Stephen Dillane (Stannis) admits he didn’t really enjoy being on Game of Thrones 

major “gets” from Season 2. He’s known to others in the business as “an actor’s actor.” Although Dillane has plenty of film and TV credits, his real passion is for the stage, and he has a long litany of nominations for Tony, Olivier (the UK version of the Tonys), and Drama Desk Awards to prove it. One of the few actors to consistently refuse to do press for

, even after his character was killed off at the end of last season, he admits in a new interview that it was because the show really wasn’t his cup of tea.

, Dillane, who is doing press for his new UK/France crime drama

alum Clémence Poésy, admits that he really didn’t enjoy the show very much.

I do not regret having done Game of Thrones, but I have nothing to say about it either. I understood neither the series nor its success when I was a part of it.

Dillane said that he basically tried to stay out of the hoopla and away the fans.

The experience was very strange, it passed under my nose. For a role like it to me, I must get interested…which was not really the case. I was a bit overwhelmed.

Spoken like an artist who found himself cast in the biggest show on television. For some people, the business of being a celebrity is part and parcel of the job—think of Emilia Clarke, who is now the face of Dior, and using the platform the show gave her to headline blockbuster movies, or Kit Harington, who models watches while trying to find a movie he can star in that won’t be a box office disaster. Dillane is not someone who used his success in that manner, even before he was cast on

, and probably found himself a little at sea being surrounded by actors for whom that was always part of the equation. He speaks of his place in the production as one tiny part of a big machine, which is accurate.

asked Dillane why he took the part if he didn’t understand the show. After a long silence, the actor replied that he did it “among other things, for the money.” He’s certainly not the first actor who took a role for money so he’d be able to afford to take roles for love. (I’ll note that many of the actors in the Marvel movies sign up for that very reason.)

At least Dillane was a good sport about it while being on the show, and never came out and spoiled plotlines or denigrated the show while he was a part of it. He still doesn’t in the interview, either, despite it not having been the role of his lifetime.

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First of all, I wanna say that Dillane said nothing wrong here. He’s not required to be a fan of the show, and he never said a word against it when he was on.

Honestly, this interview just convinces me even more that he was a perfect choice for Stannis. He’s kind of a curmudgeon, and has high ideals of what is and isn’t proper behavior. You couldn’t have asked for a better fit.

Yes. He was an absolutely perfect fit. So, even though he didn’t enjoy it, we all did. And I’m so thankful!

To each their own. I will miss him in GOT. But after burning his daughter, he deserved it.

Super actor, and comes across as genuinely concerned and self critical about his work. An actors actor. If he felt uncomfortable playing Stannis, it certainly didn’t show.

For a role he didn’t like or understand, I always thought his portrayal of Stanis was spot on. I imagine some of his scenes, the burning of Shireen for instance, were pretty hard for him.

Agreed. Even as a character there was a feeling of “discomfort” in the role. I for one call it a good cast.

I liked Stephen Dillanes performance in season 1. In later seasons I saw his desinterest too much …

Stephen literally is Stannis. Every interview he does just confirms this strange blend of reality and fiction.

A true artist needs not the spotlight or fame. We all need that cheddah though! HA! Love his honesty. Unlike other actors who have felt the same (see Downton cast or Patrick Stewart’s opinion of Capt. Piccard in the 90s) he will actually still excel.

At some point the art and the artist must surely be separated. Even though an artist’s life may inform a their work, ultimately, the work must stand by itself.

It might have something to do with the writers and showrunners not giving the character his due and not having respect for the character in general. You can’t even buy a Stannis toy people! Trust me I’ve looked!

Would he not have to give his permission to use his likeness? I suspect that HE is the reason. I assume it would be hard to gain respect in The Royal Shakespere Company when the director has a friggin bobblehead of you on his dash.

I never quite understood this argument. Always interpreted it as the inability to accept the reality of an adaptation, but maybe I’m wrong there. How exactly did the writers show a lack of respect for Stannis as a character? Personally I thought his storyline was well-written and visualized, if slightly diluted at times.

It sounds more like Dillane simply isn’t interested in this kind of genre. I doubt he would have enjoyed his role any more if the show depicted Stannis exactly as he was in the book.

U must not have looked very hard. I have a stannis bobble head toy :p

Along with Charles Dance, Stephen was one of the top actors to grace this series. His little care of the show turned out as a great asset in playing Stannis. Well done sir, well done.

I absolutely loved his portrayal of Stannis. Didn’t like some of the things Stannis did, but still one of my favourite characters.

He was perfect for Stannis!! For us fans it’s hard to imagine to not being interested in Thrones lol:)

I would be happy just to be an extra lol!!:) Stephen seems like an honest and laid back guy!!

“or Kit Harington, who models watches while trying to find a movie he can star in that won’t be a box office disaster”

Good article Dan. I admire his honesty and actually kinda understand it too.

Thanks! This was one of Ani’s, though–we forgot to change the author name on the backend.

Yet when Kit says anything out of “character” he is criticized and not Stephen…. hmmm why is that? Too much Stannis fanboyism on the net that clouds folks’ judgement.

Ani bundle, the key to writing a column is to not sound like a hater or a hack, just be objective, and keep some stuff to yourself, can you do that for a change? Cause you’ve been slipping for the past few weeks and I don’t care how you take it either.

