With less than a week to go, the cast is as chatty as ever in anticipation for Game of Thrones season 6. Entertainment Weekly has Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) who reviews her character’s fall from grace last season and her choice of violence this season. The Stark Squad (term coined here at The Wall) reflect growing up on set and the chances of a reunion in USA Today. Lastly, but most certainly not least, series photographer Helen Sloan explores her experience on set and her astounding eye for photography at Tech Insider.
Writer James Hibberd kicks off by contrasting Headey in person with her character on Game of Thrones noting her tattoos, comfortable clothes, and short black hair because, as Headey says, “Why the f–k why not?” She’s about as different from Cersei as we could’ve hoped for and much cooler than we knew.
On Cersei’s new position in Season 6, Headey describes it as such:
Just a right laugh, really. It’s probably her most interesting season – because now she really has nothing to lose and she has everything to gain from a horrible position she finds herself in. Her relationship with Jaime is at an all-time weird level. Even though they’re back together, a part of her must f–king hate him. He let Tyrion go. He failed to protect Myrcella.
Hibberd notes Jamie failed to protect Joffrey as well and Headey comments:
Yeah. She’s also super emotionally vulnerable in a way she’s never been before. It’s an interesting moment [in the season premiere] when she realized Jaime’s comes back with a dead daughter. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] write about Cersei showing nothing – no screaming – and then later there’s a moment with Jaime where she’s broken and it’s so genuine. It’s purely a mother lamenting the purity of her child. I never thought Cersei would say out loud what’s said in this scene; it was quite a beautiful moment. And then it gets all f–ked up.
Headey could be referring to the clip we previously saw released by HBO but before the episodes air, it’s purely speculation.
She goes on discuss Cersei’s Walk of Shame last season and the comments she received after for using a stunt double.
It’s worsened things! I don’t think she’s found any humility. She’s even more self-preservatory. She can’t believe that happened to her, of all people. It’s fueled her desire for power and her desperation to prove that she’s somebody worth considering.
[on the critic/audience reactions]
Really great ones. But some people thought I was less of an actress because I didn’t get my t-ts out.
She continues this lesson of badassery by defending her decision (even though she didn’t have to).
You know what? It was really a bit shocking. I’ve done nudity. I’m not adverse to it. But I know I’m a very emotional actor and I get really driven by that. In order to do my job, I allow myself to be really vulnerable. I don’t know any other way to do my job. Things really affect me. And the thought of being naked for three days and trying to contain her in the way she would be I think I would feel very angry. I didn’t want to be angry. I don’t think Cersei would be angry. I did what I thought she would do, emotionally. And wonderful Rebecca [Van Cleave, Headey’s stand-in] was able to contain herself and be naked. She found it very difficult, obviously. It’s not a natural thing to do. I film every year and I have kids and they know me now and [being naked in the scene] was just too much on top of that. So yeah, people that get it thought it was great. I didn’t phone it in; I was actually there for three days with Rebecca.
Then ends by further teasing Season 6:
It just keep getting better. It’s so juicy, and it’s so f–king dark, and so emotionally clever, in this landscape. It sounds so cheesy, but I’m really grateful to be part of something so cherished.
Headey displays more of her down to Earth attitude by going into the Franken-Mountain, Faith Militant, and the series’ Emmy win at Entertainment Weekly.
Game of Thrones first began as a story of The Stark family and through the seasons, we’ve seen that family torn apart in just about every direction in Westeros. The Young Wolves –Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright- talk their characters current position and offer thoughts on a family reunion:
Maisie: I think that would be very cool, but it would almost be too much of a happy ending for this show.
Sadly, she’s probably right. The cast continues by reflecting on their personal growth on the show and their character’s.
Sophie: I can’t begin to think of how much she’s changed. [At the start] She’s vulnerable, naïve and sees the world through rose-tinted glasses. Now, she’s hardened. The only way to survive now is to be her own woman and a leader in her own right.
Maisie: Arya is now learning to use her ears and other senses [which ultimately will] make her a better assassin. But the beginning will be spent as an underdog and will be a real struggle.
[She goes on]
She definitely experiences more than any 12-year-old, more than any human, should have. She’s got this (kill) list and she’s carried the pain of losing her family members. It changes a person. This season, we see her get lost in someone else for a bit.
