Curtain Call: Clive Russell
“People have been calling me “Blackfish” for so long they don’t remember my real name.” —Brynden “Blackfish” Tully
Clive Russell first appeared on Game of Thrones as Brynden “Blackfish” Tully in Season 3, Episode 3, “Walk of Punishment,” when Lady Catelyn Stark and her son Robb—the King in the North—arrived at Riverrun for the funeral of Catelyn’s father, Hoster Tully.
As Hoster’s younger brother, Brynden was expected to help House Tully form alliances by marrying someone suitable, but he refused all offers, which led to constant arguing with his older brother. It got so bad, in fact, that Lord Hoster called Brynden the black goat of House Tully. Rather than take offense to this, Brynden embraced his new role and changed “goat” to “fish” (the sigil of House Tully), took for his personal sigil a black and silver trout (as opposed to the red and blue of House Tully), and thus the Blackfish was born.
As the Blackfish, Clive Russell brought a perfect mix of curmudgeonly old man and fierce warrior, the kind who would hold Riverrun against Jaime Lannister and his army even though it was hopeless.
Russell recently talked about the survivor’s guilt his character felt after the massacre at the Red Wedding, something he avoided by accident.
"One of the other elements is that sense of survivor’s guilt, and I think Blackfish regretted running. He mentions, “I’m not going to run again.” He’s a soldier. Normally you stand and fight. Even though you look like you’re going to die, you stand and fight, and he didn’t."
And he was true to his word: when offered the chance to flee Riverrun with Brienne and Pod, the Blackfish decided to stay and fight. “I’ve run before, in the Red Wedding. I’m not running again. This is my family home.”
The actor also talked about the respect the Blackfish had for Brienne, and about the experience of working with her
"I’m probably about 6’6″ tall. I think she’s about 6’3″, but all the time I worked with her, I felt like she was taller than me. Now I don’t really know what that has to do with it. It might be something to do with being confronted by a physically charismatic very tall woman, or maybe it’s that she’s caught the impressiveness of the character of that woman, that soldier."
Next, he’ll be starring in a film titled Running on Glass, which is currently in pre-production.
Clive Russell may have not spent much time on screen in Game of Thrones, but when he did appear, his impact was felt. We’re glad he was able to return to the show to wrap-up the Blackfish’s story-arc…it’s just a shame we won’t get to see Edmure spectacularly fail at lighting his uncle’s funeral boat on fire with a flaming arrow.
Rest in peace, Brynden “Blackfish” Tully.