Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie talks about the potential of returning as Brienne of Tarth in the upcoming Jon Snow-centered sequel series for HBO.
In an interview with Collider, the Emmy Award-nominated actress went into detail about why she'd rather explore other roles beyond Brienne of Tarth than return for a Jon Snow series, despite how much she loves the idea. "I love the sound of the Jon Snow spinoff. I really do. I loved watching [Game of Thrones] too. It's very surprising to feel this wave of interest that people are still so invested and that the love is still so real. I think many people feel that they would love to see that story continue," Christie said. "I am hugely invested in playing very different parts now and being pushed and becoming a better actor, developing as an actor, and working with auteurs. There are so many directors I would love to work with, and I want to create different kinds of work. That is my focus. However, I will never stop loving Brienne of Tarth, and I will never stop being interested by her."
First appearing in the second season of the HBO fantasy series, Brienne of Tarth was a knight of House Baratheon before she went on to develop a strong and intimate bond with Jaime Lannister. Christie looked back at her time playing the character and discussed what it meant to her. "I will never stop being grateful for the opportunity to play [Brienne of Tarth]. I really won't. That was really the opportunity of a lifetime," she explained. "It was incredible. I adored the character, and it came about at a time in my life as my development of what I wanted to do artistically was to express something about the experience that I'd had in life that felt quite niche, but simultaneously was about the very human and relatable experience of being an outsider. I also felt like we hadn't seen a woman like that on television, or very much in entertainment, before. What I loved about Brienne was that she was able to overcome her circumstances and often triumph. The idea of that marginalized person triumphing was glorious."
Based on George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones premiered in 2011 and aired for eight seasons. Although the series initially received critical praise, many fans and critics were highly critical of the HBO fantasy when it ended in 2019. Despite losing the majority of its good faith, HBO is developing several spinoff shows based on the once-beloved series, including the upcoming House of the Dragons series scheduled to premiere later this year.
In June of this year, it was reported that Kit Harington was developing a sequel series centered on his character Jon Snow. "It's been created by Kit [Harington] as far as I can understand, so he's in it from the ground up," Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke revealed recently. "So what you will be watching, hopefully, if it happens, is certified by Kit Harington."
The complete Game of Thrones series is available on HBO and HBO Max. House of the Dragon is scheduled to premiere on August 21.
Source: Collider