Games of Thrones backstage staff speak out about the actors' behavior

With one episode to go in the final season of Game of Thrones we figured it was time to look back on all of the shenanigans that have gone down on the various sets all over the world. Some stars are known for being quite the jokesters while others are known for very personal feuds. You may be surprised to hear that some actors or actresses are very similar to the characters they play on camera, and no, we don’t mean Dany and her descent into madness like her dearly departed father Aerys II.
Many of the stars of the series have gone on to be best friends, two siblings on the show, in particular, are known for palling around on and offset. After almost a decade through these stars know each other, as well as they, know some of their own family members so it makes sense that some of them might have a spat here or there. Let’s take a look at just what has gone on between all of your favorite characters off-camera over the years.

A Touch Of Diva

Lena Headey is known for having some feuds with fellow actors, specifically the one that plays Bron who she dated in the past. Apparently, they cannot even be in the same room as each other which you will notice when you watch the show as well.

She had a tendency to get really annoyed and quite mad if she was expected to sit in hair and makeup for hours which some would say is part of the whole job description.

Prankster Onset

No set would be complete without a prankster, and this one comes in the form of Kit Harington who plays the long-suffering character of Jon Snow AKA Aegon Targaryen. He particularly liked to ‘borrow’ props of body parts such as his own head and hide them in places unsuspecting co-stars would happen upon him. One such instance occurred with now-wife Rose Leslie when she found his head in the refrigerator.

It caused a slight rift but clearly, she forgave him and decided to marry him to boot. It is a good thing he did not decide to play any more jokes on her or she may have just said “no thanks” to his proposal.

Play Nice Kids

Sansa Stark was not always the strong character she is now, and Sophie Turner shares something of this personal growth with her character. She started filming the show when she was a young teen, so she knows just how hard it can be to constantly be in the public eye and talked about on social media.

Finn Wolfhard, star of Stranger Things was the subject of some very mean comments and Turner decided to stand up for him very publicly which effectively shut down the mean commentators. Turner will not stand for anyone being unkind, especially if it is not deserved.

I Have To Eat That?!

The Mother of Dragons AKA Daenerys Targaryen played by Emilia Clarke is no stranger to gruesome sites on the series. Her dragons can be seen charing all sorts of things and she has been expected to eat some pretty nasty things such as the horse heart when she joined the Dothraki.

The fake heart was too much for Clarke to handle and she became nauseated at the prospect of having to force it down which added a whole other layer to the scene. It would seem that when she looked sick she actually was. Maybe that made her job a tad easier that day.

More On The Feud

A lot of finesse was necessary to keep Bron and Cersei but really Jerome Flynn and Lena Headey from ever running into each other as they filmed their scenes. The two were romantically entangled in 2002 and in 2014 but it would seem that the relationship ended so poorly the two could not be around each other.

This was supposedly a special clause in their contracts for the show as they wanted to ensure that their wishes regarding each other were respected. Now that Headey is remarried maybe these harsh feelings towards Flynn have lessened although it really does not matter now as the show is almost done.

Wedding Bells

While Jon Snow and Ygritte the Wildling fell in love on screen, the two actors who played them found themselves falling in love off screen which led to the first marriage amongst Thrones cast members.

Kit Harington and Rose Leslie who both come from aristocratic UK roots got married in 2018 at her family’s castle making it a very special wedding indeed. They say proximity draws people together and that rule definitely held true for these two.

A Stand-Up Fellow

Tyrion has had moments of triumph and utter loathing as the audience has seen his high and low moments but off-screen, actor Peter Dinklage is loved by all. Dinklage is known for his kindness and the fact that he is extremely empathetic.

It is rumored that he was often the confidante of Headey and that he pushed every actor and actress to give each scene with him their all. Those troubled eyes Tyrion regularly wears are actually Dinklage himself shining through.

Two Can Play At That Game

Harington might enjoy the occasional prank or two but the writers of the show felt like they had to get back at him once in a while and with the power of their pens or in the modern world, laptops boy did they ever.

They decided to craft a scene in which Jon Snow’s face was irrevocably damaged and he would have to have most of his hair cut off leaving him looking something like The Hound. Apparently, Harington is very attached to his pretty boy appearance and was bit disconcerted.

