Gwendoline Christie (Brienne) honors Game of Thrones bear actor

During her time on Game of Thrones, Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) fought against many foes, including humans, White Walkers and even a bear. Sadly, earlier this month we learned that the bear she fought, Bart the Bear II, sadly passed away at the age of 21. During the weekend Christie shared her condolences for the loss of her co-star, with whom she has plenty of fond memories.

“Rest in peace, dear BART THE BEAR II. 2000 – 2021,” she wrote on her Instagram page. “The greatest co-star I ever had.”

"Own trailer on set, Country and Western music playing at all times to calm him, and applause every time he stepped on stage with whipped cream in a frying pan – I loved every second of working with you!!"

Christie makes Bart sound like the perfect colleague. He will be sorely missed.

Brienne’s bout with the bear came in season 3 when Locke threw Brienne into an arena before a large crowd to watch her take on a grizzly with nothing but a wooden sword. When it looks to be over for her, Jamie Lannister jumps in like a hero to ensure her survival.

Of course, Game of Thrones wasn’t the only project Bart had credits in. Turns out he was a pretty established bear actor, with appearances in An Unfinished Life, Into the Wild, Evan Almighty, We Bought a Zoo and more.

Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane) shares his inspirational story

For anyone aspiring to dive into a new job, be it acting, dancing, writing, or whatever it is — Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju shares his inspirational story to encourage you to take the leap. Working with Bauhaus Sverige and Avicii Arena to raise awareness for adolescent mental health, Huvju took a moment to remember the struggles he encountered at the beginning of his career.

Hivju says that he wanted to become an actor from around eighteen and nineteen years old, “but no one wanted me, to be frank.” However, that didn’t stop him from chasing his goals:

"And that feeling can easily get you down and you can start doubting yourself. Then I sat down with a friend and we decided that, why should others decide if we should share something or not? We rented a venue and found a play we liked and did it ourselves. We wrote it ourselves, built the stage ourselves, financed it ourselves. And were we scared? Yes. But we did it anyway."

Taking matters into his own hands became something of a learning experience for Hivju. “Then I realized: This is something that only exists because we decided to do it ourselves,” he said. “So my way of thinking is; if you want something done? Just do it.If you want to write, dance, regardless of what it is, if you feel it’s something you want to do, just do it. And that will be so rewarding.”

For Hivju, the huge roles just keep on coming. He’ll soon appear as Nivellen in the upcoming second season of Netflix’s The Witcher.

Carice van Houten returns for Temple season 2

Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre in Game of Thrones, is returning as Anna Willems for the second season of Temple, now streaming on Sky Max and NOW. The series centers around an illegal clinic that’s set up underneath the Temple tube station, where a surgeon treats criminals to raise funds to treat his ill wife.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, van Houten teased what we can expect from Anna in the new season. “We get more of their back story, it all becomes a bit darker and grittier,” she said. “She’s a really ambitious woman who’s now single and fully focused on fighting for her worth. But her chances aren’t great.”

Emilia Clarke throws a birthday party for her dog!

Let’s end on a happy note: Emilia Clarke, the Mother of Dogs, celebrated her canine companion’s birthday last week. Her puppy, named Teddy, turned two years old, and Clarke gave him a party fit for a king, complete with a homemade dog cake, a little crown, and a new toy.

Take a look at her pictures below. Warning: They’re adorable.

I think I speak for us all when I say: Happy birthday, Teddy!

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