Astonishing Truth About Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Time on Game of Thrones Will Change How You Look At Jamie Lannister
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared success of the show overshadowed his other projects.
- The actor mentioned he wished he knew where his character was going after season 3.
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is not very keen on doing a superhero movie.
HBO’s most popular and successful fantasy drama show Game of Thrones, created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, starred Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, and more. Based on George R. R. Martin’s novel A Song of Ice and Fire, GOT managed to attract a record-breaking viewership for HBO.
The series concluded after eight seasons and remains one of the most beloved shows. Prequel House of the Dragon has received a similar reception but nothing compared to Game of Thrones. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared his experience of being such an intricate part of the show.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shared the success of Game of Thrones made other successes pale
On Game of Thrones, Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau played Ser Jamie Lannister, receiving high praise for his performance. Without a doubt, Jamie Lannister had one of the most compelling character arcs on the show. But Coster-Waldau does not like when he is only remembered for his work on GOT.
In an interview with Independent.co.uk., he shared,
Over those eight seasons, I did two films every year more or less. But, the success of the show, which is so enormous, makes however big those other successes pale in comparison. I worked more weeks on other shows than GOT. In my world, those other jobs took up much more space than Jamie Lannister did.
The actor also shared his opinion on what he feels about fans being divided when it comes to the finale season. He said a lot of people do not like their favorite show coming to an end. He also mentioned that the cast feels grateful that none of them have faced the wrath of ‘cancel culture’ and added,
If someone says, ‘I’m sorry for that thing I said 10 years ago; I meant it as a joke, and I don’t mean that anymore.’ I hope people can say, ‘Well, fair enough’. I guess I said things when I was 20 that I don’t mean now.
In his interview with Variety, the actor was asked about his journey on the show, which he described as ‘eventful’. He added that he had to adapt and, in many ways, rediscover his identity. Coster-Waldau was asked about the best and worst thing about working on the show, to which he said,
I think working with an amazing group of people, especially on an experience as strange as this, is the best, and I will miss seeing all of these people. As an actor, I’ve never worked on anything this long. Families have formed on this show. People have gotten married and divorced. Kids have been born. It’s been quite something.
Talking about the worst thing, he mentioned not knowing where his character was going after season 3. He explained that they got off the books and the writers had to carve their way, so they decided not to tell anyone at all.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on the Legacy of Game of Thrones
The actor’s character initially appeared to be immoral and deceitful but later proved to be complex, honorable, and sympathetic. Ser Jamie Lannister soon became one of the beloved characters on the show, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was lauded for an apt portrayal on-screen.
The character was killed in the finale season of on the show; side-by-side his twin sister and romantic partner Cersei Lannister, played by actress Lena Headey. During his conversation with Variety, he was asked about the legacy of the show. Waldau added,
I hope that people love it because it’s entertaining. You actually feel like you can identify with these people even though they’re in this weird world of Westeros. It never ceases to amaze me that this show has traveled so far. I think if someone explained to you what this show was, I don’t think you’d ever think it was going to be the biggest show in the world.
When asked by the Independent.co.uk if the audience will ever see him wear spandex in MCU or DC, the actor said he is not sure. He explained that he’d done green-screen movies and he does not find them exciting. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau mentioned that there are a lot of fantastic actors suited for characters like those, and he’d love to watch them.
The actor also shared that one of the reasons why he’d pass on an opportunity like MCU is because he finds those movies incredibly boring. The actor has not yet watched House of the Dragon, and for him, it’s too soon, especially with the title sequence, which is similar to Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is streaming on HBO.
