Thrones star: I’m not afraid to be killed off if it’s a good death
GAME OF THRONES star Raleigh Ritchie today said he is not concerned about whether his character is killed off — because deaths on the show are so spectacular. The actor and singer, 26, plays the warrior Grey Worm, a trusted adviser to Queen Daenerys Targaryen, in HBO’s fantasy series. So far, main characters have been beheaded, slaughtered at weddings and incinerated with a chemical substance known as wildfire.
With the scripts so secretive, the actors are kept in suspense over the fate of their characters. Filming for the seventh season is due to begin in the next few weeks. Ritchie, whose real name is Jacob Anderson, told the Standard: “I have no idea what will happen to him — I haven’t had any scripts through yet. I’m very glad that I’m not dead yet — it feels like a bit of an honour. But at the same time I don’t think I’d be that upset if I did die, because if there’s any show in the world that you’d want to die on it would be this one, as everyone gets good deaths. I just wouldn’t want an off-screen death.”
Discussing his time on set, he said: “We’re friends so we just talk about stuff you talk about with your friends. We just mess about. Everybody is really professional but the days are shorter because everyone gets on — cast and crew. It feels like a little family. “People always talk about how big the show is, but for me at least I don’t really have a great sense of that on the set because we have fun. Peter [Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister] and Conleth [Hill, who plays Varys] are just the biggest jokers — they will not let you do your job.” The Bristol-born star was launching the National Trust’s 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾ initiative, which encourages families to get outdoors. Ritchie released his debut solo album in February and wrote a rap in support of the campaign. He said: “For some people, a stick is just a stick. However, I want to encourage young people to see that actually the possibilities are endless. It can be a pen, a sword, a witch’s broom, a dragon’s bone — anything. That’s what childhood should be about, getting outdoors and going on adventures, using your imagination to customise the world you see and feeding that appetite for fresh air and fun. That’s what this rap is all about.”