Pilou Asbæk talks being cast as Euron Greyjoy
At long last, Game of Thrones Season 6 will be the year when we finally get to see what is happening on the much-maligned Iron Islands. The last time we saw anything related to the Ironborn (not counting Theon as Reek) was when Yara attacked Ramsay at House Bolton’s seat of power, the Dreadfort, in Season 4. Somehow, with only a few men and some barking dogs to fend off the legendary Ironborn reavers, Ser Ramsay the Shirtless of House Twentygoodmen was able to thwart Yara’s plans to rescue her brother.
But that’s all about to change, as multiple reports show that the Iron Islands and their inhabitants will figure prominently in Season 6. One of the biggest Ironborn-related announcements was that actor Pilou Asbæk would play Euron Greyjoy, the younger and crazier brother to current Ironborn leader Balon Greyjoy. The Borgen star sat down with Danish website Soundvenue and discussed getting the call to play Euron, and how that particular bit of news was leaked.
Unfortunately, Asbæk couldn’t reveal too many specifics about Season 6 due to some contracts he’s signed (I’m assuming the usual NDA)—he didn’t even give a straight answer when Soundvenue asked him if it was his role as Pontius Pilate in the upcoming Ben-Hur that lead to him getting offered a role on Game of Thrones. However, he did reveal that he had coffee with Game of Thrones executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who are fans of Borgen, and said that they were “f@*king cool guys.” According to Asbæk, the Game of Thrones showrunners did not resemble what most people picture when they think of Hollywood insiders—he called them, and himself, passionate film nerds.
The actor wouldn’t divulge how many scenes he is in during Season 6, but did say that the reason his involvement with Game of Thrones had to be officially announced was because fans were taking photos and heard the scene where his character’s name is chanted at the Ironborn’s Kingsmoot. Also, he discussed how David and Dan have actors audition with original scenes that aren’t actually on the show, just so the ones who aren’t selected don’t leak anything. Clever move, David and Dan.
You can read the entire article at Soundvenue, but be warned, if you do not speak the native language, then you’ll need to break out the good ole Google Translate.
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