Tyrion Lannister. Peter Dinklage. Can one differentiate much? Probably not. The American actor has touched one and all with his flamboyant yet sensitive portrayal of a character that’s become one of the most loved on screen. Game of Thrones has gifted us a world that we don’t want to leave.
It’s quite imaginable then how the actors must feel at the end of the finish line. The filming for the show’s final season has concluded recently. And all the actors have had something or the other to say to the obvious questions- How’s it gonna end? What happens to your character? How was the experience?
In a recent interview with Vulture, Peter Dinklage talked about his latest TV movie My Dinner with Hervé, the end of his association with Game of Thrones, and his journey as an actor. Talking about his final time on set for Game of Thrones, he said, “It’s always anticlimactic for the character’s last day. Nothing is shot chronologically, so you don’t get some big mountaintop scene or anything.”
“It’s just, “That’s a wrap on Peter Dinklage.” But as anticlimactic as it was, my last day was also beautifully bittersweet. A lot of people whom I love were on set that day. Even if they weren’t working, they came to set, which was beautiful. I tried to do the same thing when other [Game of Thrones] actors were wrapping out.”
When it came to saying goodbye to the show and the fellow actors, Peter admitted, “It was hard. I won’t say their name or their character’s name, but one of the young people on the show wrapped this past season and everybody was a wreck. This person had grown up on the show, you know?”
“They were a child and now they were an adult. And then they’re done. It’s like we were witnessing this person saying goodbye to their childhood. I know Game of Thrones is just a TV show, la-di-da, but it was our life.”
On a personal level, he said it was hard to separate the TV show from his life. He elaborated, “It was my life, far away in Ireland (A big part of the show was shot in Northern Ireland). People think I’ll miss the TV show- yes, of course, I’ll miss it, but I also lived in a foreign country for many years and developed deep roots.”
“That’s a big part of me, and suddenly it’s just like, Yep, that’s over. Back home now. Wait, what? Really? You keep in touch, or lose touch, with the group of people you were very close with. It’s strange. I wonder how healthy that is. Probably it’s unhealthy.”
Tyrion Lannister has been a-man-for-all-seasons. We have admired all his traits; his wits, his will to live, his bright presence, his growth into a mature yet non-serious status. But how does Peter Dinklage see Tyrion’s trajectory?
“He certainly developed a deeper sense of responsibility over the course of the show. He was a pretty irresponsible character, to begin with. He used his position as the outcast of his family like an adolescent would. He pushed it in their [the Lannisters’] faces. The beauty of Tyrion is that he grew out of that mode in a couple of seasons and developed a strong sense of responsibility. Not morality, because he always had that, but what to do with his intelligence.”
Dinklage’s new television film My Dinner with Herve is based on the life of French-born actor and painter, Hervé Villechaize. While talking about the film, Peter talked about the butterfly effect of fame. How being constantly in social touch with the fans can chip away the magic of believability in a character!
But how has a show like Game of Thrones affected his acting? Has his approach changed over time? “Yes. One of the best things I can say about being on a TV show is that it makes you a better actor. It takes away the preciousness; it makes you see acting as work.”
“You’re getting up, you’re delivering, you’re telling a story, you’re a piece of a whole, and it’s not about some self-involved process. It’s about being prepared, saying your lines, and stripping away all the bullshit artifice. It’s like acting as carpentry- Put that beam up; put that nail in. I love that approach.”
On his feelings about where is Tyrion at the end of the series, he exclaimed, “I feel very, very- I’m trying to find the right word. I think he was given a very good conclusion. No matter what that is- death can be a great way out.” Perhaps that tells us to leave our guts open to a grim fate for our giant of Lannister.
If you have any thoughts about the fate of your favorite characters, talk to us in the comments below.
It’s not so easy to become the talk of the town, especially if you’re considering it for “good” reasons. But if you’ve been a major Game of Thrones star, and display equal parts chic and sass, the task won’t be that difficult; add to that a marriage with a popular music figure, and a newborn, and everyone wants to talk about you. We’re talking about Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas, and the newest addition to their family, their baby girl named Willa. Although Sophie and Joe have not come out on social media with the news of the baby or the name, their reps have mostly confirmed. Now, after almost three weeks since they welcomed their first child, the parents have put out a picture. It’s not with the baby, but just the couple with the ongoing trend of the Vogue Cover Challenge filter. Read on to find out more.
Joe Jonas posted a picture of himself and her wife on his Instagram story. It was a relaxed selfie of the couple displayed on a custom cover of Vogue with the caption – “Wear a mask that’s the tea”. The slogan is in line with what Sophie had said while promoting social distancing and self-isolation after Evangeline Lilly’s open disregard for the safety measures. This is the first time they’ve shared a photo since the birth of their child on July 22.
We had learned that the couple was already obsessed and couldn’t stop gloating about their new addition. But they are being super cautious too, as they should be, due to the threat of the coronavirus. However, Sophie and Joe have just not been interested in getting any media attention when it comes to the baby. Right from the start of their pregnancy rumors back in February, they’ve remained silent about all the speculations. So, perhaps, they want their newborn to be raised in a normal, loving environment with as little outside glare as possible. Who wouldn’t see the need for that in today’s paparazzi culture; where even babies become celebrities, with cameras following everywhere!
E! had reported a few details about how the couple was responding to this new change in their lives. “They are home and getting settled. Joe is very hands-on and involved. He wants to do everything he can and loves being with the baby and helping Sophie,” the source had said. It further added that the two are “so excited to be parents”. They have “been texting pictures to friends and calling on FaceTime to show her off. Everyone is very excited about them.” May they have a safe and blissful journey ahead!
Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
If it was up to us, we would have wanted Game of Thrones to run for a couple of more seasons at least. Not more than that because we wish to sound reasonable. But whether we digest it or not, the sensational HBO show is over for good. Books and spinoffs aside, of course. Despite the end of its run, it’s a show that’s bound to remain with us as is the case with all stories that indulge, enchant, and entertain.
There’s no doubt indeed that it was the biggest show ever and perhaps one of the best in most all-time lists. But a little more validation doesn’t hurt anyone. Thus, Game of Thrones fans would be glad to hear that the fantasy show has secured the #1 position in a list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of the 21st Century featuring on Digital Spy’s debut magazine issue on Apple News+. Read on to find out more.
Digital Spy is a U.K.-based entertainment, film, and TV website. They have produced the final list based on a readers’ poll; where people were asked to vote for their favorite TV shows from a list of 150 shows that began airing from 2000 onwards. So, the shows that premiered in the 1990s or 1980s but still running in the 21st century could not find their way into the list. Thus, no Friends or The Sopranos.
Game of Thrones grabbed the top position by popular opinion, followed by Stranger Things and Doctor Who in the second and third spots respectively. The digital magazine also contains audio stories titled “An Oral History of the Greatest TV Show of Our Time”; which feature words from the cast and many other insider stories from the decade-long run of GoT.
The following shows made it to the top ten in the list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of the 21st Century –
1) Game of Thrones
2) Stranger Things
3) Doctor Who
4) Sherlock
5) Breaking Bad
6) The Great British Bake Off
7) Killing Eve
8) Gavin and Stacey
9) Line of Duty
10) Chernobyl
Laurence Mozafari, the editor of Digital Spy, shared his thoughts about the list, reports ET Canada. “Digital Spy readers are deeply passionate about their favorite TV shows and that’s shone through with the voting on this poll. Whist there’s been an array of amazing shows from the last 20 years, it’s not too hard to see why ‘Game of Thrones’ has resonated so strongly with the public. George R.R. Martin likes to tell a big story and it’s no easy thing to pull off a fantasy epic without looking silly; but with 269 awards worldwide and more plaudits coming its way, ‘Game of Thrones’ really has raised the bar for entertainment.”
Mozafari also discussed the strong British presence on the list. “It was also extremely interesting to see top 10 placings for U.K. shows like ‘Gavin and Stacey’ – which despite one Christmas special has not aired a new episode for 10 years – and ‘The Great British Bake Off’, which has generated entertainment around baking that no one could have predicted. They prove that British humour and genres really do strike a special chord with the public.”
The full list of the 100 greatest shows appears in the digital magazine issue of Digital Spy; available to be read on Apple News+ with a free one-month trial. So, if you have an Apple device, good for you.
What are your thoughts on this distinction for Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments section.
We have been locked in for a good part of this year. Although things are gradually opening up, it’s still the norm that you should only go out if and when it’s necessary. So, we can say that many activities which aren’t strictly need-based are still shut down. During this period of COVID-19 lockdowns, hopeful things have eluded us constantly. However, we have heard about a few exciting developments as well; prime among which was the news about the progress on The Winds of Winter.
George R.R. Martin had informed us that the lockdown had helped him to write and that he was writing every day. Now, the author of the ASOIAF (A Song of Ice and Fire) series has given another update on his journey of finishing the penultimate novel in the book series. He also shared the position of the prequel TV series, The House of the Dragon in response to pandemic problems. Read on to find out more.
Martin has been posting regularly on his Not a Blog throughout the period of the lockdown. In a recent post titled “Writing, Reading, Writing”, he talked about The Winds of Winter. “If nothing else, the enforced isolation has helped me write. I am spending long hours every day on THE WINDS OF WINTER, and making steady progress. I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week,” he wrote.
Further, he cautioned us against assuming that the book is almost complete. “But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It’s going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go. Please do not give any credence to any of the click-bait websites that like to parse every word of my posts as if they were papal encyclicals to divine hidden meanings.”
GRRM expressed his sadness over the fact that the Worldcon in New Zealand (CoNZealand) this year has had to go virtual. But he’s positive that now he doesn’t have to compromise with the rhythm he’s in lately. “The last thing I need right now is a long interruption that might cost me all the momentum I have built up. I can always visit Wellington (in New Zealand) next year, when I hope that both Covid-19 and THE WINDS OF WINTER will be done.” So, that’s the latest estimate Martin provided which suggests that we could expect TWOW somewhere in 2021.
He is still participating in the Worldcon through the virtual domain though. While he has been busy in pre-recording some of his parts for the event, he keeps attending to his writerly duties in Westeros. “In between tapings, I return to Westeros. Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah. I will be dropping back into Braavos next week. I have bad days, which get me down, and good days, which lift me up, but all in all I am pleased with the way things are doing.”
Industries and businesses have taken a serious hit when people had to go indoors due to coronavirus. But Martin reassured us about the confirmed Game of Thrones prequel. “Hollywood has slowed to a crawl thanks to the pandemic, but THE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is still flying wonderfully, thanks to Ryan Condal and his writers, and the tireless Ti Mikkel.” Mikkel is one of the writers who are assisting the show creators with the scripts.
GRRM left us with a tempting taste of blood when he signed off. “Now you will have to excuse me. Arya is calling. I think she means to kill someone,” he wrote at the last. We know who comes to your mind by that. But the books do not deal with White Walkers the same way as the show did. So, Arya here could be just after anyone on her list.
What are your thoughts about this update? Talk to us in the comments below.
