
“So tell us, Mr. Baratheon, why do you think it’s you who must be the king of the Seven Kingdoms ?”
“Well, personally I don’t like this idea to be a king, I ahve no clue why the king is so popular. I mostly do it for money, your know.”
But most of all I would like to see Stannis’ king campaign placats … is there something like that parody for the presidential election, but with ASOIAF ?
That was a weird choice of background music…thanks for the links though! Liam did all the talking. Carice didn’t say anything lol.
Wylie,
My guess is
George,
Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,
Thanks, you two! Totally forgot about that rumour with Yara and the involvement of Dorne.
I just looked up the quote and it turns out Benioff and Weiss said it before Season 5 (!) was aired, so I guess they meant Tyrion meeting Daeny and Arya meeting the Faceless.
As you were! 🙂
Edit: I wonder if we’ll get a pre-season interview with the showrunners as every year. I’d really love that.
RJ,
Well, if that’s true then I do think Dillane could tune it down a little bit. I’m not
sore that apparently he didn’t like the show, as others have said, he is a professional and he doesn’t have to like GoT as long as he delivers in his role, which he did. On the other hand part of being a professional is not being disrespectful (and I would count acting piqued when someone asks you questions about a show you worked on and were paid good money for as disrespectful) about the projects, and in extension the other people on these projects, as long their really deserve it.
I hate Stannis even more now. LOL
George,
can’t wait to see everyone interact together, The Northern plot has me excited the most out of all the story arcs.
Name *,
Yup out of all the shows coming out or have already come out i’m the most excited for this. Better call sault, Vinyl, walking dead, and Dare devil season 2. Game of thrones season 6 is on the top of my hype meter.
Tits & Dragons – Part Dieux.
Jon Snow's Curling Iron,
I can definitely see that happening in season 6, really pumped up to see how everything plays out.
Matthew The Dragon knight,
Same here. I can barely focus on anything else. I’ve been waiting for this moment to happen for years lol.
The Dance of Dragons featurette is up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJVVwWN2zNY
Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,
Matthew The Dragon knight,
I couldn’t resist 😛
Your opinion is equally irrelevant is it not?
Really?
This only makes me love Stannis/Dillane more. They’re both darkly hilarious. And for what it’s worth, he may be privately as frustrated with the bare bones nature of his denouement as some viewers. Three years of Dragonstone buildup, hitting similar notes again and again, and then he burns his daughter over some bad weather and dies.
Really great actor, best possible Stannis.
I wonder if the wall will come down this season? We have to see the white walkers threaten Westeros at some point this season or next….
Flintstonwielder,
Having fun riffing on my nick ?
flintstonewielder,
No doubt
http://youtu.be/pQ_m0rYc_bQ
David Bradley was the complete opposite lol.
What often makes actors really enjoy roles is getting to portray the evolution of a character. However, Stannis is not the sort of role the provides that: he is, after all, a very static individual. They did a little to provide him an arc of sorts in the last season, but in many ways, the point of Stannis is to be unable to evolve or adapt so that characters such as Davos can bend the world around him.
No one here should confuse Dillane’s attitude with him being like Stannis or with this being important for his performance. All of these actors can portray a wide range of personalities: they can swing from comedian to lover to dictator to victim to whatever depending on what tonight’s role is. They also are not “staying in character”: most of them are from the British and European acting traditions, which frowns heavily on “method acting.”
Eccleston’s issues were personal ones with some members of the production crew. The details have been vague, but it amounted to him not enjoying his time as the Doctor at all. Sadly, he declined to appear in the 50th anniversary episode because of it, even though the production crew had almost entirely turned-over. He did joke that he’d be psyched and ready for the 75th anniversary!
Pablo Escobar,
Kind of biting the hand that feeds you, as well as disrespectful to the show fans. But at least he was being honest, I guess.
Dillane’s comments strike me as someone who has a long acting career, yet only gets GoT questions. It was a job he took, that now overshadows any other job. Eh, well, translated to a perfect Stannis.
As far as Mcshane and Dillane go in their opinion of GoT, I can only say this.
Great actors are like great musicians. A fantastic drummer or saxophone player can get hired into a band and read some sheet music and with a little direction absolutely nail it. Doesn’t mean they have to like the style of music they are playing, could even be a style of music they dislike but it wont matter because they are great musicians.
I think the same holds true with great actors but instead of sheet music they get a script.
Mcshane and Dillane obviously don’t have a taste for GoT but I am still happy D&D landed them in this gig.
Sometimes fandoms forget this is just a job to these people. This is their chosen profession and it’s not a requirement they enjoy the show/film as much as you do. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his comments and I wouldn’t be surprised if others on the GoT cast share similar sentiments as him.
