While promoting upcoming films, Gwendoline Christie and Natalie Dormer discussed Game of Thrones characters and what we can expect next season.
Gwendoline Christie appeared on “Live with Kelly and Michael” to promote Star Wars: The Force Awakens. During the interview, Michael asked her about Brienne and Christie recounted how she first learned about the character through a fan campaign for her to get the role. She then read the books and fell in love with Brienne. She also spoke of how heartening she finds the popularity of a show that features a woman as “unconventional” as Brienne.
“What that says is, ‘We want to see different kinds of people in our entertainment’ and I do think Brienne of Tarth has been one of those,” Christie said.
On a similar note, Christie discussed her admiration for Star Wars‘ strong female characters during an interview with ScreenSlam.
“I remember even at [the age of 6] seeing Princess Leia and being so in a state of rapture due to her strength, her wit, her determination and thinking, ‘That’s unusual. I don’t really see women like that in the things that I watch … I like it and I like her and I want to be like her’.”
Christie expressed her excitement to be playing Star Wars‘ first female villain. “The idea that there is a female character who is encased in armor and we primarily form a relationship with her due to her actions and her character rather than the way she has been made flesh was very interesting to me.”
In another interview with Made in Hollywood TV, Christie described the process of filming Star Wars and Game of Thrones at the same time.
Of course, Christie isn’t the only Game of Thrones actress with a movie about to come out. Natalie Dormer spoke with Wetpaint to promote her upcoming horror film, The Forest. When asked what fans can expect in Game of Thrones season 6, Dormer replied:
“Gone off piste — we don’t have the books any more … This is Dan and David’s first independent season without the penmanship of George R.R. [Martin]. It’s going to be very interesting for the fans to see, it’s completely fresh snow to step into.”
Lastly, WOTW reader, Archie, sent us an interview that Michael McElhatton gave back in July in which McElhatton mentions that he receives all 10 scripts at once. So, it’s possible that the practice of handing scripts out one episode at a time only applies to those in minor supporting roles.
McElhatton says, “There’s a storyline planted in which I have a new heir on the way. I think that’s going to cause some problems for Ramsay. And that’s going to play out probably in not very favorable terms.”
At any rate, it’s always nice to see a Bolton out of character.
There’s a storyline planted in which I have a new heir on the way. I think that’s going to cause some problems for Ramsay. And that’s going to play out probably in not very favorable terms.”
Ramsay kills Roose confirmed!
Hodor
Hodor!
They better leave Fat Walda alone.
*knows they won’t*
If I ever ran into a cast member on the street I don’t think I’d have the guts to go up and throw out a line or address them as their character.
I dont want a “very interesting” season.
I want a “EPIC” season.
Ines,
🙂 There’s hope. Roose isn’t stupid. I’m sure he’s protecting his heir from Ramsay.
Though the bastard is devious…
Geez, another Stormtroopers on the Wall article..
It’s weird that actors like Michael get all 10 scripts at once, but Natalie doesn’t iirc.. EDIT: It’s completely false what’s said in the article. Michael says “we get all the scripts, all ten scripts.” He mentions it because the interviewer asks whether he’s in the dark of other storylines. He doesn’t mention that he gets them all at once. That’s an assumption.
Oh well, Roose and/or Walda are done in S6, and we’ll feel sorry for Roose when it comes.. or at least conflicted. Looking forward to that.
RIP Walda Frey Bolton!!
He actually said a few things that indicate or validate what we already know or want to know. He said something like hoping that the NW and the Wildings would throw in together and be a force against the WW. Odd to just toss that out there.
When asked if he thinks about the rest of Westeros/Essos, he didn’t. He brought it back around to WF, NW and the WW being the basic story and “thing” to overcome. He hopes with dragons or thinks it will be. He didn’t say “I think this because this is where my story line is”, he said it as a statement. Interesting.
I think I might be reading much into this, but I think he is also saying what IS most likely going to be the main thrust. All the rest is getting to that point. He said one other thing that caught my attention, but now I forgot it.
Great interviews, both.
That voice ? ? ?
