LONDON — On a slightly wintry February morning, HBO’s Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham was welcomed into the international media roundtable with the question: “Given that you can’t say anything, what can you say?”
In the award-winning medieval fantasy series, the 57-year-old Irish actor plays Ser Davos Seaworth, a fan favorite and part of the squad of the “rightful heir” to the Iron Throne — Jon Snow, King of the North. He also joins the lucky ones who have made it alive to the eighth and final season of the show that chronicles the struggle for the Iron Throne and power to rule all seven kingdoms in the vast and violent land of Westeros.
“We can say everything, but why ruin all our careers in this room by telling you anything?” began Liam, laughing.
HBO is famous for keeping Game of Thrones (GoT), which is based on the popular book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, under an especially strict veil of secrecy. The STAR learned that GoT is the only HBO show that doesn’t have advance screeners, usually the first episode, for press junkets. Or at least, it became the norm after the series became such a global success and a top target for leaks.
In past interviews, Liam himself had a few choice words for the extreme lengths some people took to score spoilers. He particularly criticized those who flew drones over a filming location in Spain.
For the press who flew to this city for the junket, there was no shortage of reminders either, like no leading questions, please.
Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos, in the HBO series
What was safe for Liam to say, effusively at that, was how much he would miss the cast and crew because they have grown into an incredible family, with each member a certified fan of the show.
“I’ve never come across a job (where) everybody was so precious whatever their responsibility was, costumes or props, production designer, acting, whatever it may be,” said Liam, likening the experience to a badge honor worn by a war veteran. “There was an incredible sense of pride and you can ask any of the actors, any of the crew, everybody wants and wanted professionally Game of Thrones on their CV.”
Liam recalled the last day on the set of the show and a conversation with Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow. “I think I said that to Kit one day, early on, (when) we were looking around, we kept saying this is the last day we’re doing on the set, blah, blah, blah. There were lots of lasts which was very, very weird.”
But the ultimate last day, Liam said, came at them like the front of a train. “It was unavoidable. There were tears from everybody. We were all aware it was unique and will never ever do anything like this again.”
When asked what made the show a monster hit, he credited it to the storytelling. “I think they nailed our colors with the killing of Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean) in the first season. For Europeans, we’re kind of used to messed-up storytelling, whatever it may be. But the old westerns in America, that the guy in the white hat is gonna win and the guy in the black hat is gonna lose, that’s a given.
“And then when we saw Sean Bean have his white hat cut off, people went, ‘Excuse me, what just f***g happened there?’ and it messed with people and kind of laid down, look, the real book’s out the window. And so you’re worried, you’re genuinely worried for the characters because nobody was safe… and it did, it kept going, the Red Wedding (where more popular characters were killed off) and beyond that, and you just go on, who the f*** is next?”
©2019 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photos by Jonathan Ford
Liam also brought home souvenirs from the set. “Loads of it. I did it, without them asking, without me asking. I got a full-sized Dothraki sword, I’ve got two stags, I’ve got some money, I stole from the Bank of Braavos (laughs).”
The actor also discussed the qualities that endeared his character to audiences — his loyalty and reliability — and how these will figure till the end of the epic saga.
Liam said, “Loyalty is a sort of set of principles, isn’t it? I mean Davos, it can’t be anything but. I don’t think he’s ever sat down in the evening, thinking, ‘Definitely, I’m going to be loyal.’ It’s in his bones. He was incredibly loyal to Stannis (Baratheon, former claimant to the throne) even when Stannis put him in jail, threatened to kill him. He’s still as incredibly loyal.
“When he eventually ends up with Jon Snow, he’s going to be the same guy. I think the audience kind of, ‘He should go to him, he’s so loyal and Jon’s a good man,’ blah, blah, blah, and so it’s a good teaming. A good team and it has been a joy.
“But the loyalty thing, he’s kind of a decent man in a nest of snakes. And, I think, with so many characters in the show that are arrogant and greedy and power-hungry and that sort of thing, you kind of need in a way that represents the audience a little bit. That is, he’s the guy that will put his hand up and say, ‘You can’t do that. How can you do that?’ I wish I was as brave as he is.”
Game of Thrones Season 8 will debut in Asia same time as the US on April 15 at 9 a.m., with a same day encore at 10 p.m., exclusively on HBO GO and HBO.