I liked season 5 overall. The Dorne plot was weak, and Sansa in Winterfell was a little forced. But pretty much all the other storylines were great, in my opinion.
The Jorah and Tyrion journey and stories were great. The Faith and Cersei story was great. Everything at the Wall was great, starting with the Stannis-Jon-Mance interactions.
I loved the last 4 episodes, which really picked up the pace. Cersei getting tossed in jail was awesome. Hardhome of course was amazing. I loved the scene in the arena in episode 9. First the drama with Jorah fighting, then the Harpies attack, them Dany accepts death and Drogon comes. Very dramatic and satisfying.
Final episode was great, too, in my opinion. Loved the end of Stannis. It was swift poetic justice after his terrible sin. He had to go down and quickly,,and he did. Cersei’s walk of shame was great, and the FrankenMountain with Quburn meeting her at the end was very cool.
Myrcella’s death redeemed the Dorne storyline a bit and provided good closure,to the season’s opening scene where young Cersei heard the prophecy of her children dying. Jon’s murder was brutal and shocking, very well done, in my opinion. The Olly twist was predictable but still carried good emotional weight.
Overall a good but flawed season, not nearly as bad as bad as it’s made out to be on here.
“Between other things, for the money”… Just goes to show what a mercenary little shite Dillane is and good that he’s no longer in the show. Actors with that attitude are arrogant pricks IMHO if they only play a part for the money and get little enjoyment out of doing it – Fuck Dillane and fuck Stannis says I 🙁
Whatever other roles he’ll play, people will always see him as Stannis now. Hehe.
Black Raven,
Yeah god forbid he take a job in his chosen profession. The man is an actor. This is his profession. Would you not take a high paying job in whatever your profession is? These people aren’t acting for you or simply because you find the show/film entertaining.
Dillane is a terrific actor who probably doesn’t want his career to be known for this one role. Some people also have issues with fantasy even when it is fantasy done well.
Apollo,
Why?? It’s his JOB, he does not have to love it ever job he had. I’m happy you have never had a job you didn’t love more than anything in the world. But, a lot of people have issues with their jobs.
Damn, people here are still whinny, hypocritical brats. God, I hope most of you are under the age of 15. Please please please tel me you are all kids!
This doesn’t surprise me, honestly. I always got the impression he felt this way.
I also remember Craster’s actor saying similar things.
Er… jobs? Um, we are fanboys (and, um, girls). We all live in our parents basements and have yet to have a social interaction with a member of the other sex. (Girls are scary.) And Dillane, McShane, etc., all are shiites who do not know how privileged they are to be documenting these immortal characters: if they just want to act for money, then they should just work on a normal TV show that is not important to anybody.
Now go away: a Babylon 5 marathon is staring soon…..
Maybe he sees himself as primarily a serious stage actor and films would be a step below theatre…television a step below films…but the pay is too good to turn down. Who knows?
Emotionally or according to birth certificates?
Seriously, I think people need to watch this again….
On a side note that should not be a sidenote, the letters that Jon is (was) reading are informative. It seems that nobody is taking his call for help seriously. On one hand, that should not be too surprising given everything that has been presented before. However, it does also suggest that Jon is going to have a big uphill battle in front of him this year.
Wimsey,
I have purchased the opportunity to have my picture taken with Captain Kirk in May at a ComicCon event. If he tells me to “get a life,” I will consider it the highlight of my year! 😉
Actually, it will be my first ComicCon and I’ve also purchased the same opportunity with Ros, Pycelle and Data. I’m not sure how it all works, but I’m looking forward to the adventure. Hoping they are friendly enough to answer a question or two. There is a separate line (and fee) for autographs.
Yes, Dillane was indeed perfect as Stannis. Perhaps Dillane brought quite a bit of his attitude to GoT to his role as Stannis. I am still in a very happy place that Stannis ended in Season 5; to have him dragged out to Season 6 would have been such a waster of precious time, that could be spent on the huge ensemble of characters.
I so, so, so hope that Tyrion and Pod can meet again before the end. After this interview, if Pod dies before meeting Tyrion again, I will be even more heartbroken. Perhaps time for Pod to leave Brienne’s service and head east across the Narrow Sea.
Sullied by Knight,
Tell him that the picture needs to look good in my mother’s basem…, I mean, my windowless bedroom. That might get the response you crave.
(Or you could tell him that he’d look better with the Jon Snow 2000 wig instead of the Kirk Turbo 5000.)
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/board/threads/254890308/
The guy is quoting L7R podcast. Since I don’t follow Spanish, no idea how true this is. But some S6 spoilers here.
