Access Hollywood continues their countdown to Game of Thrones season 2 premiere, this time by talking to Alfie Allen in the pivotal role of Theon Greyjoy. Below is an excerpt without any spoilers. Make sure to click the link for the entire piece, but beware that it contains mild spoilers about the premise of Theon’s storyline in season 2.
Photo by Helen Sloan / HBO
Access: The first lengthy trailer came out recently. People were so excited over seeing a Season 2 Theon. There was a lot of chatter and someone even turned you into an animated GIF using the brief glimpse of you with water being poured on your head.
Alfie: Oh yeah! They love that scene! They love it!
Access: Did you have any idea there would be that sort of reaction from a trailer?
Alfie: Not at all, not at all. What do you mean? What sort of reaction? Why? What’s happened with this?
Access: I’m seeing a lot of people online – particularly women – who are really, really, really excited over that brief glimpse. Are cougars reaching out with marriage proposals yet?
Alfie: Ha ha ha! That’s cool. I like that. I’m definitely a fan of that… It’s great. That shot is pretty beautiful and when we did it, David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] were just raving about it. They were just like, ‘It looks so good, Alf.’ So, I always knew that maybe — maybe — that was gonna get used for something. But I just want to see it in its entirety. I’m a fan. I want to see all of it. They just keep teasing people with it and I’m definitely feeling that frustration of ‘Come on! I want to see it!’
Hear Me Roar: I like reading about the fan reactions and how enthusiastic he is about the whole deal. It’s apparent that he gets his character, which is really rather crucial since his motivations are important to come across properly this season – but do not let me say too much. What do you like best about the interview? Comment below.
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37 Comments
I was excited right away when I saw the first pictures of show-Theon, and with season 1 proving that Alfie can act as well, he’s definitely one of those actors that has grown to BE his character in my mind. Can’t wait to see you in S02 Alfie!
Tar KidhoQuote Reply
Haha that was a good read.
I’d pay a fortune to go out for a beer or 5 with the cast one day.
G_LeeQuote Reply
I have some c hoice words to say about Access Hollywood referring to Esme Bianco as “Rubenesque” but I’ll save that for my tumblr rant.
Great bits from Alfie. He has a fun personality for interviews.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
I would pay good money to see that audition scene. He is just adorable.
WhiteotterQuote Reply
“He’s just got a massive identity crisis, which is cool to play with, definitely. But it’s dark, and like I said, I really like dark stuff.”
Hahaha, anyone know if he’s read everything? If not, that’s the most prescient quote I’ve ever read! Just don’t forget your name, it rhymes with freak.
the goatQuote Reply
the goat,
Yeah, with Theon’s story dark is an understatement.
dizzy_34Quote Reply
Tar Kidho,
read the books,he doesn’t end up too nifty LoL
linda korpeQuote Reply
dizzy_34,
and the identity crisis
the goatQuote Reply
Nice, they removed it and ninja-replaced it with “curvy.” Your doing, you think?
A_S00Quote Reply
Are women really going wild over Alfie/Theon ? Because frankly I think he’s been hit with the ugly stick.
The KingslayerQuote Reply
I’m not a woman, but I think he’s more than decent looking, though he looks about half as punchable as Joffrey – which is quite a bit.
sjweningsQuote Reply
The Kingslayer,
Haha, yes, I have to say I find him pretty nice to look at.
InkaQuote Reply
He has a kind-of swagger IRL — at least, to me — and when that happens it doesn’t matter what a person looks like. I’ve liked a whole bunch of girls that weren’t ‘lookers’ but their personalities made them more attractive than their appearance ever could.
Pink DragonQuote Reply
Somewhat tangentally related to this, but I just had a thought so I figured I’d post it here.
I’ve been chewing over the apparent absence of Reek from S2, and I’m realizing that it might be tied in with a problem that’ll be facing the showrunners next season: the complete absence of Theon from ASOS. That’s a problem because it’s awfully hard to have a character vanish for a season in a TV show, especially when S2 is going to answer all the people who sat there scratching their heads about what the hell was the point of Theon’s character. Note the fact that they seem to be jumping through hoops to keep Jaime in the mix this season (though I don’t think it’s actually that hard–for all that he’s “offstage” for most of ACoK, a lot of stuff still happens to him).