Best Friends Forever

The Lannister children may have appeared to be at odds for most of the series but offscreen it was all laughs between the three. Dinklage and Headey had been friends for a while before they starred on the show.

Dinklage had actually been cast before Headey and when he read the role of Cersei he thought she would be a shoo-in which she was. The two were often seen laughing on set and even tended to stay at the same hotels to be close to each other.

Diva Dany

There are some stars that you wouldn’t think would be divas judging by how they have been portrayed in the media as sweethearts. Emilia Clarke is generally known for being quite kind but it would appear she was not much of a horsewoman when she first began shooting the series which called for a lot of time on the horse.

During her first day, she simply could not stay on her horse and made the production team halt filming.

Gal Pals

Sansa and Arya Stark may not be the closest of sisters but actresses Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner are about as close as two friends can be. During the first season, the two found themselves at the center of attention in a scene in the great hall.

They were picking away at their food and Arya decides to lob a piece of food at her sister in an effort to embarrass her. Maisie maintains that is the best scene she has ever shot with Sophie and it’s what really brought them together.

Couple Alert

This brother and sister may no longer be alive in the series but they are now a real-life couple which is reminiscent of their parents on the show: Cersei and Jaime. Myrcella and Tommen played by Dean-Charles Chapman and Nell Tiger Free eventually ended up dating as they spent more and more time together.

The word is still out on whether or not there is going to be another Thrones wedding.

Off-Screen Sister-Mance

Sansa Stark and Margaery Tyrell sure did not seem like friends onscreen but offscreen they became true besties. On social media, the two were constantly praising one another and having funny exchanges for all of their fans to see.

There had been some talk that it was more than friendship but with Turner’s recent marriage to Joe Jonas, those rumors can finally be put to bed. These two are just the greatest of friends.

Football Fans

With so many Brits in the mix, it will come as no surprise to hear that they often liked to take in a match together. It seems like there were a whole lot of fans in the house for this game as the Mountain, Ser Jorah, Euron, and many more showed up for this group outing to the football pitch.

This must have happened when they were filming a scene at King’s Landing since it found them all together and some of these characters have rarely been in the same castle until quite recently.

In Cahoots

The two queens might find themselves constantly battling each other on screen but offscreen we once again have some great friends. Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey often show up on each other’s Instagrams after a long night out with no boys in sight.

It looks like these two have also formed a close friendship even though they have never been in scenes together. All of those press tours must have brought them together or their queenly roles.

Secret Friends

When you watched the revolting scenes between Ramsay Bolton and Sansa Stark you could not have possibly imagined that the two actors could walk out of a scene and start laughing but that is what these two did.

Iwan Rheon and Sophie Turner are having a right old laugh in this Insta pic of the two of them and she even called him ‘hubby.’ It is kind of wild the two can laugh after having to film such uncomfortable scenes.

A Rumored Relationship

When Headey started filming Thrones she was newly divorced and Pedro Pascal who played a prince of Dorn began to pop up on her social media. A lot of fans pondered whether he was the new man in her life but when she got pregnant and then married that rumor was filed away.

These two are just very good friends like all of the cast seems to be, with the exception of Flynn. He still does not show up in any pictures with her.

A Little Black Humor

The Red Lady had a pretty integral part in the whole battle against the Night King and his Wights but Carice Van Houten herself does not share the seriousness of her character.

When she sent Stannis Baratheon’s daughter to her fiery death she took a picture with the young actress and a box of flame starter to show that there were no hard feelings? It would appear she has a very dark sense of humor.

Check Out My Action Figure

Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju was thrilled when his action figure was released of Tormund Giantsbane. In fact, he was so happy with it he could not help himself from posting a photo of it right away.

It does not appear any of his fellow castmates were quite as excited by theirs but hey, if you love action figures it must be pretty cool to have your own. Other than his impressive fighting skills he is really known for his love of Brienne of Tarth.

True To Form

The knight, Brienne of Tarth is known for her skills at swordplay and Gwendoline Christie wanted to ensure that she did this character every justice she deserved. This meant that she actually needed to learn how to use a sword and the various stances required for the medieval moves.

