Liam Cunningham talks reuniting with Game of Thrones alums on 3 Body Problem

Actor Liam Cunningham found his way into the hearts of audiences everywhere as the kindly Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin. Dependable and wise, Davos could always be counted upon to offer sound advice, keeping leaders like Stannis Baratheon and Jon Snow grounded as they navigated the chaos of Seven Kingdoms at war.

Like many Game of Thrones cast members, Cunningham parleyed his role on that show into many new career opportunties. Next up, he's reuniting with Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss on their new show, a Netflix sci-fi series called 3 Body Problem, based on the book series by Liu Cixin. But don't expect his new character, a government operative named Thomas Wade, to remind you of Davos. Thomas is a much harsher, more uncompromising character, and Cunningham worries that seeing him in the role might "shatter the illusion" that he only plays good guys. "I won't be able to dine out on this guy, I don't think," he said on The Rich Eisen Show. "He's nothing like the character I played in Game of Thrones."

But Cunningham was happy to take on the role, because he trusts Benioff and Weiss to make a great series. In fact, when Benioff and Weiss called him, he was in discussions to do "another big show," but he pulled out of that without even learning what part he would be playing in 3 Body Problem. "That's the amount of faith I have in them," he said.

"These guys are buggers for punishment...What George R.R. Martin wrote was an unfilmable series of books...They didn't make it easy for themselves, and then they went onto [3 Body Problem], which deals with quantum entanglement, theoretical physics, and a story that starts in the mid-60s of the last century and goes into the end of time. You couldn't exactly say they're resting on their laurels."

It's true: the Three-Body Problem books are dense and full of scientific detail. It's an ambitious undertaking to adapt them to the screen. We'll see if Benioff and Weiss pull it off when the first season of 3 Body Problem drops on Netflix next Thursday, April 21.

Liam Cunningham wants to join the Jon Snow sequel show: "Better call Davos"

Cunningham is rock solid in 3 Body Problem, but many people still remember him as Davos Seaworth. Is there a chance he could ever come back in that role? After all, we've heard about HBO developing a Jon Snow sequel series with Kit Harington back in the lead role...

Admittedly, the Jon Snow is just an idea that may well go nowhere, something Cunningham readily admits. "They haven't laid it to rest," he said. "And there was some talk of Kit Harington taking over. It may be stuck in what they call in Hollywood development hell. So I don't know whether that's going to happen."

"I thought it was a great idea. Let's take off exactly the moment when we left Game of Thrones and see where his life goes from there. Great concept, I think. And I did send a text when I heard about the Snow thing to Kit Harington: 'Better call Davos.' He never replied."

If a Jon Snow show does happen, I'd love to see Davos back by Jon's side. And it sounds like Cunningham would have fun working with Harington again. He tells a cute story about a time when he and Harington took a few laps in a Formula One racing car, with the difference between them being that Harington was well rested and Cunningham had stayed out too late drinking. "We did three laps in the car, and when we got out of the car his hair bounced into this beauty. And when I got out of the car I was literally almost getting sick in my mouth, because I was severely hung over."

Who wouldn't want to see that dynamic duo back together? In the meantime, 3 Body Problem drops next week.

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