This Game of Thrones Original Won’t Appear in Season 8
For eight years now, Game of Thrones has been the hottest show on television. I mean, there are fire-breathing dragons after all. I jest, I jest. But, seriously, the battle for the Iron Throne has become a cultural phenomenon. Absolutely everyone – looking at you, Ed Sheeran – has been dreaming and scheming of ways to be a part of the magic. However, there is one person who had the opportunity to appear on the show’s epic final season and turned it down.
We all have George R.R. Martin to thank for our obsession with Westeros. Martin is, of course, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired the hit series. Apparently, the show’s creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss wanted to honor Martin with an appearance in the final season, but he declined.
“David and Dan invited me to a cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do,” Martin told Entertainment Weekly. “But I didn’t think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast.”
If you are as much of a fan of the novels as the TV series, you’ll be relieved to know Martin has his head in the game. The author is still working on the sixth book of the series The Winds of Winter and he’s trying to stay focused and keep his calendar clear for writing.
Apparently, this wasn’t Martin’s first opportunity to jump in front of the camera. Back in the first season, Martin actually was an extra, but a casting change made his appearance obsolete.
“There was a cameo in the original pilot that was cut,” he noted. “I was a guest at Dany’s wedding. But that was when she was played by Tamzin Merchant so all that footage got thrown out when we recast with Emilia Clarke.”
Can we get that on home video bonus footage?
Even though Martin won’t be onscreen, all of your favorite characters will. Who do you hope ends up on the Iron Throne?
Game of Thrones returns April 14.
Featured Image: LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Writer George R. R. Martin attends the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)
