Emmy-winner Peter Dinklage contemplates the end of Game of Thrones, next steps

Peter Dinklage and Game of Thrones were the king of the castle last night at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, but in many many ways, it was a bittersweet experience. Amid the accolades, Dinklage and his castmates couldn’t escape the pending sense that, even with the final season still to air in 2019, the show is ending.

At the post-show press briefing, Dinklage was asked how he felt about wrapping on the series. “I had my last day on set back in July of this year, just a little over two months ago,” he replied. “It was very sad. This is not only a great TV show to be a part of but it was an enormous family to be a part of.” He also bid a fond farewell to Northern Ireland, where much of the show was shot.

"Many times, I had to stay there, and I would leave to go home to New York on weekends, so I really developed deep roots in the community of Ireland and some of the other countries we shot in. So it was definitely hard to say goodbye because I wasn’t just saying goodbye to the show, I was saying goodbye to a life over there."

Game of Thrones was the most nominated show of the night. It ended up with a grand total of nine wins, including one for Outstanding Drama Series, while Dinklage collected the golden statue for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.

So how does Dinklage top his time on Throne-s? “You just keep searching,” he said. “Hoping that the next writer you come across is equally as talented as David Benioff and Dan Weiss.”

But he doesn’t have to search just yet if he doesn’t want to; Game of Thrones will give his profile one last bump fans when the final six episodes air. “We’re not done with Westeros yet,” George R.R. Martin said on the red carpet, “we have plenty of story to tell.”

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Finally, an Emmy factoid: the gorgeous golden statuette was designed by Louis McManus, who used his wife to model for the female figure. The statuette’s wings represent the muse of art while the atom represents the atom of science, acknowledging the fusion of both in the medium of television. And now you know.