Black Raven,
I have no problem with what Dillane said, it is actually funny and refreshing to have someone be so honest. Would you prefer he lie for your benefit? Acting is a job, each role different, so he wasn’t into Stannis the way he may have been into other roles. He wouldn’t be the only one now would he? Contrary to popular belief artists don’t owe the public anything other than good performances and Dillane pretty much gave us an awesome portrayal of Stannis. Can’t we just be happy with that? Dillane was also a fabulous Thomas Jefferson by the way, so GOT didn’t make him, it was just another job and I’m sure the roles will keep coming.
Well said Wimsey… I couldn’t agree more. GOT will go down in history as being one of the greatest TV spectaculars/series of all time. I’m pretty sure that most of the actors and actresses (certainly the younger ones) really enjoy performing in it and as we have seen, it has boosted their careers in the profession and they’re now getting other leading roles in films.
These older established actors like Dillane and McShane and their indifference to GOT saying I did it just for the money or with McShane hoping to meet up and work again with his old mates Stephen Dillane and Charles Dance (whose characters have since been killed off in the series! ) seem to me they don’t give a shit about GOT or the fan-following it has generated, Its true what other posters have said re Dillane’s lack of interest and I’ve never seen the guy on any talk-show discussing his role playing Stannis.
I will give him some credit playing the role of Stannis which did well, but that probably came naturally to him seeing what an arrogant shite he is and playing that part obviously suited his temperament 😉
It kind of sounds similar to what Alec Guinness always said about Star Wars: He liked the cast/crew just fine, and certainly liked the money, but it was just another acting job and the way people treat it as kind of a gospel seems out of proportion to him.
ghost of winterfell,
I’ll listen to this tomorrow.
I was just looking at that still of Jon Snow bleeding out and I noticed that all the blood and stab wounds are around the stomach area.
Not only is there no blood where the heart is…there isn’t even a cut in his leather vest where his heart is
Alikat,
I feel kind of justified in my complaint back when Dillane won the WOTW best actor poll. 🙂 There were so many Stan fans but I really wanted Kit to win.
I didn’t know Stephen Dillane before GOT. Judging from his portrayal of Stannis, he is a great actor but, imo, he should have been polite. I can’t believe he had no good words for his fellow actors or the crew, even if he hated fantasy and his part. That’s a fine line between being honest and being rude. David Bradley’s behaviour should be admired. It was obvious that he didn’t care for GOT, but he did his best to be polite and friendly.
Yeah so I’m guessing that Stephen Dillane won’t be doing too many conventions in future then xD
Sullied by Knight,
Good for you! If I had lived in the States, I would have gone to Comic Cons. Have fun! I’m sure you will.
We all go to work, we all do it “between other things, for the money” and yet when an actor does it, there’s a problem … his honesty should in no way diminish the awesomeness that was his performance on the show.
Jonathan,
No need to apologize (ironically or otherwise). Lots of people state things on here that have been said many times before – if I had a penny for every time someone wrote “Am I the only one who …” on this site, I’d be a very rich lady. That’s just how it is on social media.
The problem is, there is always that one (or two) posters who need to let off steam for something and think it’s a grand idea to attack a fellow poster. Don’t worry, most of us are really nice and sociable. (Even if we live in Mom’s basement 😉 )
What made you think he didn’t care for it…?
True on both accounts. I think the problem many people have with it is not that he didn’t like it, but that he is talking negatively about it in public. Sometimes I am really fed up with my job, but I don’t tell everyone and their mother about it. My company has a reputation to loose, too, and as long as it doesn’t do something morally or legally wrong, I – as a representative – shouldn’t badmouth it on the media.
Not that it will harm GoT in any way, and I find his honesty kind of compelling for its humanness, but I still think it’s not the most professional thing to do.
ghost of winterfell,
Here’s the podcast. http://lossietereinos.com/podcast-de-hielo-y-fuego-96-analisis-del-primer-trailer-de-la-6a-temporada-de-juego-de-tronos/
I don’t speak Spanish either but that seems to be what’s said here.
he was a great Stannis
anyone who is butt-hurt about the actor’s honest opinions is a tragic fanboy/fangirl who needs to have a word with themselves.
Shy Lady Dragon,
I get confused with there being two Bradley’s on the show and always think it’s Sam being mentioned. That said, I would be surprised because John Bradley does seem fond of his role and cast mates. During the 4th season I believe, maybe the 5th, there was some discussion with people wondering why we never see Dillane doing any kind of promotional stuff. There was like absolutely lack of him compared to others and those who knew (of) him stated he’s always been just a serious actor and private. But now we know better lol. Oh well, I do have a feeling there’s some sour apples for some behind the scenes reason that we’ll probably never hear about. Why else would the man have such negativity towards it. I don’t mind if he just ended up not liking his role or doesn’t care for the genre. What comes off wrong is the fact that he apparently resented the fact it was even brought up, couldn’t find one nice thing to say about it, or anyone involved in it.
