A trio of unofficial updates: German-born actress Laura Pradelska has tweeted she just got out of a costume fitting and that she has been cast to play Quaithe in season two of Game of Thrones. So it sounds pretty legit. Hat tip to Westeros.org for spotting the tweet.
Pradelska has done predominately stage work in her career, although she has a few film and television credits to her name as well, including a recent appearance on Doctor Who. Quaithe is a mysterious priestess from Asshai who travels across the Jade Sea to get a glimpse of Daenerys’ dragons.
In other casting news, Westeros.org is reporting that actor Forbes KB has been cast to play the character Black Lorren. KB is a Scottish character actor with a long list of film and TV credits to his name. Black Lorren is an Ironborn reaver, considered one of the most fierce.
Also, it looks as if director David Petrarca will be joining the Thrones directorial team. Petrarca is another HBO director, having directed episodes of Big Love, True Blood and Boardwalk Empire. It is unknown at this time how many episodes he will be directing.
Winter Is Coming: Wasn’t sure they would even include Quaithe, but it seems they have. I don’t even remember the ironborn character from the books, and I’m a Greyjoy fan. Also nice to get another director name added to the roster. A shame we have to find out about all this stuff via unofficial leaks and whatnot, though. Still waiting on some more prominent roles such as Edmure, Balon, Ygritte, Qhorin and the Reeds, Meera and Jojen. Hopefully they will be announced soon.
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74 Comments
I can’t believe how on top of these casting breadcrumbs you guys are…kudos. Love it! Can’t wait til we can actually start watching it all unfold.
Jake StormoenQuote Reply
Cool to see Quaithe is in! Though I wonder if she appears in a future Doctor Who episode, though, as I can’t remember her appearing in any 2011 episode, and an internet search provided nothing.
DreyesboQuote Reply
Needs moar casting news. What about Victarion, Damphair, Dagmer Cleftjaw and the rest?
OnT: Both look like solid casting choices.
edoQuote Reply
Hi everyone, long time lurker first time poster.
Nice to get some more casting news !
Don’t know where else to put it so i’ll say it here : GOT just won 3 portal awards (Best actor for SB, best episode for pilot and best serie).
Sounds hopeful for the emmy’s even if the competition was easier.
ASOIAF_AddictQuote Reply
Nice to have casting news, any kind! Black Lorren is cool. I like both of their looks. Not that Quaithe’s look matters- just her voice.
Steve the PirateQuote Reply
QUAITHE! I seem to be alone in this, but one of my favorite scenes in the entire series is the arrival of Xaro, Pyat, and Quaithe at Vaes Tolerro (sp?). I thought their introduction was extremely dramatic, and I am looking forward to the adaptation this season.
AegorQuote Reply
More Ironborn filming on the way then, eh?
And interiors for across the narrow sea?
QthulhuQuote Reply
But if some theories are correct, Quaithe´s look is important…
It is known that Quaithe is …
Iker GernikaQuote Reply
Thanks for the info!
Angel AndresQuote Reply
Just looked up Lorren on my Kindle, he is Theon’s commander during his reign in Winterfell, killed by the Boltons in the end
Chris77Quote Reply
More news is always good :)
I wonder if Quaithe will have a German accent? Maybe TV-Shae is from Asshai too, that would cover the accents well enough :) Of course Melisandre would need a similar accent too (a Dutch accent is different to German- but I don’t know if an American audience would notice it as much as Europeans would).
I hope we get some bigger casting news soon. The lack of any mention of Edmure is starting to worry me- removing him from the story would be a big change and I don’t think I’d like it!
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Here are the showreels of Laura Pradelska and Forbes KB.
AbyssQuote Reply
the long lost Gerion Lannister!
davebQuote Reply
daveb,
No, everyone knows that Quaithe really is: …………………………………Ros!
SidQuote Reply
Sid,
Absurd. Quaithe is the real Lysa Tully, who was kidnapped and replaced by a well disguised White Walker. Who appears crazy because s/he genuinely has no idea how humans should behave.
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
These are some nice bits and pieces!
Hear Me RoarQuote Reply
KB Forbes confirmed he’s in I guess… check out first comment on that westeros.org news. :P
DanQuote Reply
Fucking finally…need that hit of casting. Starting to have withdrawal pains.
Josh ParkerQuote Reply
I’m a little bummed that even Asshai has a European accent. I guess the writing was probably on the wall with Melisandre, but I still had hope because…
ADWD spoiler: Mel is probably using a glamor to change her appearance, and she could have been sold into slavery from anywhere, really.
