Eksklusivt Interview med Joe Dempsie og Jacob Anderson – Game of Thrones


Sagaen er nået til sin episke afslutning, på en af de mest sete tv-serier nogensinde. Der er selvfølgelig tale om ‘Game of Thrones’, hvor den 8. og sidste sæson lige er udkommet på DVD og Blu-Ray. I samarbejde med FOX Paramount Warner Home Entertainment / PR Nordic, har vi som det eneste medie i Danmark fået et eksklusivt interview med, to af seriens stjerner Joe Dempsie og Jacob Anderson. God Fornøjelse!

Joe Dempsie and Jacob Anderson

(Gendry and Grey Worm)

Home entertainment generic, completed at the London Junket in February 2019

Both Joe Dempsie and Jacob Anderson know that many years from now they will still be asked about Game of Thrones. It is, they know, a mark of just how successful the show has been and it will live long in the memory of a global audience who have followed every twist and turn in the battle for Westeros over eight seasons.

“If we’re still lucky enough to be acting in years and years to come and people want to ask us questions, in thirty years time we will still be talking about Game of Thrones because that’s how good it was,” says Dempsie who plays Gendry. “And you know what? I’ll be happy to talk about it. I always will. It’s been a huge part of our lives and it’s been unforgettable.”

Anderson, who stars as Grey Worm, agrees and adds: “I have forgotten the experience of most the acting jobs I’d done in my life before Game of Thrones and that’s not to say that the people weren’t lovely and that there weren’t good things about those jobs, it’s just the way it is. But I will never forget Game of Thrones. I will never, ever forget it.”

Both young actors admit, too, that when they first joined the show – Dempsie in season one, Anderson in season three – they were very nervous.

“I was terrified,” says Anderson. “I couldn’t be excited because I was too busy being scared that I was going to get fired! It was really weird because even though myself and Joe (Dempsie) have been friends for ten years – and I’ve been friends with Hannah (Murray who plays Gilly) for years too – and I knew people that were in the show and they had all had really nice experiences for some reason I really was terrified.

“It’s such a huge show and I felt like someone from HBO was going to swoop in and come on to the set and say, ‘get him off – he’s no good. Get another actor’” he laughs.

“I spent the whole (first) day terrified that I was going to get fired. I remember I did a bike trip recently in Morocco and we went through the location where I filmed those very first scenes.

“We hadn’t gone there because of that but when we got there I was like, ‘I know this place.’ And in a way that first location set the tone for my

experience of the show because I remember being impressed with the scale of it all – the sets, the locations, the tremendous actors who were there.

“And when I went there again it all came rushing back to me. I couldn’t believe that from when I started, knowing hardly anybody and feeling really terrified that I wasn’t good enough to be in this juggernaut but I made it to season eight, the final season. And that was quite something to think about.”

Dempsie, too, was a little awestruck when he first joined the cast. “I don’t know whether if it’s just a general actor neuroses or whether it’s specific to Game of Thrones but I think it’s common with actors on the show.

“I was certainly terrified in season one. I’m a British actor and HBO is the high water mark of great television – they are pioneers of this amazing period that we are enjoying with TV drama.

“Also I’d auditioned for a number of parts before I was cast as Gendry and when I was cast as Gendry I didn’t fit the physical brief in any way, shape or form.

“So the fragile actor’s ego in me was convinced, ‘oh maybe they have cast me in a rush. They are getting me for season one and then when season two comes round and the character gets bigger they will get someone proper in.’

“And also it was a genre that I hadn’t been involved in before. My stuff had been British and – I hate the term – but most of it had been ‘kitchen sink.’ And my very first day on set for Game of Thrones was opposite Sean Bean (who played Ned Stark) so that was pretty amazing.”

Working on the show has been an extraordinary experience for both of them – they have forged new friendships which, they hope, will flourish even though Game of Thrones is now over. “It does feel like we will end up in each other’s orbit forever,” says Anderson.

“It’s not so much that we will be in each other’s orbit specifically for anything to do with the show it’s more that we know each other really well and we have this incredible shared experience. There are so many people that have been in Game of Thrones and I think you will bump into people and there will be this thing that we all share and understand.”

Dempsie adds: “It’s such a shared experience. It’s not just the filming process – it’s everything that goes with this show that has been so incredible. It’s been like everything else I’ve ever done on steroids in terms of the reaction and being at the centre of this huge event. And we’re very fortunate to have had that experience because I don’t think a lot of actors get that in their careers. And we will always have that shared bond of working on this incredible show together.”

