Maisie Williams reveals her hopes for Arya; Nathalie Emmanuel discusses Missandei and Grey Worm’s relationship

Arya Stark Game of Thrones

We continue to wade through a sea of interviews as the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere date looms ever closer. Time has released the latest in their series of cast interviews, Maisie Williams, who reveals her thoughts on the show ending and what she hopes for Arya Stark’s future. A piece from Entertainment Weekly brings us a conversation with Nathalie Emmanuel about Missandei and Grey Worm’s relationship.

Maisie Williams practically grew up on the set of Game of Thrones, so you would think she’d have an especially difficult time saying goodbye. That’s not the case, however, as she reveals, “I think it’s quite exciting that the show’s coming to an end, not only because we get to tell the end of the story…but also because there’s a whole sector of opportunities that I have for after the show now.” While Williams appreciates the opportunities that have come her way thanks to the show, she says, “or eight years, for six months of the year every year, I’ve been tied into this one job. And I never really realized what that meant until now it might be coming to an end, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I can just go traveling for a year — I can do anything, really!’”

When asked if she knows the endgame for her character, Williams pleads ignorance. “We just finished [season] 7, so I know marginally more than viewers at home.” She does seem to admit she will survive to the final season though, saying, “In terms of the next season and the final season, we don’t find out anything until they release the scripts, and they usually don’t release the scripts until about a month before shooting, so I won’t know the end until the very end, really.” Not knowing works to Williams’ advantage, as she explains, “It’s quite nice, really: If I knew the ending right now, it’d be really difficult to keep it a secret!”

Photo credit: Maisie Williams for Time Magazine
Photo credit: Maisie Williams for Time Magazine

Williams does have her own aspirations for Arya. “I would like her to meet with her family members again. I don’t really know how that would go down, but I would love for the Starks to be able to work together,” she says. “That’s my hope for her future. It’d be really lovely to finally share a scene because that’s what we’ve been working for for so long.” I’m sure the entire viewing audience would agree.

No matter how her character ends up, Williams is grateful for her time on the show and for the people who brought it to life – showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. “They’ve always been great with us — the whole cast, but particularly with me and the younger cast members. I almost forget they’re our bosses…We are like a family — none of us could have imagined the scale of the show, even David and Dan who pitched the show to HBO could never have realized this is how big it was going to get.” Williams adds, “We’re traveling through this industry together, kind of in shock. We’re all just so grateful but a little bit, like, what the f—.”

Check out the entire interview at Time.

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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nathalie Emmanuel dishes on the relationship between her character, Missandei, and the Unsullied soldier Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson). “These two have always hidden behind their duty.” The two have been fairly reserved in their affection, but with the stakes being raised this season it may be time for them to turn up the heat. “Times like this where it’s not guaranteed they will even see each other again, where he might be killed and she might be… who knows…they’re having to confront their emotions and feelings to each other.”

Emmanuel, like the rest of the cast, is excited for fans to see what’s in store. “It’s the same thing every season: I don’t think [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] can outdo themselves, and then they do. And the role that Missandei has been playing becomes ever more important because they’re facing war and potential death. Distractions aren’t really welcome, though Missandei has a few of her own,” she admits. I wonder what distractions those could be, aside from her romance with Grey Worm?

Aside from relationship drama, the looming threat of the “great war,” and a change of scenery for her character, Emmanuel also get a wardrobe change. Trading in her summery garb for the black leather number pictured above, she jokes, “[The costume] feels like a gladiator/Power Ranger.”

Read the rest over at EW.

 

24 Comments

  1. I don’t understand why in a shortened season, there is a decent amount of time dedicated to their romance? I like both characters and actors, just fine; just don’t understand the need to show their relationship.

  2. I’m going to cry buckets if/when Arya is reunited with Jon. D&D better do them justice!

    Chuck,

    Because representation is important and GoT has a huge problem with that. And because it’s also important to show people in Dany’s entourage who have their own lives, hopes, dreams and fears and are not simply sniffling at Dany’s skirts waiting for Mhysa to throw them a bone. Dany’s storyline has always had massive problems, as 95% of her supporting cast is basically made up of indistinguishable cardboards (books and show). So Missandei and Greyworm are important.