I strongly suspect that this is going to be the first really major deviation from the books: that S2 will end with Theon in charge of Winterfell, and Reek taking over and eventually consigning him to the dungeon will make up Theon’s storyline for S3 and 4. And yes, obviously that means they’ll be making this storyline MUCH more elaborate than it was in the books. Among other things, it might be tied into making Theon less hateful than he was in book 2, since show-Theon is already a hell of a lot more sympathetic than he was in book 1. Obviously he still has that business about trying to kill Bran coming up, but I suspect they’ll try to soften the character and try to shift some of the moral responsibility for that off of him.
Either that or we’re going to watch Theon get tortured for two seasons, which seems like a bit much.
PranksterQuote Reply
Prankster, characters have disappeared for entire seasons on HBO shows before: the King of MS in True Blood and Omar in S2 of the Wire are two examples I can think of off the top of my head. I’d argue it’s actually nice to have Theon in a holding pattern in S3-4 because they’ll have more time to focus on other characters. Also, when has this show made certain plot points more elaborate? If anything D&D streamline the hell out of the story (which I appreciate because GRRM is a windbag).
MegQuote Reply
Prankster,
If contracts can be worked out, I think it would be better if Theon does disappear for a while. When we see him in the dungeons, a long time later, he needs to be almost unrecognisable to bring home what has happened to him. I’d like to see him in a dungeon as the final shot of the first episode of series 4 or 5 (depending how things work out), let people spend a week wondering if it was really him they saw.
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
The Kingslayer,
Agreed… I don’t understand it (as a straight woman). BUT, taste differs and all that. I also am completely unattracted to Kit/Jon Snow and he’s obviously very popular on the tumblrz and other lady-friendly locales.
userjQuote Reply
I think they’ll stretch things out a bit. Theon does have internal doubts and pangs of guilt as he’s doing what he’s doing..he could bounce some of that off Wex .. or Kyra ( sexposition )
ObsidianQuote Reply
Alfie Allen has an interesting face. Sometimes I think he’s sexy and sometimes I think the opposite. It’s kind of bizarre.
I don’t know when they changed “Rubenesque” to “curvy” but that is much better. Not that Ros is extremely curvy, but it’s a more accurate description than the former.
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
Meg,
When characters disappear it’s often not planned–it’s simply that they were too busy to come back, or they just didn’t have a part written for them in a certain season, but then the writers decided to make use of them again. When a show’s popular enough, it’s often possible to do this kind of thing–see Puddy on Seinfeld, who went missing for a long stretch before becoming a major character, or Faith on Buffy/Angel. However, it’s worth noting that those are supporting characters, not opening-credits-listed players. I haven’t seen The Wire or True Blood (I know…) so I can’t speak to them, but surely The Wire was an unusually constructed, experimental show in a sense anyway? Game of Thrones does have the advantage of being planned out way in advance, but still, actors have a way of getting restless and demanding they be given more to do. Often this is the right choice, too.
Plus, as I already mentioned, the fact that they’re already straining to include Jaime as much as possible in the next season, and that they already went out of their way to give Theon more screentime in S1 (to the point where he seemed kind of shoehorned in), makes me suspect they’re not going to leave him completely on the sidelines.
As for expanding on plot points, other than giving characters extra scenes in S1, it sounds like Dany and probably Jon have seen their storylines beefed up this season, which makes sense, as they’re both kind of skimpy in the book. Book 1 is really dense from a narrative perspective and relies on maneuvering everything into position, so there wasn’t all that much room to deviate, but later books are looser, and I guarantee you we’ll see stuff starting to deviate quite a bit from the book.
PranksterQuote Reply
The Kingslayer,
he is not ugly,but he isn’t pretty either! There is something kind of wild and rugged about him. He definately has some sex appeal!
This coming from a Jon girl!
I do however wouldn’t mind seeing some more naughty Theon this season!
HildaQuote Reply
Sad admission: I read the entire interview because I was hoping there would be some tidbit about the actress playing Asha/Yara and what her interactions with Theon are like…and nothing. Nothing. And still NOTHING about Asha/Yara. I’m not gettin’ anything until Season 2 actually begins, am I? Not an interview, not a pic…nothing.
