Game of Thrones alum compares series to working on Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone is one of many big fantasy shows aiming to capture some of that Game of Thrones magic. An actor who worked on both compares them.

Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series premieres this week! The show, an adaptation of author Leigh Bardugo’s YA fantasy series, is one of many series made in the wake of HBO’s Game of Thrones, when networks are eager to find the next big fantasy hit. This one is set in a world inspired by Russian history, and involves a group of magically people known as Grisha.

“They are different,” said Danielle Galligan, who’s worked on both shows. “Shadow and Bone is set in a world inspired by Tsarist Russia. That’s not something we’ve seen in fantasy before. That’s going to be really exciting.”

Galligan talked to the Irish Examiner about her experiences on Game of Thrones, where she had a small role as a Winterfell resident in the final season; and on Shadow and Bone, where she plays a Grisha named Nina Zenik. “There’s no substitute for the first time you step onto a set that size,” she said. “That is something I was totally blinded-sided by. And with Game of Thrones, I was only there for a week and on camera for 24 hours. With Shadow and Bone, it was something I found similar. You are turning around in Budapest and there are 30 people there.”

"I remember thinking ‘oh God everyone’s looking at you’. But I realised I was one small part of this massive chain. The last little cog to slip in, in a way. Understanding that takes the pressure off. It’s a massive collaboration between all these people."

Before Shadow and Bone, Galligan hadn’t read much fantasy, but since her role in Shadow and Bone is bigger than her role in Game of Thrones, she took the plunge. “Reading Six of Crows has been my first foray into fantasy. And since then I am addicted.”

Netflix’s Shadow and Bone show will adapt both Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, which have different groups of characters. It’ll be interesting to see how the series knits them together.

As for whether Shadow and Bone can be the Game of Thrones successor Netflix is hoping for, we’ll see for ourselves this Friday, April 23.

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