Sunday's episode of HBO's
Game of Thrones is one that has fueled discussion amongst fans - both good and bad. The massive ninety minute runtime of the episode delievered the Battle of Winterfell that we had been waiting for since the show began.
The episode took 55 days to shoot in Northern Ireland rain and because of how big of an event it was, many of the actors have been coming forward to discuss their experiences. We as an audience don't actually hear anything out of the Night King and we don't see him as often as he's talked about by other characters on screen, so how much work does the actor put in?
I was actually on set all day, every day. I did every part of the battle because I was helping choreograph the fights from beginning to end, every kill. I wasn’t just Night King, you know? Everything that happens in this episode, I was close behind the camera or the sound man to help them. And then when you see someone in the monitor, you can say to the director, “[Miguel Sapochnik], have them put their head down!” When I saw it on the TV, I said, “Wow, this is amazing.” Especially the end, with the music and the slow motion — it took my heart, you know? I was like, I feel cold.
When it comes to that longing stare between Bran and the Night King, Furdik said the following.
Ah! That moment, that was very different because [Isaac Hempstead Wright] and I are very good friends. And we were joking many times, you know? And I remember a couple times when they said, “Action!” he gave me a look, and he smiled! He smiled through his eyes! And I tried to hold it back. I said to myself, “Don’t smile, don’t smile.” And then I said to Isaac, “Please don’t smile because then I’ll smile!” And mess up on camera! We were worried about laughing! I remember there was rain, and so a couple of times I held my umbrella over him. And he said, “Somebody should take a picture of you holding the umbrella.”
No joke, here is that post.
Even knowing he was the villain in this story, how did the death of his character affect him?
Every time they killed me — it will be in my brain forever, you know? This was a very hard shooting day, I remember. It really wasn’t easy for me and for [Maisie Williams], to just sell the moment, you know? And it was cold. It was raining. She was on the wire, in a harness, and she did the jump many times. She was so tired. When I turn, to grab her, this was also difficult for me to grab her at exactly the moment she’s jumping. When I hold her under the jaw, and we look at each other, I could feel she was full of emotion. I can tell you, it was a strong moment between me and her. Not just because we did it so many times. But there was something on the set, when they said, “Action!” and I grab her and we look at each other. It was so strong. I cannot tell you how strong.
Sunday's episode was tough to watch due to the losses, there will be plenty more where this came from, so be sure to check out the trailer for the next episode below!
In Season 7, Daenerys Targaryen has finally set sail for Westeros with her armies, dragons and new Hand of the Queen, Tyrion Lannister. Jon Snow has been named King in the North after defeating Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards and returning Winterfell to House Stark. In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister has seized the Iron Throne by incinerating the High Sparrow, his followers and her rivals in the Sept of Baelor. But as old alliances fracture and new ones emerge, an army of dead men marches on the Wall, threatening to end the game of thrones forever.
Game of Thrones returns with a brand new episode May 5