Game of Thrones - 2ª Temporada

AccessHollywood.com: Last time we saw Arya, she found a sort of stand-in older brother with Gendry, who defended her when a boy tried to take her sword. Will his sort of brotherly-inclinations continue as the season begins?

Maisie: At the beginning of the season, she still doesn’t really trust him because everyone who she’s trusted before has been taken away from her, and she doesn’t think she’s going to see most of them again, and she knows she’s not going to see her dad again. I think she knows that she can trust him, but for some reason she doesn’t because she doesn’t want to get emotionally attached to anyone, just in case they get taken away from her.

Access: Arya learned really quickly at the end of Season 1, when the boy tried to steal her sword, that her world is more treacherous by the minute. How dangerous is it going to get?

Maisie: I think because Needle’s the only thing she’s got left of home, and that’s really the only thing worth something that she’s got with her, she’s really protective. Because she was quite sensitive anyway, and this boy she never even met before came up to her and was trying to take her sword away, she didn’t stick up for herself. After that happened, and when we start off Season 2, she’s not gonna be pushed around… She can now stand up for herself and people won’t sort of laugh at her because she’s a girl, because everyone think she’s a boy.

Access: Joseph Dempsie who plays Gendry — you worked so well together at the end of Season 1. Are you friends in real life?

Maisie: Yeah, all of us are – me, Joe, Ben [Hawkey] and Eros [Vlahos] — who play Hot Pie and Lommy. We all got on really well… We always went out to dinner… [and] to the cinema. We’re all sort of like brothers to each other and they all had a laugh and we all went and played mini golf together.

Access: Who won?

Maisie: Well… Eros did.

Access: You cut your hair this season to play Arya in disguise. What was that day like when you first saw yourself?

Maisie: When I was about 7 — I think — I had really long hair. It was down to my elbows… and then I just decided to cut it all off. So, I’ve had sort of long hair/short hair on and off for several years… When I decided to really grow my hair long — after getting the part of Arya — when they [eventually] said, ‘We’re going to cut off your hair!’ I kind of thought, ‘I don’t really want to, because I’ve been there before, and I’ve decided to grow it out now because I’m getting older and I prefer to have long hair.’ But after thinking about it, I thought, ‘It’s just hair, and it grows back!’

Access: What did your own brothers think of the short hair?

Maisie: Both my brothers are older than me, but the younger one, he isn’t that much older than me. We look really alike anyway, and when I had my hair cut short and I got out of the shower and it was all like, wavy, we looked exactly the same because his hair’s really curly, and it was really funny (giggles).

Access: I talked to Tom Wlaschiha, who plays Jaqen H’ghar, and he raved about how talented you are. Tell me, what he’s like, because he’s playing this super-mysterious character involved with Arya.

Maisie: I think it was when I was gonna go and get my wig done last season, was when I first met Tom… He came in and I knew he was from ‘Game of Thrones’ just because he had that look about him and he looked really mysterious… I think he already knew who I was, but I wasn’t sure on who he was. And yeah, he came in and introduced himself, and later on, we Googled him and saw a bit more about him and we kind of put two and two together and realized that maybe he was going to be playing Jaqen.

Access: And when he hit the set properly?

Maisie: When it came to actually working with him and acting with him… he’s just got this voice, and, I don’t know – when he just spoke to me, it was, I don’t know what it was. But because English is not his first language, he had a lot of work with the dialect coach and he would always ask me, ‘Oh, how would you say this?’ just so he got the accent right… And, you know, we worked really well together and I got on really well with him and — I don’t know — it’s just his look and the way he speaks — it just captivates you like that, and it was great fun.

Access: I know you haven’t read George R.R. Martin’s books – your mom does. Not to spoil anything, but do you know what’s in store for Arya?

Maisie: Yeah, my mum’s read all the books and she told me what happens all the way through and where Arya goes and where she ends up and things like that, and I think it’s nice to have an idea, but from what I heard of Season 1, some of the storylines changed and some of the character’s weren’t there… It’s nice to have an idea of where Arya’s heading, but I don’t think anyone can be sure on what’s going to happen because (breaks out in laughter) I don’t want to tell you – but yeah, they change it up a lot.

