Bronn stirs up the dragon’s nest in ‘Thrones’
His life could be in danger, but he’s used to it
Game of Thrones mercenary Bronn is a man of many weapons, from battlefield sword to rapier wit.
In recent episodes, Bronn (Jerome Flynn) catapulted a spear at one of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons and risked his life to save his army leader, Jaime Lannister, from the dragon’s fire.
The crude but noble warrior may need more than a suit of armor and quiver of witty barbs to save him from the wrath of Daenerys and from Cersei Lannister, who believes Bronn betrayed Jaime by setting up a secret meeting with Tyrion, the Lannister brother she considers a traitor.
The English actor spoke to USA TODAY about his jaunty character — a sells word, in the Thrones vernacular — before Sunday’s penultimate episode of Season 7.
Q Is Bronn’s life in danger?
A That’s
a decent question. OK, he injured the dragon and had a little contretemps with Daenerys, but it was in the heat of battle. But between that and kind of betraying Jaime, it would appear that way. This could get interesting. But that’s Bronn. He lives on the edge.
Q What was it like shooting giant spears from Qyburn’s Scorpion, a rolling catapult also known as a ballista?
A The sequence was one of the most exciting things I’ve been involved in. It was one big, extraordinary playground to be set free. As far as weapons are concerned, it doesn’t get much better than Qyburn’s Scorpion. It really worked. It shot the great big spear.
Q We’ve heard that some viewers, including your postman, weren’t happy that Bronn shot a dragon.
A I’ve
had a few emails. It’s not at all surprising. So many beloved characters are coming together and going up against each other. Something like this has been quite comfortable for people, because they’re allowed to love Daenerys and Bronn and secretly love Jaime. But suddenly you’re in that situation and people get confused. They don’t know who to back, especially with Bronn shooting at the dragon. You realize how beloved the dragons are. Even though the dragon had just nuked thousands of soldiers and given them the most horrendous death, they were still upset at Bronn for shooting at it.
Q If Bronn is a cold-hearted mercenary, as he likes to project, why does he seem to have a soft spot for Tyrion and Jaime Lannister? A There
is more complexity there than perhaps he likes to believe. It’s true he has a bond with both of them. The bond with Tyrion goes deeper. With Jaime, perhaps it may be more of a material bond. But he also knew that (working for Lannisters) was the way up for him. He wants to end up with his own coat of arms and a castle, just as he says.
Q Whether or not Bronn survives, is there hope for Westeros?
A With
the leaders in Thrones, there’s a lot of potential. I’d be happy with a couple of them. I think Jon Snow’s heart is in the right place.
If Daenerys has somebody to balance her — I’ve got fantasies about that being Bronn, but I don’t think that’s going to happen — (that could work). Tyrion is really important for Daenerys. If you bring in the archetypal good man of heart (Jon), there could be something good happening there.