    Missandei and Greyworm romance scenes don’t even take up that much screen time. They’re like 5 minutes at most per season and it’s also important to see that two characters whose entire lives were taken away by slavers are able to find love, respect, and trust in each other. Who knows how much Missandei was abused by the Astapori slavers she was serving beforehand. And as an Unsullied, Greyworm was basically trained to be a killing machine with no feelings who executes any orders from his buyers (never forget Unsullied are initiated by killing babies iirc), so for him to actually develop romantic feelings for another person is huge.

  3. I came here to see if Maisie’s interview with Lena would get posted (still waiting) and I ended up a Missworm shipper lmao. Hope we get to see Missworm and Sam/Gilly act cute this season <3

    Insperctor Gilly future high lady of the Reach is now my dream crackpot ending tbh. 😛
  4. Flayed Potatoes,

    Well this year is Sansa season is the one having more press release… with now the cover of the TV Magazine… like you I’m waiting more press for Maisie.

  5. Chuck:
    I don’t understand why in a shortened season, there is a decent amount of time dedicated to their romance? I like both characters and actors, just fine; just don’t understand the need to show their relationship.

    Shortened and lengthened. I assume these final two seasons both roughly cover the 7th unwritten book, and so we are getting 13 episodes for one book with these episodes likely averaging much greater lengths than in previous years.

  6. They should rename the show “Game of Teases.”

    And I’m sure I’m not the first to make that inane wisecrack, or the last.

  7. To be superficial, they’re both so beautiful.

    Maisie has spoken of wanting to travel before. I would love to see a Travelog with Maisie!

  8. Waaaaait a minute!

    Maisie says,

    “I would like her {Arya} to meet with her family members again.” (I believe she’s talking about what she’d like to see happen in Season 8)

    Is Maisie telling us that Arya won’t be meeting up with any of her family in THIS season? I’m getting awful tired of that poor girl being separated from her kin 🙁

  9. Pigeon:
    I would love to see a Travelog with Maisie!

    ME TOO! “A Girl in the World.” Get on it, BBC! 😉

    elybe,

    Thanks for the heads up!

  10. Lorie,

    She is like one of those people who has seen a film or tv show and wants someone else to enjoy it, so deliberately throws out little red herrings… so when the inevitable happens it’s still a surprise.

    That’s what I hope anyway.. hehe

  11. Lorie,

    She might be heading south to deal with the people left on her kill list. My guesses…

    1. She’ll run into Melisandre, and be informed that Davos set Gendry free. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll cross Beric and Thoros off her list. We know from the second trailer that Beric, at least, makes it to the north.

    2. She’ll return to the Inn at the Crossroads and have a reunion with Hot Pie. While there he’ll tell her about his encounter with Brienne and Pod, and she’ll hear minstrel Ed Sheeran sing a song about the newly crowned King in the North. 😉

    3. She’ll either head north (a long ways from the Inn at the Crossroads), or she’ll head south to finish her kill list: Cersei, the Mountain, Ilyn Payne.

    4. At some point, she’ll reunite with Nymeria in the Riverlands. Since that’s where she is now, I expect that to happen sooner rather than later. But who knows?

    We’re all waiting with bated breath, but the truth is… Once the season begins, these seven Sundays are going to go by terribly quickly.

  12. Flayed Potatoes:
    Chuck,

    To word that differently, Missandei and Grey Worm’s romance most likely has no meaning to the plot, but it is thematically important to the story. Like you said, they have been through so much shit, and still, despite everything, they are able to overcome it and find happiness. Plot is what happens from the beginning to the end, while the story is what gives it all meaning, what it is all about.

  13. I hope we get a scene with Arya in “disguise” walking through Winterfell taking it all in, blending into the public, and maybe spying on a few people before she actually reveals herself to Sansa. I’m assuming Jon will be gone before she gets there; or maybe she will see him leaving but is too afraid to reveal herself just yet.

    Im also interested in a few scenes of people celebrating the death or reacting to Walder Frey.

  14. HunterMac87,

    If she doesn’t do this, I’m going to be very disappointed. She should know by now that nowhere is actually safe, not even home and put her facelessness to work before revealing herself.
    Unless…she rides through the gates on the back of Nymeria!
    I’m not holding my breath though.

  15. I also think Arya will meet Hot Pie again at the inn. Episode 1 along with the Ed Sheehan cameo anyone?

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