Stannis Baratheon was an essential part of Game of Thrones for multiple seasons. He was a challenger to sit on the Iron Throne, he fought in the Battle of the Blackwater, and he’s involved in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the series. But the actor who played him had no idea what was happening.
In an interview with The London Times, Stephen Dillane said that since Stannis met the pointy end of Brienne’s sword (unlike in the books), he’s occasionally watched Thrones “to see if I could figure out what was going on, but I couldn’t.”
Much like on the series, Dillane was totally dependent on Davos. “Liam Cunningham is so passionate about the show,” he said. “He invests in it in a way I think is quite moving, but it wasn’t my experience. I was entirely dependent on Liam to tell me what the scenes were about. I didn’t know what I was doing until we’d finished filming and it was too late. The damage had been done. I thought no one would believe in me and I was rather disheartened by the end. I felt I’d built the castle on non-existent foundations.”
What’s difficult to understand about this?
It wasn’t an all-together unpleasant experience, though: Dillane is now more selective about roles, including the upcoming Darkest Hour and Mary Shelley, because “Game of Thrones pays for all this looking around and waiting.”
Stannis… waiting? Even Melisandre couldn’t see that in the flames.
(Via The London Times)