Access: So you’re in the British equivalent of high school – like American students, do you have a reading list of books for school?

Maisie: Yeah, our school, we read a lot of Michael Morpurgo… I’ve finished reading a series of books about a girl who’s quite — she’s a bit like Arya, I guess. She gets like, bullied in schools and things. She’s always been a bit different and she doesn’t really realize why… and it’s just the story of how she grows up. It’s really nice. A really nice sort of ending as well.

Access: What series is that?

Maisie: I don’t think it’s got a whole series name, but it’s a series of five books and all the book titles are about water, so it’s like, ‘Out of My Depth’ and things like that [from author Helen Bailey]. All the names are related to water. It’s quite nice.

Access: Have you read anything yet that you thought – as you get older – you’d love to play that role?

Maisie: When I first watched ‘Coraline,’ I thought , if that ever got adapted… if it was done by real actors, I think that would be a really fun thing to do, just because it’s a kind of whole new universe. And just the way [they] show Coralline on screen… I kind of think she looks a bit like me, and she’s the same sort of character as me, and the same sort of character as Arya too — very curious and says what she thinks and things like that, so I think it’d be great fun to do.

Access: Speaking of female characters — there’s a couple new girls in the ‘Game of Thrones’ cast this season — Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) and Gwendoline Christie (Brienne). Did you get a chance to spend time with them?

Maisie: I got to meet Gwen. I didn’t get a chance to meet Carice. But Gwen was very nice and we both had to have our hair cut, so that’s how we got talking. We both [have] these kind of female characters that are really strong and that a lot of people look up to…

Access: And you and Gwendoline both wield swords!

Maisie: [We were] both talking about different moves that we learned. We’ve both got a lot in common [in] the way we were taught… We had a lot of things to talk about and I think that’s why we get on so well… She’s really funny and a real pleasure to be around.

Access: So finally, with your short hair, you’re really recognizable. Have you been spotted in [British supermarket] Waitrose with fans screaming ‘Arya!’?

Maisie: I’ve only been stopped, I think three times… But that was when I had long hair. Because people haven’t seen me with short hair, no one really knows what to look out for, I guess. When I went over to America last year, I did a thing on the radio, and when we were just down in the lobby of the hotel we were staying at, I overheard a lot of people talking about hearing me on the radio and they weren’t even aware that I was sat right next to them.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When your name was called at the Emmy’s, what was your first thought?

PETER DINKLAGE: “Uh-oh. I have to get up there in front of a lot of people.” I was a little shy about that, but it was a fun night. I promised myself I wouldn’t get too cynical about it and it was the best advice I could give myself.

Does the win change anything for you as an actor?

No. I mean, it’s lovely to be recognized. I can’t deny that, but life goes on. I love that we were shooting the show when the awards happened, because I wouldn’t have liked to have gone back home and sit there and stare at it.

You could be submitted for lead actor this time, given how much focus is on you this season.

I don’t know how that all works out, but yeah. We’ll see. [Note: Dinklage and HBO later decided to submit him and other cast members for the supporting categories]. Or maybe I can just blow the entire season and be terrible and they won’t want me.

Do actually worry that you might go on set and be bad?

Well, you gotta have a certain amount of confidence to pull this type of stuff off, especially this character. But I sort of make it not my confidence, but the character’s confidence. So maybe that might seem like I’m confident. It’s really just masking it.

Is there anything you do to get in the mindset to play Tyrion?

Sometimes on sets, I shut down, try to focus. But this one, I find myself socializing a lot more. And maybe that helps, because Tyrion’s so social and puts himself out there. Other than that, I’ve never been one to really prep for a role too much. The greatest preparation for a TV show is to already have one season behind you.

What’s been the difference in shooting season 2 versus season 1 so far?