Confirmed, oh dear…
OK, random thought of the day: Noticing all the Boba Fett helmets in the crowd behind the radiant Ms. Christie got me wondering… Would they be called Boba Fetts or Boba Fetti? ;-P
Apart from the cast doing press for other projects (and one expects Gwen will be on the road for a bit on this one), I guess the next gatherings of the cast will be at SAG and the Golden Globes early in the New Year. Though granted, based on past precedent they’re unlikely to say all that much.
Roose is done for, I said this since we found out Walda was pregnant.
Fully expected this and actoully like it, from a story-telling perspective.
Only sad thing will be that we will no longer be able to enjoy McElhatton’s superb acting.
My only hope is that he will have some scenes with Ramsey before, absolutly love their scenes.
He and Iwan just fit togheter perfectly.
Ser Oromis Locke,
The point is that McElhatton received all ten scripts, when he is very likely not in all ten episodes. There has been some discussion over whether or not the actors receive all the scripts or just their own scenes, as some actors have mentioned (like Lino Facioli). Most likely, it’s just the recurring/guest people like Facioli who only see their own scenes, while regulars like McElhatton still see everything. That was what people were guessing, but it’s always good to have confirmation.
And if you don’t want to read Gwendoline Christie articles, dude, just don’t click on ’em.
When McElhatton talks about seeing the season for the first time at the premiere, I’m curious as to whether, at the premiere, they only watch the first episode or the first handful of episodes or the entire season. Do we know? It seemed like Finn Jones was very stoked about the end of the season at the last premiere, but 10 hours in one sitting in fine clothes, no less, seems extreme.
Gwendoline looks stunning, but she has just ducked and dodged every single question about Brienne. Why can’t these people get drunk and talky every once in a while?
Fienix,
I believe the plural of “Boba Fett” is “Boba Fett”. “This one Boba Fett was in a crowd of 80 Boba Fett”.
Why are people wildly extrapolating from a comment by McElhatton that tells us precisely nothing we hadn’t already learned from season five?
Because it gives us something to do and a way to still feel relevant between now and April.
Boba Fetuses.
I remembered the discussion also being about whether the actors getting all scripts at once or in batches (as some actors said during /shortly after comiccon).
I made the SW-quip mostly because: a. the marketing is literally everywhere. To the point of it starting to annoy me. And b. because the first clip had nothing relating to GoT in terms of content, outside of her mentioning Brienne’s stature once. I would’ve switched the order of the clips in terms of which is most relevant for this fandom.
It hasn’t got anything to do with Gwendolyn as a person, as I do like the way in which she is articulate and devoted.
Well, i think the Boltons would lose in only case…if Roose dies. Because he is so cold, calm, patient, clever. The northener Tywin Lannister. It would be ironic if he’d die by his son as well. And Ramsay is just a sociopath moron, he is sly too, but he have a big-big weakness. And that’s this ”sociopath moron” personality.
Great interview!
He makes a point of saying that he read the first 2 books, then stopped because the character in the show is “written very different” from the character in the books, in terms of the character, NOT the plot or the arc. He said he basically had to throw out everything he knew from the books in order to play what was written in the script. I wonder what he means by this? It’s been years since I read the books, but I don’t notice so many gross differences in the two versions of Roose?
I’d love to see Roose vs Ramsay play out, both have no qualms about brutality and both are cunning… I’d put my money on Roose, but you never know…
My first post here!
Interesting turn of phrase by Dormer – “completely fresh snow to step into.”
Well, I’m afraid that, after watching Gwendoline as Captain Phasma, I’ll go to the dark side 🙂 I enjoyed Gwen’s interview a lot, although I’d have liked some spoilers. She’s amazing, such a professional who puts a lot of thinking into creating her characters!
Mr McElhatton was a pleasant surprise, it’s the first of his interviews that I have watched and he was so charming! I have seen him in his small parts in The Fall and Ripper Street, but in my mind he is always Roose Bolton, the traitor who played a significant role in the Red Wedding.
Called it! Really looking forward to the Fall of the House of Bolton.
Well to be honest after all these interviews i am disappointed of all the reviews which point that her character in Star Wars is very minor with few screen time. You get casted in GoT and you spend a season with few scenes waiting for a candle…in HungerGames she got only 2 minutes and now 5 minutes in Star Wars in a costume….. every single of these movies claim to be proud to have her and they don’t give her a role so she can reach audiences outside Game of Thrones.
