The characters and stories that our favorite films and shows bring us become fascinating phenomena in our head. So much so that we start seeing the actors through the lens of their most popular and heartfelt roles. This gets even more pronounced when it’s a TV series running successfully for many years. And what better show than Game of Thrones that has done so in the recent times. Among the numerous distinct characters, Thoros of Myr was one of those who were just the right mixture of mystery and bravery.
The Lord of the Light cleric defied death by bringing Brotherhood Without Banners comrade Beric Dondarrion back to life a record six times. The red priest could light up swords too. Truly a legend! Paul Kaye, the actor who played Thoros hasn’t quite seen himself do the tricks though. Paul talked to The Mirror around the release of his Netflix miniseries The Stranger. He revealed some interesting tidbits about himself.
He talked about his fans, and said,
“Every now and then you get a message asking if you can record something celebratory for a fan. I’ve learnt a bit of Dothraki and that’s my new party trick – I haven’t got a clue what it means. It’s a few lines I can say, but I send it to everyone I record a message for and pretend it means happy birthday, or have a great wedding, or whatever. I’ve still never seen Game of Thrones, so that works for me.”
Now that sounds shocking. One ought to have watched themselves if they were on a gig as big as Game of Thrones.
“Nah, I don’t watch myself. I did for Three Girls, because I met the father I was playing and it broke my heart, so I didn’t want to f**k it up.”
After you’ve swallowed that info, you should know that Three Girls was a British TV series that recreated the true horrors of a child sex abuse ring and the failure of authorities.
Kaye spoke more about the attention from fans,
“The only time I ever got recognized was after the third series (third season) of Game of Thrones, because I had the top knot and beard. Now, I would have blended in, as that look has oddly been adopted by estate agents.”
But social media brings easier access. What does he think about that?
“No, I am terrified of it. I am just amazed at how people can creep in and watch what other people are doing. I was asleep at the Oslo airport and someone woke me up and said, ‘Excuse me, what’s your name?’ When I asked why, he said, ‘Because I don’t know your name and I want to tweet that I am sitting opposite you.’ That’s social media in a nutshell, folks.” That’s indeed a whole new light on the growing frenzy of never-ending posts/updates.
Before Game of Thrones, Paul Kaye’s best known, or rather infamous, bit was his comedic portrayal of Dennis Pennis; a celebrity interviewer who would ask weird questions. It was one of the first things that Kaye did on camera that later translated into intense and dramatic roles. His latest outing is The Stranger on Netflix; a mystery-thriller miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Harlan Coben.
Talking about what we could expect from the series, Paul said,
“I haven’t read the book, so when I signed up to do the show I had no idea how the story would play out. All I’ll say is it’s all centered around one question: ‘How far would you go?’.”
It’s relieving to see Paul talk with abandon and simplicity. In this era of chasing success, it seems easy to be happy but difficult to be simple. We have loved seeing him play the cheeky swordsman from Myr, and we wish him all the best for the future! What are your thoughts? Speak with us in the comments.