I guess a cohesive feel for the accents would be too much to ask, and I’m glad they got the actors they wanted first and foremost, but how important is the role of Quaithe anyway? Why not cast someone who sounds like she’s from really far away? With Jaqen & Quaithe both having German accents, I guess we know TV Shae is from… somewhere between the two opposite ends of Essos?
Let’s break this down. Accent-wise, we have:
Braavos: Eastern Mediterranean
Lorath: German
Pentos: English?
Qarth: English?
Asshai: German/Dutch.
Maybe they’ll do some extra work to make these accents seem like something cohesive, but I wish this were a higher priority than it appears to be. Not the be all and end all, absolutely, but it feels a bit like they don’t care in the slightest, which I think is too bad.
darrylzeroQuote Reply
how about ramsay snow? i already feel sorry for jack gleeson, excellent as he is in protraying joffery the poor guy will forever be tainted by that role,someone must take away that burden from him .
Firass BouzQuote Reply
I was just kidding about Uncle Geri. Quaithe is obviously Alton Lannister, who in turn is obviously Rickon Stark, from the future.
davebQuote Reply
Combined posts.
darrylzeroQuote Reply
Also, sorry if this was posted already but:
http://shurtugal.com/2011/08/15/podcast-featuring-christopher-paolini-and-george-r-r-martin-hits-the-web/
Podcast featuring GRRM and Christopher Paolini (who might be in my bottom 3 as far as fantasy writers go).
davebQuote Reply
That chick is gorgeous. That dude is bald. More casting news HBO, please and thank you.
Pastor_of_Muppets`Quote Reply
Shinyteapot,
i agree, no mention of the blackfish as well as of yet, i wish they just let us know his fate as many forums are speculating that he will be shunned .
Firass BouzQuote Reply
Such a pretty face to be covered in a mask.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
darrylzero,
We don’t know any accents for sure except Braavos, Pentos (at least Ilyrio’s accent) and wherever Shae’s from. I was only speculating that the Asshai accent might be german-ish, the actors won’t necessarily use their natural accents. Though I think Asshai at least needs to sound different, so German would be fine by me. Wlaschiha can do lots of accents apparently, so Lorath could be anything.
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Quaithe is Ashara.* It is known.
*If she’s not Septa Lemore.
LalaQuote Reply
wwwwwwwwwwwtf Fabio where is our weekly poll!??!?!?! *gaspgaspgasp*
userjQuote Reply
watching that showreel, seems Quaithe won’t necesarily have a German accent at all
LeoQuote Reply
I hope they give Quaithe a really cool mask. And I hope she has an awesome voice. I don’t care too much about accents. I always Asshai to be very Eastern and not at all Northern European, but we know next to nothing about Quaithe…she could be from Flea Bottom for all we know!
I don’t remember Black Lorren at all…but for a role as a tough Ironborn reaver, I think that guy fits the bill.
GIVE US YGRITTE! QHORIN!! REEDS!!!
LinaQuote Reply
daveb,
you made me LOL. xD
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
Quaithe is the Blackfish.
Which makes sense, since the Blackfish is obviously Ashara Dayne. All the rumours about his absence stem from the fact that the ToJ seems to have been cut. OR WAS IT?
Blackfish BluesQuote Reply
I am thinking that they must be doing more then 10 episodes this next season. They must. i have a feeling that with in inclusion of minor characters that season 2 will be 15 episodes that that is dope with me.
Nimble DickQuote Reply
So does anyone think that Pod is gonna be written out too?
Because no sign of him at all in the casting. I suppose he could technically be written out for S.2 – someone else could be standing beside Tyrion at the season’s conclusion. (Bronn??)
But he’d have to be written out of AFFC then – which again, is possible I guess. He lifts right out.
I just think it’d be a shame to lose such a potentially heart-rending character….
HuffQuote Reply
daveb,
no, i was wrong. THIS made me LOL. A lot, like a VERY LOUD burst of laughter :D
(in the middle of the living room. lol)
EDIT: i really want ygritte, ASAP. I’m not going to stop bitching until i’ll read the news
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
Quaithe is so obviously Frodo that I can’t believe you numskulls couldn’t figure it out. Remember that like three hundred page desription of her big furry feet?
learn to read people.
KingthlayerQuote Reply
I read the first of his dragon stories, and it was painful, but I slogged through it anyway, considering that the boy was a teen when he wrote it, and I am all for encouraging teen writers. Then I tried to get through the sequel, but it was too painful. He hadn’t grown enough as a writer yet, even though he has imagination. He certainly has Martin’s gift for filler and overly long novels, though..
purplejillyQuote Reply
daveb,
Genius!! XD
purplejillyQuote Reply
purplejilly,
and you didn’t even read the third…
DON’T
I mean, Paolini’s Eragon has been my favorite book for almost 4 months when I was ten. You know, ten.