Dempsie was born in Liverpool, England. His TV credits include Doctors, Skins, Doctor Who, This Is England ‘86, The Fades, Southcliffe, New Worlds, The Gamechangers, Retribution, Deep State and Adulting. His films include The Damned United, Monsters: Dark Continent, Burn Burn Burn, Dark River and Been So Long.

Anderson was born in Bristol, England. His first role was as Angelo in the movie 4.3.2.1. and followed with TV credits in Injustice, Episodes and Broadchurch. His stage credits include King Lear and War House. He was signed to record label Columbia Records in 2013 under his stage name Raleigh Ritchie.


Questions and answers follows:

JD – Joe Dempsie: It’s been a great couple of days. I’ve never really done the junkets before. Last year I was kept under wraps a little bit. I had in my head that all of us would be hanging around in a green room most of the day and we’ve barely seen each other, it’s like ships in the night. But it’s been nice to see all these familiar faces and catch up with everyone.

Q: Is it also a way of keeping in touch and keeping the Thrones vibe going?

JD – Joe Dempsie: I think that’s true. When people ask what it was like to finish filming – and it was an emotional experience for a lot of us – we still had in the back of our mind that we would do press for the show and then the show comes out and until the final episode ends it will still feel like it’s alive and kicking and then there will be another stage of the mourning process.

JA – Jacob Anderson: It’s weird though because it does feel like we will end up in each other’s orbit forever.

Q: So the friendships you’ve made and the relationships you’ve formed will carry on?

JA – Jacob Anderson: Yes, I really do believe that. It’s not so much that we will be in each other’s orbit specifically for anything to do with the show it’s more that we know each other really well and we have this incredible shared experience. There are so many people that have been in Game of Thrones and I think you will bump into people and there will be this thing that we all share and understand.

JD – Joe Dempsie: It’s such a shared experience. It’s not just the filming process – it’s everything that goes with this show that has been so incredible. It’s been like everything else I’ve ever done on steroids in terms of the reaction and being at the centre of this huge event. And we’re very fortunate to have had that experience because I don’t think a lot of actors get that in their careers. And we will always have that shared bond of working on this incredible show together.

Q: Now that it’s coming to an end, can you remember your very first day on set for Game of Thrones? What sort of expectations did you have?

JA – Jacob Anderson: My first day was my first scene in the show. It was when I take my helmet off and introduce myself. It was with Emilia (Clarke, (Daenerys), Natalie (Dormer, Margaery Tyrell), Iain (Glen, Jorah Mormont), Ian (McElhinney, Barristan Selmy).

Q: Were you excited to be a part of it?

JA – Jacob Anderson: No, I was terrified! I couldn’t be excited because I was too busy being scared that I was going to get fired (laughs). It was really weird because even though myself and Joe (Dempsie) have been friends for ten years – and I’ve been friends with Hannah (Murray who plays Gilly) for years too – and I knew people that were in the show and they had all had really nice experiences for some reason I really was terrified. It’s such a huge show and I felt like someone from HBO was going to swoop in and come on to the set and say, ‘get him off – he’s no good. Get another actor’ (laughs). I spent the whole day terrified that I was going to get fired. I remember I did a bike trip recently in Morocco and we went through the location where I filmed those very first scenes. We hadn’t gone there because of that but when we got there I was like, ‘I know this place.’ And in a way that first location set the tone for my experience of the show because I remember being impressed with the scale of it all – the sets, the locations, the tremendous actors who were there. And when I went there again it all came rushing back to me. I couldn’t believe that from when I started, knowing hardly anybody and feeling really terrified that I wasn’t good enough to be in this juggernaut, I made it to season eight, the final season. And that was quite something to think about.

JD – Joe Dempsie: I don’t know whether if it’s just a general actor neuroses or whether it’s specific to Game of Thrones but I think it’s common with actors on the show. My first day was season one and even, by the time Jake arrived in season three when it was already a huge show, I was just as terrified. I was certainly terrified in season one. I’m a British actor and HBO is the high water mark of great television – they are pioneers of this amazing period that we are enjoying with TV drama. Also I’d auditioned for a number of parts before I was cast as Gendry and when I was cast as Gendry I didn’t fit the physical brief in any way, shape or form. So the fragile actor’s ego in me was

convinced, ‘oh maybe they have cast me in a rush. They are getting me for season one and then when season two comes round and the character gets bigger they will get someone proper in.’ And also it was a genre that I hadn’t been involved in before. My stuff had been British and – I hate the term – but most of it had been ‘kitchen sink.’ And my very first day on set for Game of Thrones was opposite Sean Bean (who played Ned Stark) so that was pretty amazing.

JA – Jacob Anderson: I think that is something that David (Benioff) and Dan (Weiss) and the casting directors have done really well – I think they curate people. I think they cast people rather than ‘this is what this character is in the book so we are going to find someone to type.’