Roose kills Ramsay confirmed.
Ramsay kills Roose, who is killed by Fat Walda, who is killed by Sansa and the baby is ripped apart by ghost.
The differences definitely aren’t “gross,” but a few subtle differences here and there can extrapolate into a lot of tweaks for the actor. Show!Roose is a Machiavellian murderer while Book!Roose is a creepy sociopath who covers this with a cold intelligence. Which is definitely to say that Machiavellian murderers are creepy and intelligent sociopathy is a solid [if harsh] description of Machiavelli’s ideals, so both versions of the character are uniquely portrayed about as evilly as it gets in the giant grey area that is Westerosi morals. But Book!Roose takes the creeper thing to fetish levels. It’s one thing to tell an actor to play a power-hungry, scruple-free, medieval backstabber; it’s another to direct him to throw in a Marilyn Manson vibe.
Like how Daario is still very Daario, despite turning the flamboyance down a few notches: a big difference in how two versions of a character character are portrayed visually that actually serves to underscore the similar personality that defines the character.
“Completely fresh snow” she says. Whatever could she be trying to tell us? 😉
I have to confess my ignorance…I have never heard Michael Mc last name pronounced…can someone tell me how to?
Speaking of horror films and Michael McElhatton, the Irish production “The Hallow” he’s currently starring in is getting pretty decent reviews. It has an eerie Edna O’Brien-esque vibe.
Most seem to think this means Ramsay will kill Roose. For this reason, I think it will be the other way around. And Ramsay winds up on Roose’s cruciform flaying board.
I’ve said before that I believe Roose is far more depraved than Ramsay. He is also far more intelligent, with better manners.
So Sansa DID have somewhat of an impact at WF.. She planted the seeds of doubt in Ramsay that will probably lead to tbe death of Roose or Walda.
Now if only we had gotten at least one scene of Sansa trying to manipulate/charm Ramsay in episode 4 or 5! Alas….
I can’t wait to see the look on Roose’s face when Walda tells him she’s going to name the baby Littlefinger Jr. 😉
Brandon,
I think Ramsay would have arrived to the same conclusion, with or without Sansa.
Fienix,
it’s Bobas Fett… like Attorneys General, or Whoppers Junior
Well it’s been a long while since I last commented on an article…
KevLS,
I also can’t see Roose being killed by Ramsay, it would be like if Joffrey had killed Tywin. He’s just too smart to go out like that. But hell, who knows, maybe it’s just that I’ve come to really appreciate Roose as a character so I’m being fooled by my character preferences. It would be good to have a villain like Roose survive throughout most of the series. It can’t be that in the end the only characters left standing are the good guys.
Roose is not a idiot, like some here might to think. He knows very well the devil (son) he has.
KevLS,
This guy gets it.
Bobae Fett.
Am i the only one who doesn’t give two craps about the new Star wars movie or SW in general ? Just let these old franchises to die Hollywood and stop milking them because you have no original ideas anymore .
Chekhov’sOlly,
I completely agree. They also promoted Michael McElhatton to a main cast member, if that means anything. I just think of these quotes whenever someone mentions Ramsay killing Roose.
“The son is just the shadow of the father”-Theon
“Some men hunt, some hawk, some tumble dice. Roose plays with men. You and me, these Freys, Lord Manderly, his plump new wife, even his bastard, we are but his playthings.” -Barbrey Dustin
Tyrion the myrion,
Well, if you don’t give a crap about SW in the first place, I wouldn’t expect you to be excited about the new movie. Let people enjoy it if they want to, I certainly will.
One of Roose Bolton’s 20 good leeches,
It wouldn’t bother me so much if i wasn’t bombarded with the ads on every building,corner,street,tv,the internet,hell even in schools or work you can’t get way from this shit,i hope it sucks like the prequels so maybe people will finally learn not to overhype the shit out of anything before it’s released .
He also mentions that “if the nights watch and the wildlings ever got together, it’d be a fearsome thing” (TOTALLY paraphrased), and that there are “others coming to Winterfell.” I’m so hyped.
Also, what a lovely, well-spoken man.
We do know. Ramsay is already reported to be headlining the Battle of Six armies for the Boltons..
