Conleth Hill (Varys) discusses his early days on Game of Thrones: “I had no idea”

While the frenzy surrounding filming on Game of Thrones season 7 is dying down, the cast is keeping themselves busy with other projects. After all, lords, ladies, squires, and kings in the North gotta eat in the off-season, too.

Although the butt of many a teleportation joke since his jump between Meereen and Dorne and back again in season 6, veteran actor Conleth Hill (Varys) isn’t tinkering around in the TARDIS. Rather, Hill is hitting the interview circuit to promote the newest stage adaptation of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, where he plays George opposite Imelda Staunton as Martha. In a recent interview with What’s On Stage, the conversation inevitably turned towards Game of Thrones. All roads lead to Westeros eventually.

At least it’s a happy topic, particularly as regards scheduling.

"I suppose earlier in my career I wouldn’t have been able to do film and TV as much because I would have been in a play for so long. I did a lot of long runs when I was younger. But with Game of Thrones we do six months a year at the most. So when you’re not working on it you get to do something else. It’s a bit like being semi-retired.I suppose Game of Thrones has given me financial independence. But it’s never been about the money for me. I always did things I really wanted to do."

Initially, though, Hill wasn’t too keen on working on Thrones. When asked if he could have anticipated the show’s success, Hill admitted that “cultural phenomenon” wasn’t among his expectations for the series.

"I had no idea. I think there’s only 15 of us who have survived so far too. I resisted doing it for a long time too. I kept thinking: ‘I’m not interested in that kind of thing.’ And I think some people think that about watching it too. But that’s fine, because we have enough people watching it without them. The writing is exquisite, the production values are second to none. I am proud to be part of it. It’s the best job in the world. I’ve always said that."

The narrative on Game of Thrones is incredibly detailed, so it makes sense that Hill may have been hesitant to jump in. If it’s a commitment for us, imagine what it’s like for the actors.

Hill’s final comment on Thrones involves his costar Peter Dinklage (Peter Dinklage). “He’s a wonderful human being and a fantastic actor and a great friend,” Hill said, confirming what we all suspected.

You can catch Hill in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London from March 9–May 27. Otherwise, we all look forward to seeing him back on our TV screens as the Master of Whisperers this summer.