Big Mac,
I don’t think he is interested in the show by the way he said that he didn’t really watch it and that he didn’t realize how huge it was.
dee,
I agree, but it’s not as if he’s just walking around, making negative statements. People are asking him, so he tells them how it is. And he’s not badmouthing it, anyway. He’s basically just saying that he doesn’t like it. And even then, what of it? Everyone’s just saying how adorably Stannis-like he is irl. It’s a gift and a curse, I suppose. 😀
Eh, Dillane didn’t like the show/character/story, so what?
Do you know how many actors do that?
I respect him for doing his job as good as he did. If his dislike for the story would have harmed his acting then criticizing him would have been fair but this didn’t happen.
Ygritte,
Yeah, it was as if he tried to be as unpleasant as possible… Maybe it’s a reason we don’t know about, can’t say.
John Bradley is a sweetheart and it’s really fun to follow his interviews. I remember him saying that, if he did nude scenes, it would be good for everybody, because he has both a dick and boobs.
I was referring to the hateful Walder Frey, played by a nice man, who was very keen on saying good things about the show, although he admited he didn’t really watch it and wasn’t aware it was huge. Imo that shows lack of interest, but he knew how to behave so that he shouldn’t seem condescendent.
Shy Lady Dragon,
It’s so funny when an actor who is right in the mix of the thing, doesn’t even know that the show they’re part of is popular lol. Plus I guess I just assumed an actor would want to watch their finished product but he’s the second of third one that’s said they don’t even watch. I guess if you look at it their pov is like when we leave work for the day we don’t want to see pictures of the place or be constantly reminded lol.
That John Bradley comment was made at Comic con one year, I remember cracking up at it haha. Rose’s reaction was also funny 🙂
Greenjones,
I’m listening now, but it’s 3 hours long. Do we have a time stamp for those particular spoilers?
Greenjones,
Its a 3 hour podcast for a 2 min trailer! What we need is a spanish speaking person willing to listen to a 3 hr podcast.
If those spoilers are true, then
2. There were already rumors floating around of Yara and Theon going to Volantis, on their way to Meereen. This supports that rumor.
3. A surprising death in the Riverlands/ Northern storyline – Rickon? Brienne? LF?
El-Bobby,
Sorry I didn’t listen to it so I can’t be helpful there. I’ve just read a few different summaries of what’s said in it. Basically all of it was covered in that IMDB post from what I’ve gathered.
ghost of winterfell,
Greenjones,
No worries. I listened to about 40 minutes but don’t have time to listen to the rest. I do love their passion though, 3 hours for just a trailer! Lol.
El-Bobby,
But why would Theon go to Mereen, of all places? Is there something from the novel you could disclose that would help explain it? Thanks!
Yeah it would have been good to at least see him take Deepwood Motte
Plus they needed to play out and dramatise the challenges for the men, with “Ramsay’s 20 good men” assault being the final straw
Boy am I ready to see Dothraki’s in a massive battle
Ygritte,
To replace Victarion’s role.
He did a great job, that’s literally all that matters.
I think it jars for some people because a) we obviously love the show so might be affronted by others who do not feel the same way and b) we are so used to the utter PR fluff that most actors are only too happy to spout about anything they work on.
Honestly, I find it refreshing.
Ok for Dillane, his opinion… but don’t start question every single actor who may be happy that got lucky and casted in a huge success like GoT because it’s not cool to be thankful anymore :-p .
It’s GoT… it’s huge.. and the actors there get huge publicity and chances they would never got otherwise. I would be happy for that. It’s the most successful show on the planet right now.. what can an actor ask for?
Did they said it’s not Jaime? Stannis on the cross? I wish i could understand them.
mau,
Yup
hahaha
He can say and feel however he wants, by all means. Many people work only for the money. But he doesn’t have to be so ANNOYED about talking about the show. Chill buddy
Red Nightmare,
🙂
The number of people who didn’t enjoy season 5 is small. Especially on here.
I loved it, especially Sansa’s arc, and even the “bad pussy” line haha
Big Mac,
If I had to play Crastor, I would be ashamed to talk about it. hahaha
You couldn’t really call that “background” music! It was horrible, loud, and intrusive, and I gave up trying to listen to the interview. Why do people spoil things with unnecessary music.