Mike JohnsonQuote Reply
guess I have been in a minority but I always thought Alfie was perfect casting as Theon. Can’t wait to see what he does this season.
OT: Showcase in Australia have learned their lesson and are showing S2 only a week and a bit after it airs in the US, on April 10th rather than June like last time. I also found a promo on the Showcase site which as a local promo for the re showing of S1. Correct me if I am wrong but is it narrated by James Cosmo?
http://showtime.com.au/showcase/show/13201/videos/7dc3d84b67632c62322a1839b09acd76
Ser Lemon CakesQuote Reply
I think he’s great and I am very much looking forward to his arc playing out over the course of the show. His first scene on Pyke is one of my most anticipated!
ZackQuote Reply
Meg,
Omar was in season 2. Earlier in the 2nd season, Bunk asked McNulty to chase him up because of a case he was working on last season. He also shot Brother Mouzone in S2!
DaveQuote Reply
More House Sigils on armor and tabards? That’s AAAWRIGHT.
Alfredo Garcia PadillaQuote Reply
Prankster,
Since there were no casting announcements for Reek/Reeds, I thought along the same lines. S 2 will end shortly after Theon takes over WF. They save a substantial amount of budget (which is needed for the Blackwater) because they won’t have to do the burning of WF and the battle between Reek/Roderik. The also save money by not casting Reek and the Reeds yet. With two seasons for SOS, they will have enough time to include the last WF chapters of ACOK. To the arguement that they seem to have casted the miller boys; I think that we will be introduced to them during a sexposition scene featuring Theon and the Millers Wife…
Chris77Quote Reply
Ser Lemon Cakes,
I like the take in the promo: We’re no different than you are!
The clips are a bit spoilery. Though, if you know nothing about the story, you won’t connect the dots and remember what happens since you don’t know the characters yet by the time those events are shown on screen.
Hear Me RoarQuote Reply
Hear Me Roar,
I liked the approach too. Nice that they bothered doing something local for the Australian promotion. I like to think it’s Old Bear talk to ‘us’. I agree it is spoilery first time viewers, but I assume it is really for those re watching.
On other Australian GOT news, looks like a local retailer will be selling the Blu Ray special edition WIC was sent. Shop site here:http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/action-adventure/game-of-thrones-the-complete-first-season-limited-edition-blu-ray/661392
Ser Lemon CakesQuote Reply
I’m still saying they should have cast Lily Allen as Asha and Keith Allen as Balon.
IdaanQuote Reply
Looking at the second picture on the linked article, Alfie looks a bit like a younger Benedict Cumberbatch.
Very much looking forward to his performance later in the story!
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Pink Dragon,
This. He’s maybe not as conventionally attractive as some of the other cast, but he comes off as comfortable with himself. That always goes a long way.
I’m really happy to hear that he’s into the dark stuff. His character is so nuanced and has such a tragic story, and I can’t wait to see his take on it. Honestly, Theon has become one of my favorite characters, because out of everyone in this book, he is the one who’s the least guarded to the reader emotionally and mentally.
I wonder if he’s read ahead and knows what he’s got himself into?
KatieQuote Reply
The Kingslayer,
I prefer Robb Stark however, Theon gets major points for full frontal, even if it’s not “real”. Love that baufin’ scene with him and Roz!
Jen@House StarkQuote Reply
userj,
Sometimes Alfie/Theon looks attractive but other times not at all. Kit/Jon is okay, but I think Richard Madden/Robb Stark is by far the most attractive of the men.
KarenQuote Reply
Pink Dragon,
You’re an unusual guy!
KarenQuote Reply
I’m still haunted by the imagination of a 45-old female Kit Harrington o.o
Thiago SlashQuote Reply
I don’t think Alfie allen is an unattractive guy, but he def doesn’t look that great in some of his pictures; still, on the very first episode of GoT I remember thinking he was cute. Now that I’m reading the books, though, I really don’t think he was a good choice as Theon- looks-wise, I mean. He should be taller, darker, and leaner- not to mention a bit more handsome (with a cocky smile) and I know they changed the ages around a bit for the show, but I still think he should appear older than Robb.. I think now they look about the same age.
I think the actor playing Robb is hotter than both Alfie and Kit =)
SamanthaQuote Reply