Games of Thrones star Isaac Hempstead-Wright assumed that the season 8 finale ‘was a joke script’ sent by the writers when he first read it.
The rising star played Bran Stark on HBO’s iconic fantasy series, but even Game of Thrones’ eventual ruler thought that the season 8 finale ‘was a joke script’ at first.
Game of Thrones actor thought finale script was a joke
The season 8 finale of Game of Thrones has gone down as the most disastrous send-off in TV history, almost tarnishing the legacy of the entire show, and derailing some of the most gripping character arcs that audiences had ever witnessed.
Whilst the series’ doomed fate was sealed when ‘Bran The Broken’ was made King, absolutely none of the backlash should be levied against the cast – who consistently wowed fans both on and off-screen with their energy and dedication to bringing the show to the best possible end.
An interview with Isaac Hempstead-Wright has now resurfaced in which the young actor, who played Bran in Game of Thrones, said that he initially thought that the season 8 finale ‘was a joke script’ sent to him by the writers.
- FAN FAVORITE: Game of Thrones could have been very different if key character wasn’t talked out of other roles
“Not everyone will be happy, it’s so difficult to finish a series as popular as this without pissing some people off. I don’t think anybody will think it’s predictable and that’s as much as you can hope for. People are going to be angry. There’s going to be a lot of broken hearts. It’s ‘bittersweet,’ exactly as George R.R. Martin intended. It’s a fitting conclusion to this epic saga.”
Hempstead-Wright then admitted that “When I got to the [Dragonpit scene] in the last episode and they’re like, ‘What about Bran?’ I had to get up and pace around the room.”
“I genuinely thought it was a joke script and that [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] sent to everyone a script with their own character ends up on the Iron Throne. ‘Yeah, good one guys. Oh s—, it’s actually real?’”
Despite the backlash at Bran being made King, the young actor also added that he thinks his character would have made a good ruler of Westeros, but might have preferred a more violent death:
“I’m happy. Though I kind of did want to die and get in one good death scene with an exploding head or something. “I think he’ll be a really good king actually. Perhaps there will be something missing in having real emotive leader, which is a useful quality in a king or queen as well. At the same time, you can’t really argue with Bran. He’s like, ‘No, I know everything.’”
How did other actors react to the final script?
Hempstead-Wright was certainly not the only Game of Thrones star who was perplexed by some of the choices made in season 8 of the iconic series.
Sansa Stark’s Sophie Turner said: “I thought Arya would kill Cersei. And I would like to have seen Sansa and Cersei reunited, or Arya and Cersei, but there were so many ways the story could have turned out.”
Jon Snow’s Kit Harrington had a particular issue with his character not being the one to kill the Night King, although the fan favorite actor also admitted that this was more a case of friendly competition, rather than a serious gripe with the show:
“I was a bit pissed off, only because I wanted to kill the Night King! I think I felt like everyone else did, in that it had been set up for a long time, and then I didn’t get to do it. But I was so happy for Maisie [Williams] and Arya. I was secretly like, ‘I wanted to do that!’ Especially because I love fighting with Vlad, who also played the White Walker I fought at Hardhome. I’ve never seen a better swordsman. But it was a really great twist, and it tied up Maisie’s journey in a really beautiful way.”
Arya Stark’s Masie Williams was expecting her character to be the one who killed Cersei, as had been her motivation for nearly seven seasons by that point. “It’s not a Game of Thrones ending for Arya, it’s a happy ending, it gave me a place to take Arya that I never thought I’d go with her again,” she said.
Cersei Lannister’s Lena Headey had arguably one of the more relatable reactions to the finale:
“I will say I wanted a better death. Obviously you dream of your death. You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted…But I just think they couldn’t have pleased everyone. No matter what they did, I think there was going to be some big comedown from the climb.”
- WOULD YOU WATCH?: Game of Thrones actor who played Jon Snow’s right hand man wants to return in new spin off
Related Topics
Gaming Trailers
More Like This
TEKKEN 8 | Hwoarang Reveal & Gameplay Trailer
Latest Trailers