Red Nightmare,
I agree with a lot of what you say. I obviously didn’t describe in detail what I liked or disliked, as you did. The Pit Scene was cool, I just thought the CGI was pretty bad in that scene. I don’t know if you are a book reader, but FTW was much better there. There was a lot of commotion and it happened much quicker and more unexpectedly. The whole “We got information about Benjen…” was a cheap setup, imo. And I wasn’t trying to bash the show. It was still better than pretty much anything else on television. I just thought this last season was so-so compared to any of the first 4 really. It has not damaged my fandom or my excitement for this coming season.
Maggie,
I don’t know since I don’t understand a word of Spanish but if I had to guess it’s Stannis, tho then Brienne didn’t behead him? So many questions lol 😛
They have Comic Cons in London, Tokyo and (I think) Sydney. The big “International” one is in San Diego every year, but they have “local” ones, too.
I went to one San Diego one on a lark due to flukey circumstances. (Tickets actually are hard to get.) It was fun, but weird: I spent the entire time feeling both like “I am such a geek for being here” and the rest geeking out…..
Dillane sounds like an arsehole. I guess he’s not that great an actor after all, if he was just playing himself.
Did someone say Stannis is alive still ? LOL
Sometimes revisiting your performances is hard. A lot of musicians hate to listen to their recordings. In my world, I know a lot of people (myself included) who cannot stand to read their old research papers. I would do almost everyone differently now, or write things differently, or make the figures different, or whatever. I would rather focus on the current research (which my laptop is 2/3rds of the way through as I type….).
And on the flip-side, there are artists, scientists, etc., who love revisiting their old stuff.
The other thing, though, is us. Fans drive actors, writers, etc. nuts. We make their lives hell. And the big problem is that we often pester them about stuff that has nothing to do with their part of the job. If we asked them more questions like: “What inspirations did you draw on to make Stannis?” or “What type of different takes did you and the directors do to make Stannis look like he was thinking X?” or “What sort of mechanisms did you and Cunningham use to make the Davos-Stannis dynamics work?” then we would get a much better response. He is an actor: ask him about acting and he can tell us a lot. Instead, we are far to prone to treat him and the others as if they were the character or ask them things about the overall series about which they know nothing. It’s equivalent to interrogating an army private about the tactics his country’s military used 100 years ago!
Throughout human history, we have always had phrases like that. They sound different now, but they were always “vulgar” descriptions of one thing or another. 250 year from now, that line will sound anachronistic, and some other term that means nothing to us now will mean the same thing.
Wimsey,
Agreed my friend, agreed
People freaked out about that, come onnn LOL
I should make it clear, Dillane is of course entitled to his dislikes, and to say that GoT wasn’t his kind of thing. It’s possible to say such things in an agreeable way, but he came over as irritable and unpleasant.
Deesensfan,
My father laughed out loud when she said that line.
I myself didn’t really find it to be bad or good, it was just a random line.
But what my father said really made me smile. He said:”That is exactly what I expected Oberyn’s girls to be like”. And I agree, since then I find the line funnier and funnier with every rewatch I do. It’s not shakespearean but it isn’t the anti-christ either.
So they actually killed Stannis off? Shiiit.
PS: I’m taking this with a grain of salt, anyway…
Mihnea,
that’s exactly what I thought !!!!!
Jonathan,
I read the books 4 times.
I think FTW was just as great. What I felt was different, is that in the show it feels more personal, mostly because it was done by a guy who was Jon’s adversary since S1 rather then some random new guy, we barely now.
I agree that Allister’s character is different but again I think it’s a improvment.
Thorne in the books is way to slimy and him supporting Slint was, in my opinion a mistake, from Martin’s part. It made Jon’s adversary some random guy we barely know anything about, instead of a guy who was there since the first.
Allister being portraid as someone who cares about his duty to the Watch and someone who dislikes cowards like Slint, was a genius decision.
You can respect the guy.
EDIT; Forgot Olly. Agree it was a bit obvious, but that didn’t really took away from the moment. I tought it added a nice layer that was absent in the books.
Also the quieter assassination, rather then the hasty one in the books also worked better for me.
Grandmaester Flash,
I think it’s possible that SD may have been a little exasperated if he was there to plug The Tunnel Part 2 and people want to ask him about GoT (though it’s not surprising they want to speak about it considering the popularity of the show). I’m linking to a short video he did a couple of years ago about getting into acting etc – he seems okay as a person in that (to me at least). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h-W73X0cDs
I think he comes over as grudging and almost contemptuous.
One of his answers bears out my conclusion though: “tip for auditions? Be yourself.”
LOL
Mihnea,
Fair enough. I may be mis-remembering because I’ve only read Dance once, but I thought that even though Jon and Allister clearly didn’t like each other, there seemed to be a respect between them by that time. Which is one of the big reasons I didn’t like that Allister was involved in FTW on the show, but like I said I could be completely wrong about that.
