Liam Cunningham became very passionate about the show and very protective of the role of Davos. As he told Sunday World, his initial biases against the material were overcome when he finally got the chance to dig in to the scripts, “I realized it was a story of power, legacy and paranoia, with the fantasy and dragons just a powerful backdrop for a fantastic drama.” Because of Davos’ lacking ambition and humble demeanor, the character proved valuable as the show began to move from conniving politicking to existential, fantastical threats. Cunningham continued to play him with the same inner-strength and humor, and his enthusiasm for the show’s future plotlines was palpable in interviews.
In the “Game of Thrones” oral history, “Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon” (via IndieWire), it’s revealed that Cunningham even fought with the show’s writers against certain potential threads for Davos, such as a romantic interest in the young Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel). Cunningham recalled saying, “You’re not undoing my hard work engendering the sympathy of the audience to have him be a perv.”
“Game of Thrones” might have a complex legacy, one that has on occasion come close to poisoning the excitement that greeted the show. But the characters, from Davos on down, continue to be vivid and memorable, proving how lucky we were that Cunningham got involved despite his initial misgivings.
