Curtain Call: Pilou Asbæk

Euron Greyoy died as he lived: bloodied, grinning, and creeping everyone out a little. He was killed by Jaime Lannister on a beach outside the Red Keep, although in his final moments he took solace in the fact that he also dealt the Kingslayer a mortal blow. “I’m the man who killed Jaime Lannister,” he said, smiling, as the light went out of his eyes.

So Euron was pretty pleased with himself, which describes what he was like most of the time. At first, the show didn’t know quite what to do with the character. His introduction towards the start of season 6 is memorable, as he confronts his brother Balon on a swaying rope bridge and tosses him into the ocean, hoping to supplant him as King of the Iron Islands. That particular scene is rooted in George R.R. Martin’s novels, with Euron intoning ominous lines about being the storm and the Drowned God. But Euron had less presence at his Kingsmoot scene a couple episodes later.

By the start of season 7, the show seemed to have figured things out: Euron was a swaggering, arrogant megalomaniac who was crazy enough to take big swings, like aligning himself with the dangerous Cersei Lannister and trying to become king, or taking on a dragon. A lot of his character came down to actor Pilou Asbæk, who throughout his short time on the show distinguished himself with a wild-eyed manic energy that contrasted well with the buttoned-down Cersei. Euron may not have been a particularly deep character, but Asbæk brought a maniacal joy to him that definitely made him watchable.

Apart from the bridge scene, Euron’s best bit was probably his attack on his niece’s fleet in season 7’s “Stormborn,” where Asbæk really got to thrash and wail and chew up the scenery. Game of Thrones has a lot of complex characters, so why not make a bit of room for a single-minded psychopath?

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As for Asbæk, his star is on the rise. Since joining the cast of Game of Thrones in 2016, he’s starred alongside Scarlett Johansson in the big-budget Ghost in the Shell and played the villain in the J.J. Abrams-produced World War II monster movie Overlord. You’ll next be able to see him on the big screen in the horror film Run Sweetheart Run, because why not do what you’re good at?

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