The mood generally seems to be much better. We all know each other, we’re like a family. For me, it’s a very different season in terms of Tyrion because season 1, I’m a prisoner half the time, on the road, or being thrown around. And this one, I’m Hand of the King, so I’ve been shooting mainly interior sets, so it’s been a bit more civilized and warmer.

You still have to shoot the battle scenes, though. Is there anything in particular they’ll have you doing for those?

For all those people who were disappointed that you didn’t see the battle last season, they will be pleasantly surprised that I do engage in a serious battle this year. I think that was a brilliant way of dealing with my character [last season], ’cause he’s not a fighter. He’s sort of more of an intellectual. I thought that was great. But this season, for all the people who miss battles, we definitely will serve them up.

Is it fun to be a leader this season?

The character, Tyrion, enjoys it. He’s surprised by how much he enjoys it. So you gotta sort of get in that mindset. It’s fun because this is a character that’s been shit upon his whole life. I mean, he comes from great wealth, but he’s treated very poorly, so now there’s a newfound respect where if somebody calls him a name, he can have them killed. He never had that before. Tyrion definitely enjoys that part and he’s trying desperately to hold onto it. He’s enjoying it while it lasts ’cause he’s not sure it’s gonna last very long.

What’s been the toughest thing to shoot so far?

Last season we shot one scene on horseback on the side of a cliff during a serious windstorm. Although it didn’t seem like it from what we shot, the horses were very nervous. One guy was thrown from the horse literally a couple feet away from the edge of a cliff. Other than that, it’s been a real joy … I guess what makes it difficult is that you want to do justice to the material. Sometimes, when the material is really good, you put expectations on yourself to make it the best possible show. You’re not just serving up the regular hash and doing your job and going home. When [the cast and crew] go out at night, we don’t talk about the weather. We talk about the show. We go out to dinner and we’re still talking, we’re in it, which is such a testament to the show.

Are you still going from script to script instead of reading the books?

I read the first book and then I stopped because I really am picturing people I know as the characters and I’d rather — no offense to them — but I’d rather come up with my own characters in my head. Like I could never read a book after I see the movie version. I’ll just be thinking of the movie and that sort of negates the whole idea of a book. They’re lovely books, but I also don’t want to know too much about my character’s future. I like to know all about his past, but I don’t like to know his future, ’cause I’m afraid I’ll play the end result a bit. The less I know of my future, the better.

Since you’re not reading ahead, it’s not a spoiler to ask: How do you hope your character ends up?

He’s been treated very poorly his whole life. So I like to think that he finds happiness. He deserves it.

Is reading the source material a part of your process, or do you prefer to avoid reading anything outside of the scripts?

“I avoid reading books that are that thick! They frighten me, and they weigh a lot in the baggage as well.

“No, I stick to the script because that’s what we’re dealing with, and the scripts happened to be really, really good. If, while working on this, I thought the scripts were not very good, I’d go back to the source material and try to figure out why that was the case. But the writers on this have been very clever. The quality of the writing is as good as the quality of the production values which, for a television show, are astonishing.”

So you don’t really know about the fate of your character?

“I do know, because devotees of the books approach me in the street and tell me all about it. So, I know now. It’s quite something.”

One of the common questions about Tywin is how much he perceives of his children’s doing—namely, the incest between Cersei and Jaime. What’s your take? Does he know what’s going on, or is he blind to it? Does it affect your performance?

“I think he’s prepared to not necessarily forgive, but tolerate, almost anything of his gorgeous, handsome son’s life, because [Jaime] is the apple of his eye. He’s the epitome of perfection—tall, good looking, great warrior, and all the rest of it. Unfortunately, his other son… he probably wishes he’d been smothered at birth.

Of course, on the other hand, Tyrion is most like Tywin in many ways, in terms of brilliance and intelligence.

“Yes! He’s only small in stature. He has a great intellect, he has guile, he’s well-read—he’s the only one who ever reads a book—and he’s an extraordinary character. By this stage now, Tywin Lannister is having to accept that Tyrion is only small in stature. Reluctantly having to accept that he’s not the awful thing he thought he was.