Isaac: I like to imagine it’s as if he’s watching the show, with the idea of seeing what’s going on all over.
[He continues]
There’s an enormous amount of hubris with his power. Bran needs the Raven to tell him to stay on the right track, master his power and then use it.
[He concludes by noting Bran is taking the Tully route and doing his duty.]
He’s followed his destiny relentlessly. He had the opportunity on his way to the Raven’s cave to give up. It’s a great metaphor for doing what you feel you have to do, no matter what.
USA Today has much more of this in-depth interview where the cast discusses growing up on set, their future roles, and more.
Aside from having the best job in the world (she gets to watch the series unfold live and document it throughout), lead photographer Helen Sloan does an astonishing job capturing the huge moments on set. She shares her experience with Kim Renfro at Tech Insider.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t the one who took photos.
She reminisces getting her first camera at the young age of 11 and adopting a “fly on the wall” persona. She further shares how she became involved in film and what it means to her.
[Working in the film industry] was something I always wanted to do but I thought only people in America did that, not people from a small town in Ireland.
Until a very special series found its way to her through first season producer Mark Huffam back in 2011.
[Huffam] said ‘Look, HBO is rolling into town, it’s a huge production. This the pilot that I’m gonna help produce and I think you should put in your portfolio.
Both had their doubts considering there were already another 20 photographers up for the job but Sloan comments that her photography style more than fit the show.
I guess my style really suited the dark, murdery, incesty, battle-y, creepy ‘Game of Thrones’ vibe.
Tech Insider has more with Sloan and her incredible photography as she documents the Game of Thrones series.
Sunday night can’t come soon enough! What are your thoughts? Let us know below!
Hodor!
6 … more … days …
Helen Sloan is amazing, she inspires me in levels I can’t describe.
They also released this photo:
http://m.imgur.com/FacBql6
The look on Jaime’s face is hilarious.
Maddams,
ROBERT STRONG!!!
BTW, the Good Morning America episode with the GOT actresses will air on Thursday.
6 days HYPE! I feel like it’s Christmas week!
Anybody seen this poster and know if it’s legit? A rowboat? Is Gendry still out there?
http://i.imgur.com/kbL2HrM.jpg
How can you have the tier 1 actors (e.g. Lena) not read the books? Imo it should’ve been a requirement. With that said she has been KILLING IT as Cersei.
I do the Starks will be together again before this story concludes. GRRM likes a dark story, but he said the ending is “bittersweet” which means it’s not all hell and brimstone.
Nice interview with Lena. Love the nuance that she brings to Cersei. This may not be a popular opinion but I enjoy every minute that she is on screen.
Less than a week now!woohoo!
& I also think Lena is talking about the scene in the clip that was earlier released, which I thought was seriously disturbing btw.
MP,
Yes please! I’d be mostly interested in Jon-Arya and Arya-Sansa and I very much hope that we get a Jon-Sansa appetizer in S6 🙂
PS. Poor Bran, totally forgot Bran.
Dolorous Methuselah,
The person on GoT reddit who made that says it was as a joke.
mariamb,
I totally agree. After she had Lady killed, I wanted her do die asap, but it is so much more powerful (and yet not rewarding at all) to see her slowly waste away. I’ve also come to appreciate the complex psychology of the character as well as her moments of being a human being with which I can empathise.
Never thought I’d say it, but here it goes, I love Cersei as a character 🙂
El-Bobbie,
Apparently 4/20 will have actors from GOT, 4/21 actresses and 4/22 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Sneak peek at this week’s @Variety cover on @GameOfThrones: It takes two “Iron Men” to make one hit show. http://twitter.com/debrabirnbaum/status/722157664264806400/photo/1
There was set up for Sansa & Arya meeting/working together again way back in S1/B1 with Ned giving his speech. Both their story lines don’t really have any set up for the long night and the war with the undead, they both seem purely entrenched in the Stark revenge arc and that’s where they will finally find common ground.
Also it’s my personal belief Sansa and Arya will probably die in the end since revenge is seen as a bittersweet thing in GRRM’s story, see Oberyn with Gregor and Tyrion with Tywin.
It’s fan made, shared on Reddit.
Jack Bauer 24,
So, I’m guessing this means that Tony Stark will make an appearance this season after all?
