How did Game of Thrones cast members do in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
The opening weekend of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has come and gone, and the film is shattering all sorts of box-office records. If you haven’t yet seen it, then…what’s wrong with you? No, seriously…what the kriffing heck is wrong with you? Besides being one of the most awesome movies to hit the big-screen in 10 years, there’s one great reason for Game of Thrones fans to go see the film, and that’s the plethora of Game of Thrones actors filling roles in The Force Awakens.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS FOLLOW
First and foremost, we had our favorite Maid of Tarth, Gwendoline Christie, starring in the role of the chromed-out First Order Stormtrooper Captain Phasma. While she may not have had the impact that I and other fans expected, I personally think we haven’t seen the last of Phasma.
Next, we have Jessica Henwick (Sandsnake Nymeria Sand). She played an X-Wing pilot named Jessika Pava, AKA Jess Testor. Jessika helped Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) destroy the First Order’s Starkiller base, and unlike many of the nameless X-Wing pilots, she actually has a backstory, as detailed in a short story as part of Disney’s Journey to the Force Awakens—The Weapon of a Jedi.
Here we have newcomer to the Game of Thrones series, legendary screen-actor Max von Sydow. He portrayed a man by the name of Lor San Tekka, an old man who met with Poe Dameron in the beginning of The Force Awakens and gave him a piece of a map that revealed the location of exiled Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Lor San Tekka was the leader of the Church of the Force, a religious sect that followed the teachings of the Jedi, after Emperor Palpatine executed Order 66 and caused the Great Jedi Purge. He was not Force sensitive, and was executed by villain Kylo Ren.
Although he was only briefly seen, actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones) was in The Force Awakens as a First Order Officer. His role was brief, but he did help destroy an entire star system…way to go Jojen…jerk.
Next: Miltos Yerolemou, who played Syrio Forel, Arya’s much-missed Water Dancing teacher. For months leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we wrongly thought thatYerolemou would be portraying a character named Constable Zuvio. However, when the credits rolled, his credit in Episode VII was as…Bar Patron. The above shot is of the riff-raff at Maz Kanata’s castle, and if Yerolemou is included, he’d be in some heavy prosthetics and makeup.
Finally, a surprise…Mark Stanley, aka Grenn the Night’s Watchman, showed up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as a Knight of Ren, although we don’t know which one of these ominous characters pictured above is actually him. The Knights of Ren are a group led by Supreme Leader Snoke and their master, Kylo Ren. They were responsible for the slaughter of Luke Skywalker’s new Jedi Order, and the reason Luke went into exile.
So there you have it: it would appear as if J.J. Abrams (Director of The Force Awakens) is a fan of Game of Thrones, based on the number of cast members who cropped up. Hopefully we will see more of Gwendoline Christie in Episode VIII, assuming her character survived her close encounter with a trash chute toward the end of the movie…and perhaps Jessica Henwick will be leading Blue Squadron on some daring missions. For more Star Wars news and information, check out our pals at Dork Side of the Force.