As the Game of Thrones cast come together in New York City ahead of the season eight premiere, we continue to be blessed with interviews! Emilia Clarke opens up about Jon and Daenerys, Iain Glen shares Jorah’s outlook heading into the final season, Bella Ramsey discusses her excitement over being part of a huge show like Thrones, and Hannah Murray has some beautiful thoughts about Sam and Gilly’s relationship.
Emilia Clarke reveals her feelings about “Jonerys” to news.com.au, saying, “Dany and Jon are contemporaries, they are incredibly similar in many, many ways, and he brings out a certain truth in her that you haven’t seen since Khal Drogo. And I think this season really explores that.”
That doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing, however, as conflicts are sure to arise as characters reunite or meet for the first time. “We’re at the end of the series, each character is coming into this season with their own needs, with their own goals. Without saying anything, you know that’s going to be a tension-filled season.” Hopefully they will find a way past it quickly, considering an army of wights is headed their way!
Clarke also waxes philosophical about the nature of power and how Game of Thrones explores what it means to lead. “Can you be in a position of power, can you truly have power over a body of people and do what is universally right? Is that possible?” Will season eight give us the answer? Only a few more weeks to find out!
Clarke’s constant onscreen companion, Iain Glen, also discusses the Jon/Daenerys relationship in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I think he’s cool about it now. I think much time has come to pass, and that hope [for a relationship with Daenerys] has now subsided for him. Jorah was very happy to be brought back inside her fold and be forgiven for past misdemeanors. The idea of reciprocated physical love is now off the agenda…But no, I think he feels OK.”
Glen doesn’t divulge much about Jorah’s storyline in the final season, but jokes that Jorah has been “teetering on the edge of his own demise” since the beginning and is glad to have made it this far. As for the ending, he says, “The guys nailed it…I think the expectations are so high, and I just think they managed all the storylines incredibly well. It’s full of the Thrones‘ mix of the unexpected and dramatic and massive set pieces and extraordinary happenings and things beyond our ken. It’s kind of more of the same, but bigger and better.”
Head over to ET for Glen’s thoughts on Emilia’s health struggles and who he wants on the Iron Throne – which shouldn’t be hard to guess!
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, recent fan favorite Bella Ramsey – who plays the outspoken, no-nonsense Lyanna Mormont – is grateful to have been involved in the series, even though she wasn’t prepared for the enormity of it. “I was overwhelmed by the amount of people. My first day somebody pointed out tufts of grass that been placed on a field and said, ‘You know it’s someone’s job just to place those tufts of grass.’ That was the perfect example of the scale of it.”
Ramsey enjoys her character, who is quite different from herself, saying, “I love her defiance; she’s a badass. Being able to stand up there and shame all these grown men was super-cool.” She also praises the cast and crew for making her experience a pleasant one. “Everyone was so welcoming and helpful…I didn’t quite know what to expect, if they’d be reserved or weird because I’m a kid, but they treated me like an adult, which was the best thing for me because then they’re treating me like an equal.”
Head over to EW for the rest.
In another interview from Build Series NYC, Hannah Murray also expresses her love for the Game of Thrones cast and crew. When asked what she’ll remember most from her time on the show, she responds, “I think all of the people. I think we’re such an odd bunch. Everyone’s so interesting, and quite weird, and wonderful. And I just feel very happy and lucky to be part of this big family…I’ll always hold those relationships very dear to my heart.”
As for the relationship between Sam and Gilly, which is pretty healthy (and incest free!), Murray remarks, “We’re kind of a rarity on this show.” She adds, “They both come from very abusive childhoods – they both have these terrible, terrible father figures – and they come with this incredible vulnerability when they meet each other…One of our directors described them to me as two birds with broken wings, and when they come together they realize for the first time they might be able to fly.”
I’m not crying, you’re crying!
I don’t think I’m alone in rooting for Sam and Gilly to have a happy ending, although Murray certainly doesn’t give anything away. You can watch the entire segment below.