The nasty bits,
Most of the leads have not read the books.
And honestly, Cersei in the books almost cartoonishly evil… Torturous, murderous, paranoid, aloof, narcissistic, drunk, and woefully incompetent.
I like Lena’s smarter, more nuanced portrayal.
Dragonmcmx,
Tony Stark is Benjen Stark CONFIRMED
I Need Help, I want this year an HBO Now subspriction for an non Apple-Laptop, but I’m lost how to do that.
I didn’t found an phone-number on the HBO-Website, even in the Impressum is not one, and I don’t want to fill an helprequest or send an E-mail, because I’m done with that in general.
I live in Europe, but I don’t want a SKY-abo, because it would have a whole package I would not like to pay and i wouldn’t work without a TV and I know how much monopol they have on football in Europe and this I dont’t like either.
Can anybody help me, because this year I would like to watch and support Game of Thrones, by an subscription.
I would be very very glad for a good dummie-help!
Thanks in forward!
A helpless
I think Kit and Emilia have read them (out of the Tier 1 cast).
Many actors don’t read the source material, since it might interfere with how they portray the character. Book Cersei is very different from Show Cersei.
Lena is so awesome. It’s disgusting how entitled some viewers feel to seeing her naked on this show. She has the right to do whatever she wants.
Lena doesn’t have to defend her decision to not do the scene herself. I definitely think the actresses on this show should absolutely speak their mind and refuse to do nudity if it’s not important to the story. Of course in this situation it was, but I still understand her decision to have a stand-in. But her actual comments do confuse me a little bit. Specifically this.
As an actress, she seems to be saying she would not be able to portray that scene, which seems kind of disparaging to her own talent, by suggesting she was incapable of acting that scene out. She then says she doesn’t think Cersei would be angry, but among other emotions, I absolutely believe anger was displayed in the scene anyway. And then she caps it off by saying she did what Cersei would do. I have no idea what that means.
I love Lena as an actress and prefer her portrayal of Cersei to the book character. She did a wonderful job throughout season 5. Hell she did a wonderful job in that scene when they did the above the shoulder shots and towards the end. But I do think that scene lost a little bit of it’s punch.
I think the Thrones team did an amazing job given the situation they were in and made the best scene possible given a body double and hundreds of extras, but it was still distracting when I saw it for the first time. It broke the immersion. I found myself looking at the image of Lena’s face on Rebecca Van Cleave’s body and trying to shake that uncanny vally feeling instead of being absorbed in this pivotal moment for Cersei.
The scene was still great. The shot at the end in Frankenmountain’s arms is probably my favorite part of the scene. I just don’t think the scene was as great as it could have been. And I don’t think fans who thought the scene suffered a bit should be…shamed (heh) for stating it, as if we just wanted to see some boobs.
That said, there were probably a ton of idiots who actually harassed her over it so that may be who she is speaking to.
Ah. Kinda figured. Poor Gendry- He’s destined to row in anonimity I guess.
Dolorous Methuselah,
I think we’ll see him in s7 when there’s room for him. If the Blackfish and Thoros can come back this year, there’ll be a place for Gendry too.
Sunday night can’t come soon enough! What are your thoughts? Let us know below!
Um, that’s my main thought. GAME OF THRONES IS SUNDAY, OMFG, 10 WHOLE MONTHS I’VE WAITED, WE’VE WAITED. – the family is already on notice that unless they want to come join in the watching on Sunday, that I will be in another world for a few hours and unavailable for comment on anything else.
That picture of Margaery is heartbreaking. To have the bloodline and family support that she’s had, and still end up in shit like this. Can’t wait to read the articles and pass the remaining hours until the Episode – Red Woman.
It would be very shocking if they do Arya to kill Sansa in the last season..
Actually it would be very cool and unexpected
I don’t think he will be instrumental to any story line, but if they surprised us with a cameo like the one we got of Hotpie with Brienne – I think that would at least be enough to satisfy most – show him relatively happy, healthy and rebuilding his life and working at his craft. Nothing more would be needed really to end all the speculations.
Where tf did that come from? Why would Arya want to do that? No, it wouldn’t be cool. Arya has a feeling of grudging affection for Sansa – when she and Jaquen parted in season 2 (3?) she said she couldn’t go with him because she had things to do, one of which was find her sister. She wouldn’t kill Sansa for any reason.