I read the second when i was 12 (and a Robert Jordan reader, lol. Maybe that raised my standards) and i didn’t like it.
The third came out 3 years later, and reading it was *painful*.
I’m not even thinking to read his fourth. Stay away from Paolini. He’s evil *scary face*
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
thath realy funny, my wife keeps asking what i am laughing at
big swergQuote Reply
You know, I haven’t thought about this much before, but there’s got to be a good plot reason for Quaithe to wear that mask. Wait, let me re-phrase that, there SHOULD be a good plot reason. And a hidden identity for a woman is a great idea! Especially if you were a *famous* or high-born woman that people would easily recognize, running around with a mask is good. Allthough I can’t really think of any breadcrumbs yet that would hint as to Quaithe’s true identity?
purplejillyQuote Reply
As can Laura Pradelska, far as I can tell from her resume at Spotlight. Curious to see what their pick will be!
LOVE HER VOICE. She has done a lot of voice over work, and a voice reel is available here:
http://www.harveyvoices.co.uk/profile/view/laura_pradelska
RatatatQuote Reply
Finally, casting rumors/news!!
It’s been heavily hinted that Qaithe is Jon’s mother…
I imagined Qaithe to be a non-caucasian, just like I assumed Xaro was Chinese and Pyat Pree was black.
I have no idea who the Ironborn character even after reading the descriptions. I honestly don’t remember reading about him. And I’ve read Book 2 twice!
DreamlifeQuote Reply
Elena Amici,
Thanks Elena. I occasionally attempt comedy here, to mixed reviews.
purplejilly,
Elena Amici,
I read Eragon a few years ago, when there was a huge marketing campaign behind it. It was available pretty cheaply on Amazon, and came bundled with book 2. I struggled MIGHTILY through it. I know that the fantasy genre as we know it borrows heavily from similar source material (myths, legends, and Tolkien), but there were at least 5-6 inexcusable ripoffs from other writers (one example being that the menial labor and work they put dragon riders through, during their training, was almost word-for-word exactly the same as the training Raymond Feist had his magicians go through in Magician: Master).
Hated the first one, and it was head and shoulders above the second book in terms of quality. Bad dialogue, questionable plot, lots of quick sum-ups to situations where Paolini obviously wrote himself into a corner and had no idea how to get out except in a convenient 2-line way.
davebQuote Reply
The other day I was in the used bookstore by my house, and a middle-aged French woman came in asking for the third book in the series. The owner found the book for her. Then the woman asked where the children’s section is, so she could find something for her daughter. The owner said “That IS the children’s section.” The woman asked “What, these books are for children?!?” The owner said “Well, you know, adults like Harry Potter too,” but the woman she seemed pretty upset and embarrassed (I guess her English was not very good, and she thought these books were adult-level).
LexQuote Reply
Maybe they have that wrong, and he’s Book 3? I seem to remember a Black someone when Asha tries to have her Queensmoot? Because I was thinking “What, a black bastard in the ironborn? He’s not named properly..” But then I realize they meant Black as in ‘black-hearted’ and not skin color. You never know at first in ASOIAF!
purplejillyQuote Reply
Lex,
She shouldn’t be too embarassed, by Book 3, HP is definitely no longer written like a ‘children’s book’, despite what JKR might say!
purplejillyQuote Reply
purplejilly,
Very true indeed. By Azkaban, Rowling realized that she needed to appeal to her older fans as well. Plus, as Harry got older, his problems became more complex and mature. I think it really speaks highly of JK Rowling’s abilities as a storyteller that she was able to make that swap, and be somewhat subtle about it.
davebQuote Reply
Lorren is Theon’s No. 2 on the Sea Bitch, so far as I recall – he gets killed at Winterfell
As for Quaithepresumably she is both Lemore and Ashara. As far as the mask goes I thought it was just part of a shadowbinders uniform – they hand it to you at graduation from shadowbinder school
Nick LarterQuote Reply
Writing a novel as a teen is hardly a feat. Many professional authors have trunk stories from their teens, but the difference is that they realize what they wrote was crap and in the trunk it stays. And they get better. Now if Paolini had actually written something *good* then I’d be impressed. Though I am impressed he and GRRM didn’t implode in an annihilation reaction. Paolini is like the anti-GRRM.
clemintineQuote Reply
where? really.. i know some people believes she’s ashara and i like the theory. But very few people think ashara is jon’s mom as far as i know. Myself, I don’t think that’s likely, even if i really want it to be true…
Lex,
you know, that’s funny. But i don’t know if HP or Eragon should really be in a children section (here in italy it’s “young adult”, next to “twlight” xD) – many children / teenagers don’t read at all…
daveb,
mh, then i think i’m the only person in the world who doesn’t really like HP.. i mean, JKR has a great imagination, we all agree, but i still think her books are for children, because all of her character haven’t much of a personality…
(don’t kill me!)
