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Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is airing tonight on Sky Atlantic on Now TV and the two-hour documentary reveals the unbelievable scale and ambition of the series that wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated cast and crew.
‘The people who work or star in Game of Thrones, this has been their life for 10 years,’ director Jeanie Finlay told Metro.co.uk.
‘It was really important to me that we celebrated the unsung heroes of Westeros – the guy at the back chopping vegetables, not the chef out the front getting the award for the meal.
‘It was important to me that we showed the blood, sweat and tears, the mud, long hours, tiredness, being away from families.’
The filmmaker explained: ‘In all of the films I’ve ever made I’ve been interested in quieter voices – not the big alpha people that come rushing to the front, I’m interested in people who might never have been interviewed before because then you can discover the truth of the moment together and it feels real.
‘I was looking for people who really knew who they are, so when you’re with them, they’re not performing for the camera.’
One extra who stands out in the documentary is Belfast man Andrew McClay, who has played an extra Stark soldier on the show for years.
He even calls his character Aberdall Strongbeard.
‘When Rachel Blair the costume assistant suggested Andrew McClay, you’re seeing that on camera where I’m discovering that in real time and when I met him I just fell in love,’ Jeanie said.
‘We could have made a 12 hour Andrew McClay film, he’s hilarious, he’s a very funny person.’
Now that sounds like something we’d watch, and we’re not alone.
Andy has become a hit with US viewers of The Last Watch, as the series has already aired on HBO.
When choosing subjects to follow in the documentary, Jeanie mirrored the show’s structure.
‘Game of Thrones is about seven families fighting for the Iron Throne so I thought maybe we could find seven great characters from seven different departments,’ she said.
‘What is their challenge and who will be triumphant?
‘It became apparent really quickly when I met the extras department, that they were just the living heart and soul of Game of Thrones.’
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV tonight at 10.10pm.
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