I don’t think Brienne has succeeded on a single mission embarked upon. She set out to return Jamie but in the end, he came back to rescue her. She’s rejected by Arya and Sansa both as it never occurs to her that wearing fancy armor might make her look suspicious. She fights and seriously wounds The Hound, even though he was no threat to Arya.
Why would women want to repeatedly fail as Brienne does?
Brienne has skills, but can’t get her head right.
Liam Cunningham:
http://www.thepaddockmagazine.com/2015/12/liam-cunningham-game-of-thrones/
“[Season 6] is bigger, brasher, bolder and weirder.”
Sorry if someone beat me to this.
Gwendoline Christie for Captain Marvel!
1. That’s just petty.
2. If people didn’t learn about the perils of overhype from the prequels sucking, why would the sequel sucking “like the prequels” learn people any differently?
3. You’re complaining about hype for a movie coming out this week on a site that is pretty much a hype vehicle for a season coming out in four months.
Anon,
Don’t forget watching Renly die! But at least we were spared her detour to Crackclaw Point…
I have to ask again: can anyone tell me how is McElhatton is pronounced? I´ve looked everywhere with no answer 🙁
Brienne needs much more muscles to be convincing. This actress is obviously lazy.
Minor spoiler today from Los 7 Reinos:
About the photos from the set that were published here yesterday, the say this:
That was never going to happen. Sansa was in over her head.
He has. Seasons 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6
People think this because Roose hasn’t even been sighted while a few details of Ramsay have leaked.
How does no one shit gold at the sight of Pod’s Lannister gear?! And he had the nerve to tell Brienne not to ask about Sansa!
Dragonmcmx,
What “brasher” means? And why he would say weirder?
Oh god. Please let this season be epic.
Roose dead. Like so dead. Like OMG dead.
Another old but interesting tidbit about scripts and readings:
Self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way like my co-worker:::::::::::::::::flee
Mel creepin’.
He also says:
” But this time I had about a week off, so after the Abu Dhabi weekend I went back to Dublin on Tuesday, a couple of days to prepare, rehearsing on Saturday, started filming on Monday, and I will finish on the 17th of December. “
So Liam cunningham is filming at the Wall? With Tormund? Or is Liam filming elsewhere? I think only the wall filming is going on right now?
Since Miguel Sapochnik is also filming till the 17th, can we assume that Davos and the wall will feature in episode 9, 10? Or is there another director working on the first few episodes right now?
SerNoName,
We don’t know how many directors are working, so it’s unclear. Granted, on the last day of filming one expects the herd has been thinned out pretty well.
Nice!
I am so deliciously cruel but I hope they name Walda’s child “Domeric” before he and her and Roose get erased from Winterfell in a most vicious manner. Those who know the tale of Ramsay’s youth will know why…
SerNoName,
Davos will not be at the Wall in ep 9/10. He will be fighting in the big Northern battle. So if he is filming scenes at the Wall, it will be for an earlier episode. Alternately, he might be present in that scene with the Northern Lords which is being filmed on the 16th. Do we know if either Kit or Sophie are in Belfast at the moment?
ghost of winterfell,
No news either way on their locations. Last seen in Belfast on the weekend, in both cases.
Hodors Bastard,
I think Kit Harington should be in Belfast either way. If they are filming resurrection scenes at the wall or if there are scenes involving Davos and Northern Lords, I think Jon Snow is a sure presence at either of those scenes.
And it looks like there are most likely two directors filming right now. Maybe Sapochnik is filming the Northern Lords for episodes 9, 10 and the other guy is at the wall.
Rygritte,
🙂 Don’t mess with my snow castle!
Sean C.,
Okay thanks, still hoping for atleast one last spoiler before filming ends!
SerNoName,
The Northern Lords are filming for just one day, so it will likely be a single episode scene, I think. And they are apparently filming with a baby on 17th. So there is really no way of saying how many directions are there right now.
One thing I found interesting about Cunningham’s interview was he said they were filming with 4 crews at one point. I know its normally 2, and this year there were atleast 3. But 4! This season will definitely be bigger than the others!
That’s exactly what I was going to say! Within record time of Brienne becoming kingsguard, the king was dead. And yet I love and adore her.
Woot! And Los 7 Reinos was the site that Sue had said was quite reliable, right?
