Game of Thrones stunt coordinator breaks down the show’s biggest battles

Game of Thrones is known for its epic stunts and action sequences, many of them put together by coordinator Rowley Irlam, who joined the show in season 5. Irlam’s first real proving ground was the spectacular “Hardhome,” where Lord Commander Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane lead an expedition to rescue thousands of wildlings holed up in a village beyond the Wall, only to encounter the dead.

However, it was with the following episode, “The Dance of Dragons,” where Irlam really recalls making an impact. “I remember in the VFX previews, they had the dragon torching one guy, then he turns the other way and he torches two guys, and then another two guys,” Irlam told The Hollywood Reporter. “They asked me what I thought, and I said, ‘I think you should try and torch four guys, then six, then another six and then two more.’ I looked at everyone around the table thinking they must have thought I was coming on a little strong — but very quickly, we got the nod.”

That scene in Daznak’s pit, where Drogon comes to rescue Daenerys, is among my top five moments of the show. Irlam had definitely made his mark on Game of Thrones, but he was about to be tested further in season 6, with the Battle of the Bastards. “You hope that in the middle of your career, you haven’t done your finest work,” said Irlam. “But the reality of the situation is, if I get through the whole of my career and the best thing I ever did was ‘Battle of the Bastards,’ then I’ll settle for that.”

Irlam, who has a background in stunts involving horses, was tasked with making sure the battle between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton was a completely safe affair for man and animal alike.

"Your suspension of disbelief is key to all of it. We’re trying to make something look as energetic and as dynamic as possible, but we’re also trying to keep everybody safe. Collateral damage is not acceptable to us. We want everyone to go home and come back the next day."

Irlam also worked on “The Long Night,” when the army of the dead attacked Winterfell. Then, only two episodes later in “The Bells,” he delivered a battle with a completely different feel as Daenerys Targaryen torches King’s Landing. “We wanted to show the horror of war,” he said. “We wanted to make it unpleasant. We didn’t want it to feel like entertainment, particularly. We tried to think of the most nasty images we could possibly conjure up and put them onscreen: an amputee with his legs dripping blood, children burning. … It wasn’t trying to be gratuitous. We’re trying to show what people can do to other people.”

Mission accomplished. And as far as Dany’s heel turn goes, Irlam says that “not everyone can live happily ever after.”

"Even the people who survive Game of Thrones are heartbroken. That’s the whole point: It’s a nuclear war. No one wins. In war, everyone involved loses. That’s what our take was on it."

Irlam earned a fourth Emmy for his work on the final season of Thrones. His next adventure will involve working with Joss Whedon on another HBO show, The Nevers. “It’s a different animal entirely,” Irlam said. “It’s a completely different genre, different period … it’s refreshing to not do something medieval for a change.”

The Nevers production is speeding along. If Irlam is involved, it’s just one more reason to look forward to it.

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