dimanche 23 juillet 2017

Hodor Moderated the SDCC Game of Thrones Panel


The cast talks Season 7.

Game of Thrones is a San Diego Comic-Con staple at this point, but this year is different as their big panel in the convention’s giant Hall H arena actually took place during a current season for a change. That meant the possibility of some hints about Season 7, which just debuted last week, though the cast members in attendance did their best to stay mum.

On hand were series stars Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) and Conleth Hill (Varys), as well as Hodor himself, actor Kristian Nairn, who moderated the panel! (Also, Alfie Allen brought his puppy Abbie up on stage with him, eliciting thousands of oohs and aahs from the audience.)

Having Nairn up there interacting with his old colleagues was a lot of fun and a great approach to this panel, and while it was mostly fun and games for the actors, HBO did use this opportunity to release a new Season 7 trailer as well.

Nairn started by asking Christie if Brienne secretly likes being appreciated as a woman by Tormund. “She is not a believer in worrying about what men think of her,” said the actress. “But I think she secretly may like it.” She then asked the audience what they thought. “Does she like it? Or does she like someone else…” The crowd erupted in cheers, many of them yelling “Jaime!”

The actress also spoke about how she thinks much of Brienne’s strength comes from the influence of Catelyn Stark. “I think her [relationship] with [her] made her realize that she could [be strong]. I think there’s something very beautiful about that. It doesn’t matter if someone lives or dies, but that goes into her daughters. … I think that’s what’s driving her. She’s connecting to an idea that’s great than herself.”

Allen was asked about returning to Theon after all that time as the tortured Reek? “It’s just been enjoyable to find empathy for a character such as him,” said the actor.

Both Emmanuel and Anderson agreed that they want to see true love bloom between Missandei and Grey Worm. “There’s chemistry, right?” said Anderson. “I want those kids to be happy. Everything’s sort of sad [on the show]!” Anderson also thinks that Daenerys would approve. “Yeah! I think she’d be involved…. uh, not involved,” he laughed.

Emmanuel added, “I want these guys to be happy and stay together. I think they’ve come through so much atrocity, so for them to feel something is so beautiful. I really have enjoyed playing that journey. And there might be a happy ending for them. I daren’t say it…”

Turner spoke about how her role on the show has evolved over the years. “As Sansa has grown and been a prisoner of these master manipulators, especially Littlefinger, she’s been learning and adapting,” said the actress. “And in my opinion she’s just as good at playing the game as he is at this point.”

She also talked about how the lovestruck Sansa of the first season is long gone. “I don’t think she’s like Season 1 Sansa or that she’s particularly looking for a relationship or love at the moment,” she said. “I think she’s kind of done that. I think she’s always looking for happiness but she … sees the world in a different light. I don’t think it’s men in particular. She’s woke now, guys, she’s real woke. She’s cautious, she trusts no one, man or woman, family member or not, and I think that’s important when you play the game of thrones.”

Cunningham was asked what Davos would do if he encountered Melisandre. “If he saw a lady in a red cape approaching… I think he’d put her in a shallow grave somewhere if no one found out,” he chuckled. “But that’s just me.”

Bradley was asked if Gilly and Baby Sam have given his character a sense of belonging after being an outcast for most of his life.

“He’s always been an outsider,” said Bradley. “Well, the one place I can be accepted is the citadel. A place where people have an understanding and appreciation of knowledge. He gets there, and he’s just as much of an outsider as always. Because he’s always doing those jobs they make him do!”

Isaac Hempstead Wright pondered the nature of the Three-eyed raven. “What’s interesting about him is he’s one of the few fragments that remain of the old Westeros,” he said. “Of the ancient kind of magical, mystical side of it. What his purpose is hasn’t been revealed yet. Clearly it’s important. But the Night King appears to be his sworn enemy.”

The cast were then asked what the first law they would pass would be if they ended up on the Iron Throne…

Christie: “That women can be knights!”

Hill: “That Comic-Cons are free.”

Anderson: “Free puppies for everyone. And some sort of device that could create unicorns.”

Turner: “Unlimited carbohydrates is the first thing that comes to mind.”

Cunningham: Free Dornish wine for all the inhabitants of Westeros.

Emmanuel: “Language lessons for everyone. Education for everyone. That’s a serious answer but also how I feel.”

Bradley: “How about maesters have to clean out their own stinking…?”

Wright: “I’d set up a calendar scheme for all the characters who’ve only filmed in the hot places that have to go film in the cold places!”

Cunningham was asked if Davos misses his smuggling days. “Him being promoted from small-time criminal to this powerful position, I think it reflects real life,” he said. “You can’t have a simple life anymore. You’re paranoid. Who’s out to get you? But I think he feels a responsibility to keep whoever is in power on the right track. And he doesn’t have this addiction for power that some have, so he may have a clearer head. … I really love this character.”

Bradley also spoke about how Jon Snow has influenced Sam from the start. “Sam arrived at Castle Black completely bereft of any positive role model in his life,” he said. “So what he found in Jon Snow at that time was everything he needed, a father figure, best friend, big brother. And Sam knew what it was like to be saved by someone, by Jon. And when he found Gilly, he found someone who was even more [troubled] than him. And he knew what it was like to be saved, and he wanted to do that for her. It’s like Jon handed him that. And now he and Jon are on different paths, because Sam wants to fight the same battle as Jon. But he knows that he has to do it in a different way. The Citadel is his battlefield. So he needs to get in there, find out what he can, and get it back to Jon. He feels that responsibility very strongly. And he feels that debt that he wants to pay to Jon Snow.”

The actors were also asked which character they would most like to come back to life on the show…

Christie: “Hodor and also Catelyn”

Alfie: “Khal Drogo”

Anderson: “I’m still hurting about Ned. I also hold a flame for Barristan Selmy.”

Turner: “I just loved working with Jack Gleason so much that I just have to say Joffrey.”

Liam: “I have to say my baby girl Shireen. I have no choice. That still hurts big time.”

Emmanuel: “I’m still heartbroken about Hodor.”

Bradley: “The legitimate answer is Rob Stark. And if there’s one character I wish they hadn’t killed, it was Jon Snow, just because we wouldn’t have had to talk about it for a whole year. That was a rough year!”

Wright: “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… Some of the dire wolves.”

As the panel came to a close, a fan dressed like the Night King asked a question in his best creepy Night King demeanor. But Cunningham wound up having fun with the guy instead.

“I didn’t know the Night King was from California!” he laughed, to which the fan responded in his creepy voice, “I’m from Philadelphia.”

Game of Thrones Season 7 is currently airing on HBO.

Talk to Senior Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura.

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