Game of Thrones spoilers below, obviously.
Once upon a time on a little show called Game of Thrones, a lovable man named Ned Stark was brutally beheaded propelling the series to international acclaim.
The man who killed Ned Stark, Ilyn Payne is no longer a part of the show, but actor and musician Wilko Johnson caught up with Metro.co.uk as Game of Thrones season eight continues to grip millions of fans worldwide.
‘From what I could see from the script, all I had to do was go around giving people dirty looks,’ he said of his character.
For anyone who needs a refresher, Ilyn was the silent Lannister executioner who carried out Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) orders to kill Ned Stark (Sean Bean).
A terrifying presence, Ilyn made it on to Arya Stark’s kill list – and he’s still on it.
He was also one of the only other characters who spooked the Hound (Rory McCann).
‘The whole thing was most peculiar for me because I’d never done any acting before at all,’ Wilko, 71, explained.
‘I got a call to go up to London for an audition and they described it as an American TV series and I’d had a look at the script which was interesting because my character had had his tongue cut out so he can’t speak.
‘Well, I thought, “that’s great, I don’t have to learn any lines,”’ he joked.
‘When I went to start filming I suddenly realised this wasn’t Xena Warrior Princess, this was big! It was so much fun, unbelievable. It was like being a kid, only better. I had a wonderful time.’
Other cast members were ‘just so friendly and helpful’ and Wilko recalls meeting Ned Stark himself for the first time.
‘I was on set and Sean Bean came up and shook my hand and said [in Sean Bean accent] “Hello, I’m Sean,” and I said, ‘Well yes I know!”’
Wilko hasn’t been on the show since series two due to health issues, but having recovered from cancer, he’s back on the road with his band, the Wilko Johnson Band.
As a well-known musician, the guitarist is used to being recognised, but lots of Game of Thrones fans often ask for a selfie with Ilyn Payne.
‘People ask for autographs and that, but half of them, particularly the younger ones, want their picture taken with Ser Ilyn Payne not Wilko Johnson and that’s rather nice,’ he said.
Wilko recounts realising the scale of Game of Thrones on arriving in Heathrow Airport having been abroad and saw huge HBO hoardings advertising the new series.
‘Lo and behold there was a big picture of Sean Bean, but standing in the background was my glorious self and I thought, “I’m a film star!”
‘The whole thing seems like a weird dream now.’
Wilko was reluctant to reveal his favourite character because he’s afraid ‘they’re going to be dead before too long’.
After recovering from cancer, he got back on the road with his band to do what he does best, as he puts it: ‘Playing guitar or chopping people’s heads off!’
Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4 airs tonight at 2am on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV and on 9pm tomorrow on Sky Atlantic.
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