Game of Thrones Season 6: Wyman Manderly Dream Casting

Lord Wyman Manderly has long been a fan favorite from the Song of Ice and Fire books. Unfortunately, when the casting notices for Season 6 began to surface, no one matching Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse’s description made the lists,  and all hope seemed lost. Well, now it looks like Game of Thrones is giving us a version of Wyman Manderly, and I am absolutely ecstatic. Here’s the new casting description:

"“Fletcher”: He is a fat nobleman in his 60’s. He has distinctive rugged features, a Northern accent, and a distinguished air. Our source says he has a stirring speech during which he unexpectedly shifts political allegiances. The actor is only expected to shoot for one day…on December 16th, in Northern Ireland."

Assuming this is in fact a description for Wyman Manderly (which seems very likely, given the physical description and the bit about switching allegiances), it’s time to consider who would be the perfect actor to fill the Lord of White Harbor’s very large shoes. HBO has a lot of options, and in true Game of Thrones fashion, the show may go with a relative unknown, especially if he is only needed for one day of filming. However, casting a well-known actor in the role could lend weight (pardon the terribly unintentional pun) to a potentially emotional and explosive scene.

If the part about a “stirring speech” is any indication, Manderly’s big moment may be his delivery the “The North Remembers” speech from A Dance with Dragons. Let’s take a look at that speech, first. I prefer this narrated version.

Or, the stirring speech could refer to a crack Manderly makes about the Frey family while dining with the Freys and the Bolton’s in Winterfell’s great hall. He makes the crack after one of the Frey boys is found dead in Winterfell, and his body is brought before Roose and Ramsay Bolton.

"“My lord,” boomed Hosteen Frey. “We know the man who did this. Killed this boy and all the rest. Not by his own hand, no. He is too fat and craven to do his own killing. But by his word.” He turned to Wyman Manderly. “Do you deny it?” The Lord of White Harbor bit a sausage in half. “I confess …” He wiped the grease from his lips with his sleeve. “… I confess that I know little of this poor boy. Lord Ramsay’s squire, was he not? How old was the lad?” “Nine, on his last nameday.” “So young,” said Wyman Manderly. “Though mayhaps this was a blessing. Had he lived, he would have grown up to be a Frey.”"

That insult definitely drew a line in the sand, and makes Roose Bolton realize that his hold on the North is tenuous at best.

So who would be the perfect actor to deliver these lines while looking the part of such an iconic character?

First up: Brendan Gleeson. This actor is well-known and has appeared in many blockbuster films that fall into that Game of Thrones wheelhouse, such as Kingdom of Heaven and Braveheart.

Next, Harry Potter star Robbie Coltrane. As Hagrid, Mr. Coltrane definitely got used to playing the role of the larger man, and he is actually quite big in real life.

Our next potential Wyman Manderly is the actor who portrayed Illyrio Mopatis in the original pilot for Game of Thrones: Ian McNeice. McNeice’s classic acting chops could work in his favor when delivering something like The North Remembers speech. He’s also an HBO alum, having played the role of the Newsreader in Rome.

How about classically trained, larger-than-life actor Brian Blessed?

And finally, we have Michael Culkin, who portrays Horace Treneglos on the BBC’s Poldark.

Any of these actors would be great in the role of Wyman Manderly, but the real question is: would HBO be willing to go with such a big name? I think it’s possible, as we’ve already seen screen legend Max von Sydow cast this season as the Three-Eyed Raven, and former Deadwood actor Ian McShane cast in an as-yet-unspecified role. What do you think? Who would you like to see in the role of Wyman Manderly?