And I guess what made me like it more in the book was that it seemed more passionate… like in the heat of the moment they actually thought they were acting in the best interest of The Watch. On the show it just felt like they came up with a scheme and murdered him because they didn’t like him… it seemed like cold blooded murder, where as the book made me empathize (just a tiny bit) with the killers.
Jonathan,
LOL!
Those are the same reasons I like it as much if not better in the show!
I guess this shows just how subjective art is!
EDIT: To say a bit more. I actaully loved that Allister did it. It worked 10 times better for me.
And on the second point, I think it was more passionate in the show! And just a cold hasty assassination in the books.
Again amazing how subjective this sort’s of things can be!
So that’s why food keeps disappearing from my fridge! 😉
Wimsey,
I meant the big bad (dire)wolf in San Diego, that’s the “real” Comic Con. Yes, I’m a nerd, but I’m not ashamed of it 🙂
Mihnea,
You must have a nice father. I fully agree with him, that’s the “normal” way for Oberyn’s daughters to behave. Dorne was fun to watch, I didn’t mind it.
On HBO a few years back there was a short mini-series called John Adams about the beginning of the American revolution. Dillane played Thomas Jefferson and I must say he was brilliant. Many of the actors were stupidly great in that series. I watch it at least once a year and I recall the first time I saw Stannis on the screen, I was like “hey, there’s Thomas Jefferson” only Stannis is NO Thomas Jefferson by any stretch. I know you aren’t in the states, but if you have HBO on DEMAND you can still see it for free if you have any interest.
Shy Lady Dragon,
I enjoyed it also
And was hoping to see dorne in the trailer
Shy Lady Dragon,
He’s preaty old-school type of guy. But I managed to get him into TV shows!
He liked those old Spartacus movies and was excited to see the new Spartacus series, couple of years ago.
Tried to make him like LOTR but it had, and I quote ”to many elves”, he didn’t really liked the high fantasy stuff. He said he liked a bit more gritty/dark setting. GOT was in it’s first season at about EP6-7 so I convinced him too watch them with me, I promised him ”this one has no elves” 🙂
Since then every morning after the episode airs I go watch it with him. It’s a funny experience, because I watch the episode the night before with a group of friends so I know what will happen and it’s really funny to see his reactions. The RW was especially funny!
El-Bobby,
Oh Shit! i can see it now! Thats why they made Yara Gay! She’s taking Victarions role!
Damphairintheshowplease!,
I speculated something like this will happen!
I’m actaully excited in seeing some Yara/Euron scenes!
Can we expect burned hand badass Yara? That was among the few things I liked in that book..
Damphairintheshowplease!,
If this is true, it means that the writers have sine the one thing I was positive they would not adapt, one of martins most intricate, complex and also somewhat troublesome plotthreads, The Mereenese Knot. They’ve layed all the ground work through two seasons now, the liberation of mereen, politics with masters and slaves, hizdahr, the chaining of the dragons, søns of the harpy, daznaks pit, dany disapearing and tyrion in the mix of it all. SPOILERS: Now it looks like We’re getting the rest, sudden sickness (starvation maybe) in mereen, yunkish threat and the inclusion of the iron fleet. Im hoping for some version og the green Grace as well, But gerenally Im very happy with a simplified version of this plot. What do you guys think?
Jon respected Alliser’s abilities, but Thorne did not reciprocate at all. Thorne makes it clear that he believes that Jon is sending Thorne on a mission in hopes that Thorne gets killed, and he stops just short of saying that Jon is still a Wildling in his eyes. He does not flat out call Jon a traitor the way that Marsh does, but he would have in time! Moreover, B&W merge parts of Alliser and Marsh: in the books, Marsh is badly wounded in the Wildling attacks, and this probably is part of what makes him (Marsh) so unable to see the White Walkers as the bigger threat. (The other part is that Marsh is literally and figuratively a bean counter, and dead Wildlings are Wildlings he does not have to feed.)
This is why Epic Fantasy is held in such low regard, even in the rest of the SciFi/Fantasy community. Too much of it is escapism to bucolic worlds of inns, mugs of ale and bowls of stew, with clearly defined “evil” to defeat and simplistic “good” to uphold. Thrones is a major exception to this generalization: but the exceptions are sufficiently few and far between (and the influence of Tolkien’s work on public perception is so strong) that people do not mind the small number of babies being tossed out with the hundreds of cubic meters of bath water.
Yeah, it took me a full season to figure out where I had seen Dillane’s face before. Jefferson was such a totally different character from Stannis, of course, and Jefferson had a lot more hair! By the way, this totally belies the idea that Dillane was good at Stannis because Dillane is like Stannis: two men could not be more dissimilar than Thomas Jefferson and Stannis Baratheon, and yet Dillane nailed Jefferson and Stannis.
