Game of Thrones official trailer which has increased the hype for Season 8 since the day it was released now and all the fans are waiting for April 14 for the season to premiere. While this trailer showed us how bloody the new season is going to be, it also left fans wondering why it did not feature the Night King and his mount the ice dragon Viserion?
We also noticed a number of characters missing from the trailer like Yara and Theon Greyjoy and the direwolves Ghost and Nymeria. But, Night King’s absence was saddening as the main antagonist in Game of Thrones Season 8 was missing. Today, we bring you an interview with Vladimir Furdik – the actor who plays the character. He recently spoke to EW.
While he replaced Richard Blake as Night King on the show, Vladimir also played a couple of roles as a stuntman/extra on Game of Thrones. He revealed:
‘I did a lot of horse falls, fire drops, high falls, sword fights. I doubled for Arthur Dayne [Tower of Joy]. I’m one of the men jumping from the boat in the fire [during Daenerys’ dragon attack in Season 6 “Battle of Bastards”].
Furdik also revealed that he had played the first white walker that Jon Snow fought in the episode ‘Hardhome’ from Season 5 and how he got the role of the main antagonist.
‘I don’t really know why they cast me. When we did season 5, I was the White Walker who fought Jon Snow [in “Hardhome”] — the first time Jon Snow killed a White Walker, that was me. After that, [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] asked if I’d play the Night King for seasons 6 through 8. I never asked why. Maybe they were happy with what I did in season 5.’
Night King is, in fact, the spookiest creature in Game of Thrones apart from Stone Men we saw in the ruins of Valyria. But, he is the only main character in the show who never express any emotions nor does he have any dialogue as of yet. Vladimir says:
‘Every director has a different vision of how to play him. Dan and David want him to be like a cold man, some of the directors want to show that there’s some human in him. Yes, many times they ask me don’t try to blink your eyes. This is very difficult.’
In the past, we’ve had a couple of theories on Night King’s motivation and the reason for his return. When asked about what the Night King actually wants, the actor said:
‘Somebody made him the Night King. Nobody knows who he was before — a soldier or part of [nobility]. He never wanted to be the Night King. I think he wants revenge. Everybody in this story has two sides — a bad side and a good side. The Night King only has one side, a bad side.’
Game of Thrones has been definitely building up a duel between Jon Snow and Night King for the past couple of seasons. There are a number of theories out there: Bran is Night King, Night King’s name is Jon Snow, and much more. But, what does the actor says about his role in Season 8?
“People will see he has a target he wants to kill, and you will find out who that is. There’s also that moment [in “Hardhome”] when Jon Snow was on the boat and the Night King looked at him and raised his arms — there’s a similar and even stronger moment between Jon and the Night King this time.”
While Vladimir revealed that his favourite scene of the show is “yet to come” in Season 8, he also revealed his weird interaction with the fans. This is what he says:
“Not often [fans recognize me]. Sometimes. Many people ask me: “Can you please kill Jon Snow?” It’s very interesting. Sometimes I watch YouTube reactions after the season airs. Fifty per cent of people love the Night King and 50 per cent of people hate him. And since I replaced Richard Brake, some people like how I play him and some don’t.”
We will surely find out everything about the Night King – his origin, motivation, and the target he’s heading for once the new season airs on April 14. What do you think what does the Night King want? Tell us in the comments.
