Pilou Asbæk: I wish Euron Greyjoy had been introduced to Game of Thrones earlier

Pilou Asbæk was a late addition to the Game of Thrones cast, coming on board in season 6 as the megalomaniacal sheep of the Greyjoy family, Euron Greyjoy. Since then, he’s killed his brother Balon, claimed kingship over the Iron Islands, allied himself with Cersei Lannister, kidnapped his niece Yara, and is currently ferrying the Golden Company across the Narrow Sea.

For a latecomer to the show, Euron has left his mark on Westeros. Speaking to Thrillist about the final season of the show, Asbæk seemed to agree:

"I can say one thing. When I read all the scripts, I was blown away. I’m so happy and I’m so thankful. I’m so proud I got to be a part of something as big as Game of Thrones, and I think in so many ways, it will forever change my life. Even though I have a small role, but nevertheless a significant one. And hopefully in Season 8, I’ll do enough monkey business to make an impact. He’s a funny character. I honestly wish I had been able to come in earlier, and develop him much, much more than I was able to."

I would have been interested to see what Asbæk could have done with more time as Euron, but I also appreciate the simple shot in the arm he gives the story. Full disclosure: although we get a lot more time Euron in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, I think George R.R. Martin tries a bit too hard to make him a super spooky edgelord; I sometimes find myself rolling my eyes when I read about him. He’s simpler on the show, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I look forward to seeing him get his comeuppance in season 8.

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But that won’t be for a while. In the nearer future, you can see Asbæk on the big screen in Overlord, where he plays the Nazi zombie Wafner. “The thing is, when we talked about Euron Greyjoy, I think I told you, ‘I don’t know if he wants to fuck you or kill you.’ But Wafner? This guy, he will definitely fuck you, and he will hurt you, but he will not kill you. Because it’s a different way of controlling people.”

Asbæk, who hails from Denmark, plays a lot of villains. Talking to Thrillist, he theorizes that it’s because of his accent. “If you have an accent, you’re always cast as the villain. That’s like an American Hollywood rule.” I don’t disagree with that, but reading the whole interview, I wonder if it’s not because Asbæk seems just a shade to the side of freaking nuts. He describes spooking a bunch of senior citizens at a restaurant in L.A., sniffing his costars underwear during a particularly impassioned take, and getting into his zombie prosthetic. “I was so covered in silicone, I was almost like a dildo. [Laughs]”

I’m not complaining, by way; Asbæk seems like the kind of guy who probably should be playing villains, and who should be playing Euron Greyjoy. On TV, Euron may not be a particularly deep character, but the casting department, as ever, is spot on.

Overlord is out in theaters now. Game of Thrones season 8 hits the airwaves next spring.

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