Damphairintheshowplease!,
If Martin had a editor with balls this is how it would have been in the books to.
It’s painfully obvious how much could have been cut.
We also get a Red priestess in Meereen, I guess she will take Maqorro’s story and role.
Mihnea,
That my opinion exactly. The dornish plot improves on evert rewatch. Tyene especially is an awsome addition, she is gergous and sexy and funny and lethal, really lights up the screan when she’s on. She was definately the highlight though. The other two snadsnakes didnt really make an impression. Foran was intriqing But didnt her much time, while Ellaria was the ‘bad’ part of the story. Even still, it was a light little adventure about two knights trying to rescue a princess from a foreign land. i enjoyed it and wate eager to der the rest of the story unfold. Hope they ger tid of Ellaria soon, keep Turné as the ‘face’ of the sandsnakes, give us Dorans reveal and throw in an Areo Hotah fight scene.
Damphairintheshowplease!,
I agree with you. The Meereenes knot has been knotting away for the last two seasons and will most likely be resolved by a Dothraki attack with Daenerys leading, late this season. The problem has been that certain events in Westeros had to line up, and certain Westerosi had to arrive in Meereen before the knot could be resolved. Having Tyrion arrive and meet Daenerys in mid-Season 5 was one HUGE simplification. Jorah too. And Varys arriving by the end. So also was killing off Hizdahr. As soon as the Iron Islanders arrive, and some aspect of Dorne support, everything will be in place to resolve Meereen and the slavery situation in Essos and then everyone can proceed to Westeros.
I think Dillane’s frustration is understandable. He has said in the past he didn’t really get much background info on Stannis before season 2, not to mention that the writing for his character was quite inconsistent to say the least.
How so?
It seems, I guess, that the show is replacing Victarion’s role with Yara and possibly Theon. That snippet in the trailer of Yara kissing the woman with long hair and the exotic hair ornament? That’s probably happening in Essos…
On Stephen Dillane: not everyone likes fantasy and honestly I suspect the french version of the interview is less irritating to fans than the english translation. Anyway, what I found curious is how he can be anti-syndicat and pro-Corbyn at the same time.
Pod is one of the characters I really hope they will make it to the series finale.
And I surely share the feelings of Ian Beattie (who does seem like a GOT fan, by the way) on Arya. She is getting darker and darker…
I’d say she will soon pass to the dark side of the Force or whatever. Her blindness may save her though.
Lyanna_Targaryen,
Big “hairy” crush, you say? Is there something you need to share with us, m’lady? 😉
It’s actually the contrary. The french version makes him come off as a stuck up prig who looks down on that kind of entertainment that is GoT. The interviewer is quite good at describing his reactions throughout the interview.
If that’s so, I wonder if that means that Asha’s arc is at an end early in TWOW or that it is expendable. Oh well, there’s no way of knowing…
Wimsey said
“…much of it is escapism to bucolic worlds of inns, mugs of ale and bowls of stew, with clearly defined “evil” to defeat and simplistic “good” to uphold.”
So what’s your point? I see nothing wrong with that. 😛 *runs from being pelted with sunflower seed shells*
And I agree. Thomas Jefferson and Stannis Baratheon couldn’t be further apart as to the type of person they both were, yet Dillane played them both beautifully.
That said, I do come in on the “he could have just been a bit more tactful” side. It may have to do with age and experience. These young whippersnappers where this is really their first major gig and are subject to social media, eat it up and we love them for it. It also is going to launch (has already launched) major careers for them that they most likely would not have had without GoT’s.
Consider Elijah Wood. He had some small fame prior to LotR’s, but after – he will always be Frodo to millions and millions. But what happened after LotR’s? I think he has struggled some as an actor, do you believe it is because of the “fantasy” pigeon hole? But yet the GoT’s younger folk are getting hired?
I still think Dillane was easily the best actor the show ever got. So whatever. Also I imagine based on a few interviews I’ve seen of him that his tone was lighter than some are imagining from reading the text. I suppose he could have been more positive to be a bit more professional but honestly, whatever. I’ll take a curmudgeonly “elitist” actors of his calibre over a super-enthusiastic, fan of the show, but less talented one any day.
Loved Season 5! Many great moments and dialog from that season.
My only problem with Dorne was the badily shot and edited Sand Snake fight and Obara’s monologue during their introduction…I think the pay off will be worth it and people will begin to see the big picture with Dorne!
Seasons 5 & 2 are a tie for me…GREAT SEASONS…not as action packed as the rest, but still GREAT!
