In this day and age of global franchises and global celebrity, it’s no longer enough to have a major starring role in one franchise. The ones who have really made it land two. Ask Gwendoline Christie (GoT plus Star Wars), Natalie Dormer (GoT plus The Hunger Games), Maisie Williams (GoT plus Doctor Who), and Sophie Turner (GoT plus X-Men). When you can cross from one franchise to another, your popularity increases exponentially.
And what fandom rivals the popularity of Game of Thrones more than Harry Potter? Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies, clearly thinks that this is the best crossover one could possibly hope for, and he knows he’s just the actor to make the leap. It’s not enough that he stars with Jerome Flynn (Bronn) in BBC America’s Ripper Street. He wants a role on the biggest television show on the planet.
According to an interview with Yahoo TV, Lewis was even bold enough to lobby for a role of Thrones when he found himself working with Emilia Clarke.
"I just worked with Emilia Clarke, she was like, ‘They’re going to be doing some new casting.’ I was like, ‘Right, well, why don’t you tell them I’m free and I can come and do it.’ I’ve seen a bit of the first season and a bit of the second, and I’ve read all the books, so I’m a big fan of the story. I’d definitely jump at a chance to be involved in that. I’d get to do my own accent, which is always nice, and it’s fun. I know a few people on it and it sounds like the most amazing fun—swords, shields, riding on horseback. What an era to throw yourself into!"
Interesting that he asked Clarke, when he’s already working day in and day out with Flynn. Wouldn’t asking your immediate co-worker be a more effective strategy? Or did he already try Flynn once, and get told to FOOK OFF? Or better yet, find himself regaled with a few verses from “The Dornishman’s Wife“?
Clearly, he’s still trying to butter Flynn up, considering what he said when asked who his favorite character was. “My favourite character actually was Bronn when I read the books. I said that to Jerome when we first started shooting , ‘Before we start, Ripper Street’s great, mate, but the way you play Bronn is absolutely identical to how I imagined it.’ “
Maybe if Lewis consents to pay double, Flynn’ll think about it.