Game Of Thrones star Sean Bean never found out who Jon Snow’s real parents are because he was on the show for such a short time.
Sean played Ned Stark in season one until his character was beheaded at Joffrey Lannister’s request.
It was thought that Ned had fathered Jon with a woman who wasn’t his wife, until it was later revealed that Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned’s sister Lyanna Stark
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Sean was in on this major parentage secret, but the actor admitted he was none the wiser.
When asked by Entertainment Weekly if show bosses gave him ‘a courtesy call’ to tell him the truth, he said: ‘No. Like with everything with Game of Thrones, it was kept very dark and secret.
‘I think that’s the kind of magic and the glory of Game of Thrones — that’s why it’s so stunning and breathtaking when these secrets are revealed.’
He added that if he had found out early on, it ‘would have been overload’.
Sean said: ‘As you can see, the death and how it’s developed, I think there’s only so much you can take at once.
‘They only reveal what they want you to know, and that’s good, I think. That’s what makes it so exciting to find out.’
Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss recently spoke about how they would struggle to get back to normal life after being immersed in Westeros for so many years.
‘It’s the best job I’ve ever had or ever likely will have’ Benioff told Entertainment Weekly.
He added: ‘You have all these characters you love and you can come up with ideas for them, and a few months later these incredible actors will be saying those things. That’s such a rare gift.’
Weiss weighed in: ‘If 10 years ago somebody had given me a chance to write a ticket, I wouldn’t have been crazy enough to write a ticket to something this great.’
Game Of Thrones returns 14 April on Sky Atlantic and HBO
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