“We’re very lucky to have Peter Dinklage playing him, because he’s extraordinarily gifted. He’s such a great guy to work with. I have this wonderful memory of him in this film The Station Agent—he’s a phenomenal actor, he really is. A lot of the time, in certain areas in our business, it’s very difficult for women because it’s a male-dominated industry still although we have hugely bankable female stars; never the less, women have to fight that much harder. Now imagine if you’re that size, in a world that’s this size, and you have to fight even harder. And he has this wonderful talent he brings to the fore. Very bright guy, and a sweetheart, really a delightful guy. We’re really lucky in that regard.”

Do you like the character? It seems you’re always always playing bad guys and villains.

“Yes I do like him, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy at all. No. He’s a man of principle—they might not be your principles or my principles, but he’s quite principled. But no, I don’t always play the “bad” guy. I’ve played quite a few not bad guys. But if something as well written as this comes along…

“I’m attracted to characters that make you ask questions, or make an audience ask questions—why is he doing that, what is he really about?—that’s great as far as I’m concerned. There’s an ambiguity about him, you’re never quite sure which way he’s going to go. There are scenes where I have a fair amount of dialog, but most of the time he is a man of few words… and he doesn’t smile very much either. I think he’s a great character, but I wouldn’t describe him as a bad guy, not as all.”

To me he seems very much like Machiavelli’s Prince, which was of course an ideal that Machiavelli put forward, as the best way to rule.

“Oh, yes. Sure.”

To what degree do you feel Tywin is doing this out of self-aggrandizement, or is it pride in his family, or a belief that things have to be done a certain way and he’s the man to do it?

“It’s partly pride in his family, but also awareness of his position. It’s a feudal society, this mythical land we all inhabit, and in feudal societies people have their positions. In the film industry, everyone has their job and they have their different status. Everyone’s aware of these things. The makeup lady doesn’t involve herself in the location manager’s job, and the bit part player doesn’t play his part like Hamlet, he plays it for what it’s worth. No more, and certainly no less. People are very aware of their positions.

“It’s not a belief that one position is superior to another—you have your job and you do it. Many years ago I was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Society—I still am, I go back from time to time—and the last play I did there was Coriolanus. Ralph Fiennes just did a film of it—quite interesting, I saw it just last night—but that’s a character who is very aware of his position. I do my job and I do it well, you do your job and you do it well, don’t complain to me. Just be content in your position. That’s the kind of society we’re dealing with, it’s very feudal.”

You’ve worked in all sorts of things—theater, film—but how does the HBO model of television compare, especially the rigors of it?

“I think it’s great. It’s only different in as much that it’s on television. It’s a huge project, this. The production values are astonishing. It looks sensational. There is so much stuff of quality coming over from America at the moment, on the Sky Atlantic channel. Really, really good stuff, and it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s in the cinema or on television, as long as its work we like to think of as “quality”. The job remains the same—my job, the camera operator’s job, the cinematographer’s job, it doesn’t matter where we do it.

“It’s a huge operation, this thing. Hundreds of people working on it, two or three units at the same time. It’s great to work on, it really is. It compares very favorably with other stuff that I’m quite proud of. I’ve done junk in my time, of course I have, because we all have bills to pay. But this is by no means junk, it’s great stuff.”

For those who haven’t read the book, what can they expect for your character over this season and next?

“I get taken by surprise. It’s a great leap of faith, actually, for all of us, because I like to know when someone tells me, “I’ve got this film,” and I’ll say show me the script. Then if I like the script, and I like the part, and the director, and so on, I’ll do it. But for this show, many of us agreed to do it based on the first couple of episodes. We get drip-fed the scripts. I’ve no idea what we’re going to be showing this year, at all, but I’m continuing to do it because of the quality of the stuff that comes before.

“The stuff we did last year, equally I didn’t know before we went into that. I’d seen the first couple of episodes, but the stuff that followed we get about a week before. It’s a huge leap of faith. So what’s happening this year? I’ve no idea, but I hope I’ll be presently surprised.”