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
Thing is – Shae doesn’t have what you would call a “typical German accent” ;) Sounds Asshai-ish though, you’re right, as far as I imagined…
Casting looks great! I’ve been wondering who the hell Lorren was (although I finished A Clash of Kings just yesterday), but as I read “Black Lorren” it immediately returned to me :P Just wasn’t used to him being referred to as “Lorren”. Whatever.
WildlingQuote Reply
Like matter meeting dark matter, eh? It might be interesting to listen to that podcast afterall!
purplejillyQuote Reply
daveb,
I think of all the movies, my third was the favorite. I really liked the tone and look of it.
purplejillyQuote Reply
I’m definitively going to listen to that podcast, lol
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
purplejilly,
Well, no (sorry, don’t mean too sound snarky). Dark matter is non-baryonic, non-electromagnetic, non-neutrino, it doesn’t annihilate with baryonic matter. More like positron/electron, strange quark/strange antiquark pairs etc.
The interview was kindof Meh. GRRM was his usual amicable self, though didn’t say anything that fans don’t know, and Paolini was trying not to sound like a noob.
clemintineQuote Reply
agree. Although that “you can count on the hero prevaling at the end of the day” sounded like a gibe to Paolini to me… xD
I loved what GRRM said about writing..good to know he’s not tired of writing and still loves it.
Also, “winding down? WINDING DOWN?” cracked me up
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
Elena Amici,
GRRM is always a treat to listen to, but I felt he was erm… restraining himself to be diplomatic, lol. Yeah, at least we know that GRRM enthusiasm is still alive and it looks like he has plenty of story left. Methinks he’ll make the Eight.
clemintineQuote Reply
Heh heh. :’D Who if not him?
WildlingQuote Reply
Lina,
Don’t forget Tullys and Greyjoys!!!
BonoQuote Reply
I’m still hoping he won’t – wishful thinking, i know :)
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
purplejilly,
The woman was reading the Eragon series, not HP (the store owner mentioned HP to make the lady feel better, because it’s popular with adults).
LexQuote Reply
Laura Pradelska is a native German AND English speaker. It says on her site – http://www.spotlight.com/7118-0198-3547.
LalaQuote Reply
Not familiar with either actor or the director, but knowing the folks at GoT, they should do just fine. I like the look of Forbes KB for an Ironborn, hard and fierce.
BroQuote Reply
DIE!
Just kidding. There are plenty who don’t like HP. I like them for what they are: mindless fun. There a bit cutesy, and I think they’re quick, easy reads. Though after one read, I never went back. ASOIAF, I’ll always return to.
davebQuote Reply
purplejilly,
It was probably my favorite too. Alfonso Cuaron has great vision, and it was a perfect next-step for the films to take, from the vanilla Chris Columbus stuff.
I got bored with the later films. Deathly Hallows Part I put me to sleep, literally.
davebQuote Reply
I would also like to see textual evidence of “heavy hints” – that was lost on me…
KingthlayerQuote Reply
She deleted the tweet.
Question: If they only cast those two now, does it mean they only joined filming recently, or were they already part of the shooting almost a month ago and cast and crew (and HBO) were just really good in keeping secrets?
MoeQuote Reply
Maybe Ygritte has been written out and they’ll just have Ros journey beyond the Wall for the hell of it.
…that would not be at all funny. D:
SlyQuote Reply
Sly,
hahaha. NO.
please, R’hllor, no!
Elena AmiciQuote Reply
Elena Amici,
Honestly, I was joking about Quaithe being Jon’s mother, though I find it equally believable that his mother is Wylla, Ashara Dayne, or Lyanna Stark. I didn’t even realize there were theories out there that Quaithe is Lemore though I know there were theories that Lemore is Ashara.
DreamlifeQuote Reply
First time poster here! Love the site.
I just finished reading A Clash of Kings last night and Black Lorren is definitely in Book 2. He’s mentioned when Theon is at Winterfell, and Bran/Rickon/Osha/Hodor/Reeds see his dead body when they emerge from Ned’s tomb. He dies when Reek/Bastard Bolton kills pretty much everyone and burns Winterfell.
Also, it’s been stated by HBO that Season 2 will also be 10 episodes. I wish it were more! They’ve said they’d have to sacrifice quality if they were to extend the season. I hope there will eventually be 12 episodes for GoT. HBO seems to max out at 12 episodes per season.
kateQuote Reply
They were auditioning Pod around a month ago.
Malcolm CarterQuote Reply