John Bradley urges Game of Thrones fans to ‘re-evaluate’ ending of HBO show
“It was highly unlikely that we were ever going to please everybody,’ actor said
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Your support makes all the difference.Game of Thrones alum John Bradley has said the show’s incredible popularity ultimately meant that the writers “couldn’t win” with its series finale.
The actor, who played Jon Snow’s (Kit Harrington) faithful friend Samwell Tarly, made the comments during Wednesday’s (2 February) episode of theVariety podcast, Just For Variety.
Defending the highly divisive series finale, Bradley said Game of Thrones had “almost meant too much” to some fans, near-guaranteeing that they would never be satisfied with its eventual outcome.
“It was highly unlikely that we were ever going to please everybody,” Bradley told Just For Variety host Mark Malkin.
He continued: “There are so many different permutations to it... and if we’d have gone with any one of these then everyone would have been unhappy about that one.”
The actor, who is set to appear in director Roland Emmerich’s forthcoming disaster film Moonfall, added that he hoped fans would be able to “re-evaluate” Game Of Thrones once their “wounds have healed a little bit”.
He also defended the show’s writers who Bradley said got “a lot of criticism” for the way Game of Thrones ended.
“You feel like saying ‘they were still in charge (when) you loved it... and when you thought it was the best thing you’d ever seen,” Bradley continued, adding, “All the way along and all the bits you remember, none of them would have happened if they hadn’t been in control. So maybe they’re due a bit of a break.”
Peter Dinklage, who played fan favourite Tyrion Lannister on the show, has also defended the show’s finale during recent interviews, saying “We told you not to name your dog Khaleesi.”
Bradley’s interview was released ahead of the opening of the only official Game of Thrones Studio Tour attraction in Northern Ireland.
Stormont Economy Minister Gordon Lyons described the £40m venue in Co Down as “game-changing” for the region.
Game of Thrones was mostly filmed on location and in studios across the area and the show has drawn visitors from across the world, even years after the finale aired in 2019.
A HBO spin-off series, House Of The Dragon, starring Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke and Rhys Ifans has also begun production, and is scheduled for release later this year.
Charting the story of House Targaryen, the series is based on author George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood and takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
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