To perfect her moves she trained with a coach for several months until she was proficient to the point of looking natural when she used her skills during filming.

Meet The Hubby

The Dothraki who Daenerys marries was played by Jason Momoa who is known for being a tad on the wild side. Well, he lived up to his reputation when he decided to greet Emilia Clarke in a rather unsuspecting manner.

He saw her from across the room and ran at her before he swooped her into a giant bear hug and declared her his ‘wifey.’ Clarke was thrilled with this greeting and the two have remained friends since his character’s demise.

A True Sibling Rivalry

Theon and his sister Yara may find themselves at odds a lot of the time and so do Alfie Allen and singer-songwriter sister Lily Allen. Apparently, the casting team asked if she wanted to be Yara, and Alfie was having none of that.

He was ridiculed in one of her songs that referred to his teenage years and since then has done his best to keep his career completely separate from hers. There is no love lost there.

A Bloody Mishap

Last but not least, in one particularly goopy scene where actress Emilia Clarke found herself covered in fake blood, she had to make her way to the lavatory. The fake blood had a lot of components that essentially formed into a glue type substance which meant she was then glued to the toilet seat.

Filming had to stop while the crew had to pry her off the seat which gave everyone a good laugh. Overall, Game of Thrones has been a wild ride and with a few blips here and there the cast has largely loved each other which shines through in all of their interactions on and off set. They will be missed.

Valaryian Steel

There are always things happening behind-the-scenes that fans don’t know about. Take Jon Snow’s sword for example. After gaining admiration from many, the sword drew attention as it was made from Valaryian steel, which the Westeros say is like no other.

In fact, although it may have seemed like a tale within the series, the stories were based on Damascus steel that has the same properties.

Dragon Design

Dragons have been well known mythical creatures for thousands of years. The legendary, serpent-like creature has mostly been depicted as four-legged, winged and with the ability to breathe fire.

The dragons that appear in the show have certainly gained some fans and the impressive and realistic way they have been created have had fans wondering how it is possible. The production team based the Game of Thrones dragons on birds, bats, and cats to make them appear as real as possible.

Eye Color

Game of Thrones has fans worldwide and with many of them falling in love with the show from the get-go, we wondered if anyone noticed that there are some key differences in comparison to the book. Emilia Clarke’s character Daenerys Targaryen ended up meeting her untimely death at the hands of Jon Snow, a different ending than the one in the novel.

Another difference is the color of Daenery’s eyes. Due to problems that interfered with her acting, Clarke spoke out about not being able to wear contacts, as in fact, her eyes are meant to be a deep violet color.

Choosing Characters

The hardest job of any production team is being sure that you have the right people playing the characters. It is especially important in a show as impactful as the Game of Thrones as fans really need to be drawn to the show so that they continue to watch it unfold. Without a direct connection between actor and character, there is little life in any of the scenes.

Choosing the actors worked out perfectly well and the precision can be shown with Aemon Targaryen’s character. The actor who played him was partially blind as well.

Role Switch

Sometimes things don’t work out, and once an actor is playing a certain role, it becomes evident that they are not quite right. We’re are the die-hard fans will agree that this swap was the right one. Known for being Cersei’s monster, The Mountain role was switched three times during seasons one and two.

In the end, the right man was found and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson took the role. Weighing 193 kg, we can understand why he holds the title as the World’s Strongest Man.

Author’s View

Out of all of the books he has written, author George R.R. Martin wasn’t expecting the A Sing of Ice and Fire series to be the books that were turned into a television masterpiece. He has tried multiple time with some of his other books, but he didn’t have any luck with them.

For him, he thought the book series was too far-fetched and “peculiar” for anyone to be able to create and put it together in real life. It took a while for him to come around to the idea.

Own Language

Going back to the first few series, fans will remember Jason Momoa’s character, Kahl Drogo. The husband of Daenerys Targaryen, Drogo was a powerful warlord of the Dothraki people. Having their own language, it was linguist David J. Peterson that created most of it.

The language was chosen to be an important feature in season’s one and two, therefore thousands of words were created. You can even buy a Dothraki dictionary which explains what they mean.