I cannot wait for Season Six…but as a nerd-geek I have to bow out right about now…because there has been an awakening!
When winter comes I shall be there heart and soul, but until then may the Force be with you all!
Benjen!!!!
I don’t know if you noticed but the lead in The Hallow is played by Joseph Mawle, a.k.a. Benjen Stark!
Alex G,
I hear you, but English is not my first language, so it’s not my place to give advice, I’m not sure myself.
Ginevra,
The same. Wanting to do the right thing and failing and trying again is what makes us human.
Alex G,
Mick el hat in.
OR
Mack ill het in
There’s two ways to pronounce it apparently
She killed Stannis as she always said she would.
Ygritte,
Thanks! I was interested myself. I wouldn’t have guessed the pronunciation, at least not for the final syllable.
Davos’ Luck,
Good to know! Than-you so much for translating.
BOOM! mic drop
We get more Star Wars/alternative cast project coverage on the slow news weeks. The less news, the less GOT relevant news; nature of the beast. ITS THE GREAT DROUGHT OF THE SWORN SWORD!!
“The dark side of over saturation”
Shy Lady Dragon,
Thanx for replying,anyway! 🙂 I think it´s pronounced MICHAELTON even though it´s spelled quite differently
Ygritte,
Thanx for your reply! 🙂
MaesterMercy,
You’re welcome 🙂
Alex G,
My (wrong) guess would have been Mack-el-ha-ton. Don’t tell anyone 🙂 I’m glad Ygritte taught us the correct pronunciation(s). I suppose the actor being Irish the pronunciation rules are different.
Ines,
Lol
pretty sure it’s pronounced “Michael Keaton”.
there is a blizzard here and the nearest movie theater is 50-60 miles in any direction. i won’t get to see Star Wars until at least Sunday or Monday. why do bad things only happen to me 🙁
So, Star Wars. Since Gwendoline Christie and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (shortest cameo ever) are in The Force Awakens and since some of us love theories, I thought I’d drop a couple of them here. I’m putting everything behind spoiler code, of course, because what I’m about to say includes much detail for the new movie.
Googling, I found that the theory that Rey is another child of Han Solo and Leia is just as popular as the idea that she’s Luke’s. And there certainly is a bounty of scenes that could be interpreted that way, but I had seen those scenes as playing off the fact that she’s Luke’s – or possibly a red herring.
What is perhaps more obvious than her lineage and likely related (pun intended) is that Rey and Kylo Ren appear to have some sort of previous relationship before we see them meet onscreen. The Knights of Ren were part of Rey’s flashback. Rey seems to know a good bit about Kylo Ren and how to push all of his buttons. And Kylo Ren keeps calling Rey “the Scavenger” and speaks as if he’s more familiar with her than he should be if they just met. What’s the backstory there?
Abyss,
Aha! But, I don’t know if she really killed him. They left us with a tantalizing cliff-hanger when she swung that sword at Stannis. I imagine that an anvil fell from the sky and knocked Brienne out, right at the critical moment.
Even if Stannis has died, I can’t say that it was Brienne who killed him. Furthermore, Stannis an obsessive, unflinching, unyielding *$#^!; therefore, I expect him to fight!
Abyss,
Aha! But, I
Kilgore Tully,
don’t know if she really killed him. They left us with a tantalizing cliff-han
Kilgore Tully,
ger when she swung that sword at Stannis. I imagine that an anvil fell from the sky and knocked Brienne out, right at the critical moment.
Even if Stannis has died, I can’t say that it was Brienne who killed him. Furthermore, Stannis an obsessive, unflinching, unyielding *$#^!; therefore, I expect him to fight!
Kilgore Tully,
Yep, I think she just stood there staring…although she might be forgiven a bit for gawking at that…thing.
I can’t understand her being doe-eyed over Jamie. It seems she falls for anyone who shows her the least bit of kindness. Jamie is a monster. He tried to kill Bran, a mere child, and he beat a relative to death in his makeshift prison cell on the battlefield when he was being held by Robb, remember that?
Brienne has really poor judgment of character, it seems. The fact she loved Renly was only coincidental to his basic good character. It was his kindness to her that she really loved.
…still, Pod was kind to her, yet she was harsh with him. Maybe she like powerful men who show her kindness. Maybe she’s a snob.