BELFAST, Ireland - Sean Bean's severed head sits on a shelf in a suburban Belfast studio. Blood and grime are matted between his facial hairs and cake his long, wavy brown hair - and a vacant sadness emanates from his bluish-grey eyes. At first glance, you wonder if Bean took method acting a little too far for his role as Game of Thrones' Eddard ``Ned'' Stark, but then you realize the skin is latex and the eyes are glass - although, at four kilograms, journalists are told the prop is eerily similar to the weight of a real human head.
The sudden beheading of Bean's character, Ned Stark, was one of the most shocking, controversial moments of television this year. While fans of the books were prepared for the honourable Lord of Winterfell's abrupt and unjust end, the grisly moment stunned fans who only knew the story through the TV series.
It took more than one Bean replica to film the scene, in which Stark is executed by the sadistic King Joffrey in front of his two daughters.
``It was just really weird, because everywhere you'd go, his body would be left somewhere, or his head would be left somewhere (on set),'' Maisie Williams, who plays the youngest Stark daughter Arya. ``It was a really weird (week), because it took ages to film that scene.''
The moment also put the rest of the ensemble cast on notice - at least, those unfamiliar with the literary series, A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin. When the series returns on HBO in April of 2012, we now know that any character is fair game for a sudden end.
``As an actor, it keeps you on your toes - really genuinely not knowing where it's going to go next,'' Emilia Clarke, who plays exiled rival for the throne, Daenerys Targaryen, says in an on-set interview. ``With Ned . . . it is definitely a shock.''
Fresh from shooting a promo for Season 2, Clarke is in full Daenerys mode. Her silver-blond wig is embroidered into a ponytail, and her slender, petite frame is decked out in a royal-looking blue-patterned dress, embroidered with gold patterns.
She looks fit to be a hard-edged queen. But her warm smile, easy laugh and emotive dark eyes cultivate an aura of sincerity. She looks happy to be where she is - if not a little bit surprised at all the attention created by her breakout role.
``I have faith in Dany - she's not going anywhere,'' the 24-year-old actress says coyly, seemingly confident she won't suffer Bean's fate any time soon.
The series, centred on an epic struggle for power in an ancient land called Westeros (or the Seven Kingdoms), was a ratings hit for HBO and garnered widespread critical praise. Actor Peter Dinklage won an Emmy this fall for his supporting role as the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister. Dinklage was nominated for a Golden Globe this month, and the series also landed a nod for best drama.
Beyond deft writing and head-turning - not to mention head-losing - plot twists, the show has also gained notoriety for unabashed scenes of violence and sex.
Charles Dance, who plays Lord Tywin Lannister, was not in early Season 1 episodes, and recalls his first impressions from a London screening. ``You saw all this violence and all this rumpy pumpy - and it's all doggie fashion,'' the venerable British actor says with an incredulous laugh, in between takes on set, while decked in silks and armour. ``And I said to (the executive producers) . . . 'Obviously, the missionary position didn't come into vogue for a few years yet in the Seven Kingdoms. They said, `We wanted it to be kind of animalistic, Charles,' and I said, 'Well, it's certainly that.'''
To read the full article with more from Emila Clarke, Kit Harrington and Producers Benioff and Weiss go to the source.
Source: Canada.com
Streaming Options
Sign Up for the SpoilerTV Newsletter where we talk all things TV!
Recommendations
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
