Game of Thrones alum John Bradley on how he and his 3 Body Problem character are alike

Game of Thrones fans will always remember actor John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, the clever member of the Night's Watch who became Jon Snow's right-hand man over the course of eight seasons. That includes Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who recruited Bradley to be a part of their new show 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past.

In 3 Body Problem, Bradley plays Jack Rooney, a snack food magnate who roasts his academically-minded friends for not using their scientific skills to strike it rich like him. Jack has a decent heart, but he's often brash, arrogant and borderline rude, which is a little odd considering that Benioff and Weiss pitched the role to Bradley as an opportunity to play someone who matches his real-life personality. “They said, ‘It’s as close to yourself as any character you’ll ever play,’” Bradley told Variety. “It’s kind of a daunting prospect. It’s a bit like you’re going to see yourself drawn by one of those caricature artists on the street. I’m going to find out what these highly perceptive, very bright people think I am as a person.”

For the record, Bradley wasn't offended by the comparison between himself and Rooney, but found it “very flattering.” I mean, Rooney has lots of good qualities, too. “He’s the character that mostly plows his own furrow. A little bit like me, he’s come from a working-class background, and he’s over-achieved in life. As a result, he’s determined to look everybody in the eye and not do what he’s told.”

"We cut people down if we suspect they’re starting to believe in their own bullshit. Jack is the side of myself that I’d like to be all the time. I do worry if I’ve said the wrong thing. Jack doesn’t mind the consequences of what he says if he believes it to be true. It was very freeing, actually."

Beware SPOILERS for 3 Body Problem below!

Jack was one of my favorite characters from 3 Body Problem, which is why I was upset when he unexpectedly died in the third episode. Still, the show itself got on a good roll following his demise, climaxing in a series of sci-fi mind-blowers that left me eager to see more.

We don't yet know if Netflix is going to renew the show for a second season (there are two more books yet to adapt), but we do know that it held steady as the most-watched TV show in the United States for two straight weeks after it dropped on March 21, and I've seen pop up in the top 10 much more recently. We're all holding out hope for the best.

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