Kamali,
I really dont understand your comment. How is it possible that the scene lost a bit of its punch just because the body double? This is a common practice and sth that many actors did, do and will do. The scene was incredibly powerful and Lena depicted Cersei’s emotional, political and social downfall with a uniquely condensed and yet expressive way.
I’ve seen this theory before, that her one of her FM assignments would be to kill Sansa… don’t think it will even happen and it would defiantly NOT be cool, to either Arya or Sansa fans alike.
I can’t remember where I saw or read this, but there was a similar story line of 2 sisters who were more or less polar opposites who didn’t get along – but when one was in trouble, the other came to help without hesitation. When asked why she bothered when she didn’t like her sister she replied – “Yeah, I don’t like her, doesn’t mean I don’t love her.” or something to that affect. Same goes for both Sansa and Arya – they were young, immature and fought a lot, but it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other underneath it all.
viki,
House Baratheon was founded by a bastard. I think it will be restored by one as well. Which may be a role that goes to Edric Storm in the books but I think it’ll go to Gendry in the show.
Does anyone else think that Arya will have wolf dreams of Nymeria this season while training with the Faceless Men? And she will learn that she can warg and will use warging for her training while she is blind??
Yeah, Hotpie. LOL were you following this site during the season that Hotpie showed up? The reaction was funny and joyful, and way stronger than anyone thought it would be I think. Hotpie, Hotpie. Twitter went crazy. I had a scenario in my mind where Gendry found his way back to the village where Hotpie and the Inn are, and is quietly living a happy, anonymous life as the village blacksmith, avoiding all exotic, red-haired women like the plague.
Hope so, but I think it’s pointless in this season, the only Direwolf they showed in the previews was Ghost. But maybe they didn’t want to spoil it – imagine the reaction if Nymeria shows up in her dreams. I have a feeling we are all going to be spending a lot of time on our laptops the next 10 weeks, typing “Can you fu….ng believe that?”
Hurry up, Sunday.
Helpless,
Check out this page and ‘I don’t have Sky Atlantic?’ – Not sure if this NOW TV service is possible with clients outside of the UK.
http://europe.newsweek.com/game-thrones-how-you-can-watch-season-6-free-449111?rm=eu
I think life is a lot like that as well. Normal people might fight with siblings, and harbor ill-will for a time, but not to the point where they actually want to kill them. And Arya worked out some of her aggressive ill-feelings in a normal way – when she got Needle, didn’t she say something like “Sansa my have her embroidery, but I have my own Needle.” That’s how normal people play out their spiteful feelings – or they write tome upon tome full of murder and mayhem and live out their lives as sweet, lovely, community-conscious men in the mountains of New Mexico.
viki,
Gendry will be an important part of the opposition to WWs.
He will forge
Why else has a ‘prentice smith been included in the narrative?
New ToJ and Night King shot in latest promo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfmt5y8jfeQ
Maddams,
Haha, that is a wonderful photo. His face…!
Maddams,
LOL It’s a shame how dark indoor scenes are.
I think Arya’s next assignment is
I can’t wait to see Bran’s new personality.
Kamali,
No, Cersei shouldn’t be angry in that scene. Both in the books and the show, Cersei started the walk trying not to show any emotion to what was going on around her.
Her thoughts were that they must not see her break during the walk etc.
That’s why she only broke in the last part when she reached the Red Keep.
Lena did a wonderful job translating that inner monologue. If you watch the walk again and at the same time read that passage from the books, you’ll see that the acting was spot on emotionally (actually everyone involved in that scene, actors, director, extras, double did a great job).
In the book she was already warging. She saw through the eyes of a cat while sparring with the waif/Jacquen one time
Oooh I like that MUCH better – and your reasoning makes sense to me and is much more exciting.
Stark, Mormont and Hornwood .. Against Bolton, Umber and Karstark?
http://postimg.org/image/lbqzf5y13/
Where are the Golvers, Manderlys, Cerwyn, Flints …? WHy are they making the North so “small”. Throwing some more banners up there is not costly ….
One Eyed Crow´s tree is frozen in Brans vision:
http://postimg.org/image/yccrbrl43/