When Game of Thrones first started filming, it was a jumbling mess. The original pilot was so bad, it had to be refilmed. Back then, no one would have guessed it would turn out to be the Emmy-winning juggernaut we all know today. The record viewership, budget, and the fame that followed later turned the show into a pop culture icon. The casting of the show went through a number of changes, and a number of actors who had a chance to be on the highly acclaimed series but refused now regret not going through with it. Pride and Prejudice fame Jennifer Ehle is up on that list, but according to her she doesn’t regret missing out on the Game of Thrones role she was offered.
Talking to the Daily Beast, Ehle revealed she was originally up for the role of Lady Catelyn Stark, and had even filmed the pilot. She said, “Well, it was entirely personal. My daughter was seven months old when we did the pilot. It was too soon for me to be working, emotionally and bonding-wise, but I needed to do it and I was also passionate about the books. I loved the idea of telling that story. I finished the first book when I was in the hospital getting ready to have my daughter. My husband actually went out and got the second book for me. I handed the first book to the midwife and started the second one. When I went back for my six-week checkup with the midwife, she had started the second book.”
“I love Game of Thrones, but it was too soon, and I did The King’s Speech immediately after. Then did a play immediately after that. I found out that the series was then picked up at the end of working through six months when I really just wanted to hold my baby, even though I was aware of the incredible privilege of having done the three pieces of work that I got to do in a row. I think everything worked out beautifully, because clearly, the show is what it was meant to be.”
Do you think Jennifer Ehle would have suited in the role of Catelyn Stark? Talk to us in the comments below!
Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon is one of the high-priority projects at HBO currently underway. The production is moving swiftly despite hitting some minor obstacles along the way, as indicated by the regular leaks occurring all over the internet. A few weeks ago, the House of The Dragon team had to take a temporary break from filming in the Spanish city of Caceres as an important crew member fell ill due to coronavirus. The filming in Spain however has been completed and the production is in full swing. And the showrunners seem quite excited about the progress.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik said, “I’ve been involved in the franchise for a while. And I think it’s really important that the franchise evolve. It’s not the same story, it’s not the same characters, and therefore, it needs visually, evolution. But at the same time, you know, people want to see Game of Thrones, and we shouldn’t short change them of that.”
“I think most of the people coming into the show have seen the show and so they have in their mind, already a version of what they believe to be Game of Thrones.” Sapochnik thinks each of the actors have adapted to their roles quite quickly as a result, “They were all quite adept at finding their feet — [but] at the same time it’s also nice to hear some fresh opinions, because otherwise we get a bit stuck in our ways, and I become the curmudgeon, which I’d hate to be.”
Do you think House of The Dragon will evolve Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments below!
Game of Thrones is one of the biggest shows of the 21st century, and even though the show’s ending didn’t please all its fans, the cast and the amazing cinematography stand tall as one of the best to have ever been on a TV show. There’s a reason why so many great actors wanted to be a part of the show, the list includes MCU’s Elizabeth Olsen, Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, and quite surprisingly, Succession star Brian Cox.
Cox specializes in playing grizzled, no-nonsense types with a bit of an edge to them, which is why he’s so compelling as media empire head Logan Roy on Succession.
“Stupidly, I turned it down in the early days because they didn’t pay enough money,” Cox told Vodzilla back in 2016, shortly after Game of Thrones had wrapped its sixth season. “Now they have more money. And I was silly. I was silly, it was silly, because I’m a complete addict now. But I don’t know what I could play.”
“I just watched my friend Ian McShane and I thought, ‘Ooh, Ian’s in it,’ so I settled down to watch him,” Cox continued. “And I thought, ‘Ian did that?’ and immediately I thought, ‘God, they must have paid him well,’ because I know Ian! And there was Max von Sydow doing that character that he did. So in a way, it’s attracting certain people who do film and, of course, I’ve got friends like Clive Russell and Liam Cunningham—and Charlie Dance is an old pal—being in it. And they had a great time in it.”
Who do you think Bryan Cox would have played on Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments below!
Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon has caused quite a stir on the internet, especially after the first teaser trailer was released recently. There’s no denying it, the upcoming spin-off is the talk of the town. There are murmurs and whispers as HBO has been tight-lipped about a lot of stuff related to the show, but that doesn’t stop curious fans from taking a peek at the filming sites and forming their own theories about the leaks. Game of Thrones fans recently had a great opportunity, when House of The Dragon star Emily Carey, who is playing a younger version of Queen Alicent Hightower on the show, went live on Instagram. And she was more than happy to answer her excited followers, while still keeping the discussion spoiler-free.
Carey was live on her official Instagram recently, and the fans flocked to her feed loaded with House of The Dragon questions. She seemed really excited about the show and tried to answer as much as she could, without revealing any secrets about the prequel. Though we don’t have the full live recording here, we do have some of the questions that were asked during the session via SuccubusFlynn’s Reddit feed.
Q: How would you describe HOTD’s first season in three words?
A: Intense, fiery, exciting.
Q: Have you read F&B?
A: Yes! It is also signed by GRRM himself.
Q: Do you think seeing younger Alicent in HOTD will make her more sympathetic to the audience?
A: Yes!
Q: Did you have any lines that you consider iconic?
A: “Iconic” is a big word, but I had some amazing lines!
She mentioned Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke and how cool she thinks they are. She also said that she has watched many videos of TheDragonDemands and said he got some analyses right. Carey prefers HOTD over GOT, but possibly due to her role in it. She is also, obviously #teamGreens!
Are you excited about House of The Dragon? Emily Carey sure is! Talk to us in the comments below!