Q: Quite a few actors on the show had been seen for roles before they were finally cast.

JD – Joe Dempsie: Yes and that’s the thing but it depends the way you frame it in your head. In my head, I was like, ‘they don’t think I’m any good. They keep getting me in but I’m not getting a part’ but in reality it seems that they identified people they wanted to work with and then it was a case of finding the right character, it was like a piece in a jigsaw.

Q: Did David and Dan give you a storyboard on your final day as a farewell gift?

JD – Joe Dempsie: Yes, mine was the leech scene with Melisandre (laughs). It was certainly the most unorthodox day of filming.

Q: It was a very memorable scene. What was it like to do?

JD – Joe Dempsie: I have fond memories of it actually just because for me it was one of those moments that solidified how nuts the show is (laughs). I remember in the run up to shooting that episode other people had the script beforehand because they needed to prepare but I hadn’t been sent it and so for a couple of weeks before we shot the leech scene I would get these knowing looks from people going ‘have you read episode five yet?’ I’d say ‘no, why?’ And it was ‘you’ll find out.’ And I read it and then it was like ‘oh so that’s what everyone is talking about.’ And I started wondering how they were going to do the leeches. I was thinking, ‘so I wonder if they will CGI the leeches.’ And about two days before we were going to shoot it I had an email saying, ‘hey Joe, you’re cool with leeches right?’ I was like, ‘what does that mean? Who is cool with leeches?’ (laughs). So then it was ‘oh so they are actually going to do it then and use real leeches…’

Q: The leeches were real?

JD – Joe Dempsie: Yes, they were real (laughs).

JA – Jacob Anderson: That’s what they do on this show! I haven’t had leeches but I had stuff in the final season where it was ‘I wonder how that is going to be achieved?’ And then you are doing it.

Q: So that was your first day. What was the last day like?

JD – Joe Dempsie: It was a very strange feeling. There were a couple of other regular cast members who I shared my last day with, which was really nice. It was a really weird subdued atmosphere and it’s hard to describe. I think the closest way of describing it was that it was like the last day of school because there was that realisation that this chapter of your life was closing and there were many people there that I will see again and I will stay in touch with but I just have to make the effort now. We don’t have the show to film, which meant we would see other on set for every season so now, in the future, we have to try and keep in touch and I’m determined to do that.

Q: Jacob, what was your storyboard?

JA – Jacob Anderson: I haven’t had mine yet so I haven’t had the chance to properly look at it. My last day was strange, too. I didn’t really know how to prepare for it and I didn’t react in a way that I thought I would at all. I thought I was so ready to finish. The final season had been a long shoot – like ten months – and I thought at that point I was ready to go. Every actor pretty much said something to the crew, to thank them and I hadn’t planned what to say and I actually said, ‘I’ve literally just realised how much I love you all’ and that really got me and it was true. Once there was a threat of losing those people I suddenly realised how much they meant to me. It wasn’t just a job – it was never that. And ten minutes after finishing – and I was already a wreck at that point – I had to take my costume – Grey Worm’s armour – off. I’ve been wearing that since my first day and it stinks! (laughs). There’s a lovely lady in the costume department who would help me and we would go through the same routine every day – putting it on, taking it off. Sometimes, if we had a long set up between shots, she would let me take it off for half an hour. Anyway, she was always there, all the way through. And after my final scenes she started to take it off and I instinctively grabbed it and I didn’t want to let it go. I even said to her, ‘I don’t want to let go’ and I started crying again. I never would have expected to react like that but it was very emotional saying goodbye to Game of Thrones.

Q: Can you sum up what being part of Game of Thrones has meant to you?

JD – Joe Dempsie: Personally I have made such incredible friends and professionally, I remember during the filming of the series, maybe during the earlier years, I

was keen and hungry to do more – I wanted more storylines, I wanted more responsibility, just like any young actor would. And I remember saying to myself and to friends ‘I’m not just happy to be there, I want to contribute.’ It got to the end of season eight and do you know what? I was just so happy to be there and be a part of it.

JA – Jacob Anderson: I completely agree. I have forgotten the experience of most the acting jobs I’d done in my life before Game of Thrones and that’s not to say that the people weren’t lovely and that there weren’t good things about those jobs, it’s just the way it is. But I will never forget Game of Thrones. I will never, ever forget it.

JD – Joe Dempsie: If we’re still lucky enough to be acting in years and years to come and people want to ask us questions, in thirty years time we will still be talking about Game of Thrones because that’s how good it was. And you know what? I’ll be happy to talk about it. I always will. It’s been a huge part of our lives and it’s been unforgettable.