The morning after with ‘GoT’s’ Emilia, Sophie, Nikolaj and Maisie

LOS ANGELES—It was the morning after the lavish Hollywood premiere of Season Six of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Four from the main cast showed up, fresh and engaging, for separate interviews at the Four Seasons Los Angeles’ Il Posto.

“Bright as a button,” chirped Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) when told that surprisingly, no one was hungover from last night’s packed bacchanalia at the Roosevelt Hotel after the screening at the famed TCL Chinese Theatre.

But the London native’s cheeriness was tempered by HBO’s strict admonition to her and the cast not to give away spoilers or plot points. “It’s so hard because all you want to do is scream it from the rooftops, and all HBO wants you to do is not scream it from the rooftops,” she admitted.  “But it’s a fascinating season for everyone, for every single character involved, but especially for Daenerys.”

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) wished folks at the party chatted with him instead of asking to have selfies with him, one after another.

The Danish actor said, “I don’t mind and I appreciate that people are excited, but I do think that the whole selfie thing does take away sometimes from actually engaging with someone and to actually, just for a second, be looking at each other in the eyes.  Because it’s almost like, and I get it and it’s just the times we live in, but sometimes you do feel like a prop who is just being used to fit into someone else’s story.”

We also talked to Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) about the hit series based on George RR Martin’s novel series, “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

Excerpts from our interviews:

Emilia Clarke

The show had seasons where the depiction of women was under fire; there were seasons when the women were kick-ass characters.

As in life, we are (kick-ass), yeah.

You get to see a lot of male body parts in the show.

I know. That quote (“Free the penis,” she said in Conan O’Brien’s show, referring to her wish for equal opportunity nudity) is following me (laughs).

The only thing my mother said to me this morning: “We don’t talk about the penises.” Sorry. It’s difficult because with my very empowered female badass character, this show has been at the forefront of the discussion of women empowerment on television.  We’ve been pushing that envelope for a while.

So, to see it criticized for the exact same reason is heartbreaking because I’m proud of what Daenerys has gone through, her arc and struggles that you get to see and how she overcomes them. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly, but I think that sensational titles can sometimes grab people’s attention for the wrong reasons.

Do you think women are objectified in the show?

The beauty of “Game of Thrones” is that there are a lot of storylines. There are a lot of women in general which maybe you could argue, more so than other shows and movies. Within that, you’re going to have women who are more objectified than others.  You’re going to have men who are more objectified than others, too.

Given the fact that there are 10 episodes, one episode might say something, but if you see the arc of that character by the end, she sure as hell is up and fighting again.

At this point, is the show already done with the books?

In Season Six, there are no more books, so this is uncharted territory.  This is absolutely brand new information, which is why everyone has to be so much more discreet with spoilers. Now, it’s anyone’s game.  No one is safe, literally.

What does the set look like when the cameras are not on?

We like to play kids’ games or card games (laughs). There’s this stupid drawing game that we sometimes play.

One time, someone was like, “Let’s make this a gambling game (laughs).” So you end up gambling, (betting) with your lunch or Skittles, or you write one dollar on a piece of paper. Then, you forget to collect the winnings at the end.

Sophie Turner

Can you talk about how your character gained confidence and strength?

It’s interesting because in the first five seasons, she definitely took a back seat. She was very oppressed and not really taking charge or action.

This season is definitely about her taking control and trying to become a leader, being proactive and trying to get people to listen to her. She knows how to manipulate.

How much are the costumes and the location conducive to telling this tale?

It’s amazing, really.  I remember one of the scenes that we did this season. It was snowing and Alfie (Allen, who plays Theon Greyjoy) and I have to get in this river. But it was the middle of July. It was a warm day, but as soon as you step onto the set and you’re in those costumes, you feel like it’s the middle of winter.

The production value is so high. You are completely transported to the other world, especially with the costumes. When you put them on, you stand differently—and you just transform.

If your character were to be killed, how would you like that to happen?

I want it to be… at the start of the last episode, so the whole episode is dedicated to my death.

If Sansa does die, this is what I think will happen:  It will be at the hands of someone she loves very much.  I am hoping for Arya and Sansa to meet again and that if they do, I hope Arya is the one to take her out.

So, you, like many fans, are holding out for a Stark reunion.

It would be very interesting if Sansa, Arya and Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) saw each other again.

Now that the scripts are no longer based on the books, does it feel different?

It’s very different. It is scary, but it’s also very exciting because it’s great to show the fans something that they couldn’t have thought up, haven’t read or heard about and couldn’t Wikipedia.

How tough was it for you, at such a young age, to portray this victim of abuses?

It can be quite difficult, because you really have to put yourself in a [certain] place, especially when I was 13, 14, 15. I was 14 when I had my first attempted rape scene. It’s quite a young age to put yourself in those situations. It was quite difficult.

At that age, you have such a carelessness about you. You just throw yourself into it. So, it was almost easier than if I had done that scene now. Back then, it was just like playing pretend for me.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

 

How do you deal with your heartthrob status?

I don’t think about it.  And I am old now.

What does your wife think?

You will have to ask her (laughs).  She finds it more annoying than I do, to be honest.

If your character would be killed off, how would you like that to happen?

Old age.  That is the one I am hoping for.

Who are your best friends in the show?

I spent a lot of time with Gwendoline Christie. Also Lena (Headey) and Peter (Dinklage), my siblings and my scene partners.

When you go back to Denmark, do women throw themselves at you?

In Denmark, no (laughs). I live just north of Copenhagen. I have lived there for quite a few years. Everybody knows me.  They don’t make a fuss.

Maisie Williams

 

Can you give us a hint of your character’s journey in the new season?

At the end of the last season, she is blind. So, going into the new season, she is learning to live without her eyesight. Also to fight and to be just as good a killer as she was before.

How is your vision affected by the contacts you have to wear to appear blind?

I have four different pairs of contact lenses, one of which is totally opaque, very big and I couldn’t see anything out of those. I learn my lines a lot easier because I am just using my ears and not my eyes as much.

If your character were to be killed off, how would you wish that to happen?

If that day ever comes, I would like it to be quite an epic death, because there’s a lot of very violent and groundbreaking deaths on the show.

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