Did you expect this to become such a phenomenon?

“I didn’t realize how widely read the books are, I really didn’t. I hadn’t heard of them before. Someone told me, “Oh, it’s a kind of grown up Lord of the Rings”, which it is because there’s more rumpy-pumpy! And it is quite violent. But I’m kind of continuously surprised because they are very widely spread, and they will be more so now because like all literary adaptations, the one service an adaptation will do for a book is to make people who’ve now read the book think, “Oh, now I’ll read the book.” Which is good, it’s good for everybody.”

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. Sometimes just keeping your life is winning. How does it feel to play a character who’s so powerful that he’s maybe not really aware of his own mortality?

“Much the same as playing any character, really. I pretend, that’s what an actor’s job is. But a man of his age—like a man of my age—you become increasingly aware of your mortality, but in this society life isn’t a very expensive commodity. People get their heads chopped frequently in this. Although it’s mythical, one can draw a parallel with medieval Europe, and life was cheap. Life is more valuable to us now, in the 21st century, but anybody who has any knowledge of history knows that one of the ways we have evolved is to value life more and live in a way that prolongs our life.

“Then, I think there was an acceptance that life was fine as long as it goes on, but when it stops, it stops. Because of my age, I have an ability to think myself into the state of a man who’s going to be reminded of his mortality frequently.”

Do you think Tywin would like to become king, deep inside?

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s probably a man who probably thinks that if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

The other actors have spoken of shooting in Iceland and Dubrovnik. Where did you get to film?

“Northern Ireland. I keep trying to persuade them that maybe the Lannisters all go on a holiday to the Caribbean or something. I’ve been to Dubrovnik for a film festival once. It’s beautiful, lovely. And I’ve filmed in the Arctic, in the Russian Arctic and the Canadian Arctic. But in this case, I just get Belfast. It’s nice enough, but you couldn’t describe it as an exotic location, I’m afraid.”

How do you feel that so many great actors and theater actors are ultimately remembered for their roles in sciene fiction and fantasy genre works, like Sir Alec Guinness or Sir Ian McKellen?

“You just accept that, really. I remember I did a film with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few years ago, and Joan Plowright was in it. Joan Plowright, the widow of Lord Olivier, our first theatrical lord, described as the greatest actor of his generation, who worked his way through the classical canon in the theater and went on to some remarkable work on film. And there’s a line in the film when somebody refers to him… and he’s remembered for his role as Zeus in Clash of the Titans, which was not a great Hollywood movie at all.

“I thought that was quite amusing. You know, that’s the nature of the business. People’s memories change, of course. When Game of Thrones is being shown, then people will come up to me to talk about it. If I happen to be in some enormously successful film, that’s what they’ll talk about. Actually, the driver who drove me in today started to talking to me about a film I did with Eddie Murphy, The Golden Child, which is a kind of cult movie for some people. People remember what appeals to them. We try to please as many people as we can. We try to do the impossible which is to try and please all the people all the time, which is ridiculous and can’t happen, but people still try do to do in this business.”

Looking back over your career, what’s the thing you’re most proud of?

“A strange film I did in the Arctic, called Kabloonak. It was the story about how Robert Flaherty came to make Nanook of the North, which was the first commercially successful documentary in 1922, and Flaherty was the father of the documentary. It was a French-French-Canadian-Russian co-production that we shot in the Russian Arctic and the Canadian Arctic, and it was really me and fifteen Inuit (and their dogs). We lived on an icebreaker in the Bering Sea for four months, in temperatures sometimes 35 degrees below 0. It had a French director, who unfortunately committed suicide six months after the film was finished.

“It had a very limited distribution, because it was difficult to market—it was a hybrid, made by a documentary filmmaker with a good feature film script. It and I received prizes at the Paris Film Festival in 1994. It’s a quite remarkable film, but we are in the hands of distributors and exhibitors in the film industry and if they decide they don’t want to show a film, the film doesn’t get made.”