Actually, I disagree. Both characters are extremely introverted and speak bluntly if at all. Jefferson hated the limelight & interacting with the public – as he says in John Adams he “has no talent for oratory” – much like Stannis. I suppose the warrior aspect is different but that’s a small part of Stannis’ screentime. And both are leaders who think deeply about the rightness & consequences of their actions. As soon as I realized who he was during casting I was like wow, yes I wouldn’t have thought of it but it’s actually spot-on…
JCDavis,
Thank you for your recommendation! I don’t have HBO on DEMAND, but I think I can make an account on HBO GO and see many shows for free. Hopefully, also “the one with Dillane”, I would be interested to see him playing other parts.
Shy Lady Dragon,
Hi Shy one *waves* If you ever get the chance try and see the English/French version of the The Tunnel (it’s an adaptation of Scandinavian series The Bridge). Stephen Dillane plays a character who’s very unlike Stannis: chatty, jokey and friendly, and has a serious personality clash with someone who is rather Stannis-like. Closest GoT parallell I can think of is if SD’s character in The Tunnel was Renly and was forced to work with his brother. That’s not a brilliant comparison but it gives you an idea what I mean. It’s certainly a stark(!) contrast for those of us who know him mainly from this role 😀
(and Darrio v1 and Benjen are both in a scene with SD, it’s very strange to see them together.)
Grandmaester Flash,
Ah well. ‘Twould be a dull world if we all thought the same thing. He was okay (I thought) playing a far more relaxed character than Stannis in “The Tunnel”. I’ve just seen Lulus Mum’s comment above – she has pre-empted me about SD in “The Tunnel”.
From Dillane’s comments, I kinda get the feeling that he’s not a fan of fantasy. That is perfectly fine and he’s entitled to his opinions.
I wasn’t a fan of Dillane’s Stannis – the writing or the acting for the character – and many people take jobs for the money (and there’s nothing wrong with that IMO), so I wasn’t bothered by his comments.
Ian McShane’s comments made me cackle, but then I adore Ian McShane and I can’t wait to see him in GoT and on American Gods
Wood has taken a lot of small roles in smaller films. He did that somewhat deliberately after Rings. He still is fairly young (mid 30’s), and he takes the view that lots of smaller roles will do more to broaden him than a few larger ones. (Interestingly, Dan Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame has taken a similar route.) So, he has stuff out there: but you have to go out of your way to find it.
Queenofthrones,
Jefferson was the antithesis of a moral absolutist: he was (as you note) someone who debated with himself and with others about what was appropriate under what circumstances. Stannis is nothing like that: he is an moral absolutist who never worries about what is right or wrong because it is always obvious to him. (The one exception to this in his life – whether to honor king or family – seems to haunt him indefinitely.)
Jefferson also was a highly curious and intellectually motivated individual who, if left to his druthers would probably have been a scholar or a philosopher. Jefferson did not like public speaking, but he was a sharp witted and charming person who made men laugh and women turn their heads. (He was a bit of a lady’s man, too.) Again, that is nothing like Stannis, who shows zero scholarly tendencies and who has no use for philosophy when “honor” should be quite clear about what a man should do.
Dillane’s performance of Jefferson does capture all of these things quite well.
An Alfie Allen interview:
http://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/2016/03/17/theon-greyjoy-game-of-thrones-alfie-allen-interview/
Wimsey,
I only learned yesterday that it was Dillane’s son, Frank, who played Tom Marvolo Riddle in the HP series! 🙂
Is the epic scene he’s referring to a Greyjoy scene, or a different storyline?
Jack Bauer 24,
I think he means in any storyline.
Alfie’s doing a lot of interviews lately. Where’s Emilia? With Kit not being able to do any promotion this time around, it would seem she should be doing more interviews.
Name *,
Awesome interview, I really am looking forward to season 6.
Wimsey,
What you said reminds me of how embarrassed i was on behalf of the panel when i saw the kind of questions posed to them at the GOT Comic con. I know dealing with that sort of thing would grow very old and wear out its welcome after awhile.
Lulus Mum,
Hi, sweet penguin with donkey ears! *waving*
Thanks for your recommendation, I’ll try to find that show. It’s a pleasure to see actors playing very different parts.
I’m looking forward to see your Photoshop “prediction”, I’m sure it will be hilarious!
Deesensfan,
Would it be such an impossibility?
Were all the actors and actresses of season 6 spotted on set?
I’m just asking, what if he and Gwendoline just shot their scenes without anybody noticing? Has anyone actually noticed Gwendoline on set anywhere? Were there reports of her?
Tywin of the Hill,
Rest in peace Jon Snow!
Long live Jon Stark!! King in the North and North of the Wall!!!