Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) discusses the infamous petition for HBO to remake the last season of Game of Thrones. “I thought was hilarious.”
A little over a year ago, Game of Thrones concluded its run to mixed reviews. Some fans were so upset with the ending that they signed a petition asking HBO to remake the final season with “competent writers.” It currently has nearly 2 million signatures.
With those kinds of numbers, even the cast members heard about the petition. Sophie Turner (Sansa) called it “disrespectful,” but Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) saw it a different way.
“I was aware of the petition for a new ending, which I thought was hilarious,” he recently told Variety. “I almost wanted to donate to that petition. HBO saying, ‘You’re right, so many people want it, we’re going to do it.'”
"I think everyone had their own opinion. I find the world of fandom really interesting. Everyone wanted something specific and different from what they got. It’s a combination of — you imagine an ending; but also, I think if you’re a hardcore fan, it was really upsetting that it ended. You lived with this for eight seasons. There is still a massive community dedicated to Game of Thrones. I think there was a real fear that was going to go away. It had to end."
I can’t speak for others, but personally I was glad the show came to an end, as opposed to sticking around for longer than it should. I kind of doubt many of the fans decrying the ending were upset by the mere fact that there was an ending.
In any case, Variety asked Coster-Waldau if he would change anything about the ending if he got a chance to redo it. “No, it was fine. It was great. It was fine. How do you end that story? Let’s talk about this in 10 years, then you can talk about it. But now, I think it’s a little too recent.”
Again, I don’t know if time will change some of the things fans were mad about, but getting some distance couldn’t hurt.
Whatever the reaction to the ending, Coster-Waldau remains grateful for the show’s impact on his career; thanks to his increased notoriety, he’s now able to produce films of his own. “It has given us a little bit of momentum when it came to those things. There’s just something basic and fun about creating something yourself. I’ve also been acting for 30 years now and I love it. I like to use that experience and step behind the camera more and more. I guess, to answer your question, being in the biggest show at the time doesn’t hurt that kind of endeavor.”
Being part of the planet’s biggest TV show will do that. Here’s to hoping for 30 more years of acting from Coster-Waldau. And you can now see him in his new movie The Silencing, available on demand.
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