LOVE ON ICE

Game of Thrones' jon Snow better beware a scorned woman

AHEARTBROKEN woman is a dangerous thing.

Particularly in the cut-throat world of Westeros, the fiction medieval setting for HBO’s wildly popular fantasy series Game of Thrones. The highly anticipated fourth season will show the aftermath of Jon Snow’s break-up with wildling raider Ygritte.

The last viewers saw of Ygritte she was her shooting arrows into the back of her lover. But despite Jon Snow’s betrayal, Ygritte stopped short of killing him.

“I don’t think she was particularly happy with the break-up,” actor Rose Leslie told The Guide.

“In season four we find Ygritte as a very, very different character. She is a hurt woman now. She feels that she has been wronged, quite rightly, and she’s a scorned woman.

“I feel that scorned women in general, let alone in the world of Westeros, are incredibly dangerous creatures. And you should not cross a wildling.”

Flame-haired Leslie joined the Game of Thrones cast in the second season after leaving another popular British drama, Downton Abbey.

The 27-year-old admits she had never seen the series before auditioning for Ygritte, part of the rebel wildings group that lives north of the ice wall guarded by the Night’s Watch.

“I was unaware of the books and unaware of even the first season airing in the UK when I went into the auditions,” she said.

“If I had an inkling of just how popular the show is, and the books, then I don’t think I would have been as confident.”

She said the upcoming fourth season would see her character take a dark turn.

“We’ll see some character traits we haven’t necessarily seen before,” she said.

“I think she realises she is now capable of doing some very horrible things. She’s on a ruthless mission to get her own back. It’s exciting for me to play it. She is now dangerous, very much so.”

The physically-demanding role has seen Leslie shooting arrows, wielding swords and scaling a towering wall of ice.

“I feel so fortunate to be able to play such a physical role,” she said.

“I did a lot of archery training for seasons three and four.

“As a result I have a love of archery now. I’m not particularly good; CGI is a beautiful thing (laughs).”

She promises plenty of action in the new season, which will feature hated boy king Joffrey Baratheon’s royal wedding and the aftermath of the brutal killing of members of the noble Stark family in last year’s muchtalked about Red Wedding episode.

“This season is very much action based,” she said.

“There are going to be some phenomenal scenes. It’s going to be incredibly thrilling and hair-raising as well.” Game of Thrones – Showcase – Monday at 2.30pm Qld, 3.30pm NSW