This is somewhat of a lame comment. Seriously Kit Harington does not come across as an attention seeking type, he does not even have twitter or facebook and he will be doing theater for the next 3 months.

I have no problem with Stephen Dillane’s attitude. But lets be honest here someone unfortunately has to promote the show. If everyone had the same attitude it would not be good for the show. For the most part promotion is just such a big part of the job for an actor as the actual acting in itself. So while I appreciate Stephen Dillane’s no nonsense attitude there is no need to insult other actors for just doing their jobs.

He’s also in the U.K. show “MI-5,” in which he is very good.

That is why he was always looking so grumpy… I thought it was his approach to the character.

The guy who played Stannis saying he didn’t like playing Stannis is pretty much the most Stannis thing he could have done.

He is one of the greats on this show. Unfortunately, Emilia and Kit will never be able to transcend their iconic Thrones characters because they come from a generation of actors where film and celebrity is regarded as success, not honing one’s craft through theater and television work. And let’s be honest, Thrones is hardly TV at this stage, it’s a cinematic affair.

Agreed. Kit’s gonna have a hard time to get away from his Jon Snow character. Doesn’t help him either he has his Jon Snow look in real life too!

I’m sure as soon as he can he’ll chop it off.

He and Alphie IMO followed closely by Lena, have portrayed their characters beautifully.

I completely agree about Alfie Allen. He is the most underrated actor on the show and should get award recognition. No actor on the show conveys emotions without speaking.

Alfie is doing something in Australia at the moment. Think he’s promoting the release of season 5.

Anyhow, he did an interview on breakfast TV (the morning show) yesterday. I didn’t realise how funny he actually is.

His journey of torture and being brainwashed is heartbreaking. I agree, he needs no words. I hope he is praised soon. On the other hand, it may be a blessing for him in future roles to not be a media darling. Maybe he should model watches too.

He and Sansa’s scene in Hardhome, where he confessed to her that he didn’t kill Bran an Rickon was enthralling. It may be my favorite scene ever.

So Dillane basically used the Lawrence Olivier “

I always remember a line Stephen delivered as Stannis where he said, “He conquered the kingdoms with dragons, Ser Davos. And dragons are magic.”

Something about the way Stephen delivered that line seemed a bit disassociated, like he regarded it as utterly absurd and so kind of threw the line away which was perfect for the character. But I also got the sense that he was a bit disgusted by having to say it. I adore that actor, I find him so compelling. Thrones has been so lucky to have him and Charles Dance. So, SO lucky.

Haha explains why he made the perfect Stannis. For someone who didn’t enjoy the role he was pretty damn good. Starting to see a pattern with the old stage actors like Dillane, Mcshane, Charles Dance not really enjoying the genre. Well not sure about Charles Dance and his opinion on the show. I can’t fault actors for taking the money. I’ve seen it with many greats like Christopher Walken, Johnny Depp, DeNiro, Paciino etc

is a precarious choice of words which is quickly misinterpreted, possibly on purpose by the article writer to get more reads/clicks. But it’s an article by Ms. Bundel again, so the title is tabloid-friendly and one has to carefully read between the lines, as is often the case with what she writes.

But hey! Atleast she did her research this time. Last time she claimed Carice van Houten was Danish (she’s actually Dutch) and she said Pedro Pascal was Spanish (Pedro is Chilean, it’s a long swim from Spain to Chile!).

Ani does entertaining pieces. So it’s not always perfect. Who cares? The end of the day it’s just a show and shouldn’t be taken so seriously .

True. Bet Ani would be great fun down the pub. Way more than any pseud or pedant.

Entirely regardless of it being a show, I find her choice in flamboyant and misdirected article headers at times distasteful and unnecessary, more so when at the expense of an actor or person in general pending on how people understand the article, or its title.

But she can write interesting articles, such as the one about Egg, except for that she gets her facts and reference images wrong by lack of research. She could have taken that more seriously.

In the end there is and should be no place for feelgood niceties encouraging what is the tabloid approach, inaccurate titles or facts to draw readers, that’s reserved for a different audience in different places. There’s a lot of space for improvement if she puts a halt on the spectacular journalism, takes more care with sourcing and tries a bit harder on taking quality more serious than entertainment. The basis is certainly there, she can write so much better if she puts her mind to it.

I’m with you Sara B. It’s the difference between being a journalist and a “journalist”.

😎😳just wanted to point out that nobody said a word about this article in a negative sense when they thought Dan had written the article. When he said that Ani actually wrote the article out came the nagging criticisms.

Not having a go at anyone, just wanted to raise that thought.

Agree completely that there’s Journalism and then there’s journalism. But this is entertainment news, not just in terms of the subject matter but also style. Its a fansite not The Economist. I enjoy views and opinions, it gets the conversation going. I also enjoy a lighthearted approach to a lighthearted subject and I couldn’t give a dusty turd about piffling little typos or non-consequential errors made in the dash to the deadline.

Ani or whatever she think she is really isn’t that much of a journalist to begin with so Lord too fat to sit a horse I’m glad you confirmed that for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed what Stephen brought to GOT. He brilliantly brought Stannis to life. I appreciate him even more now that I know he wasn’t enjoying himself but in spite of that did an absolutely superb job of portraying Stannis.

Am I reading this correctly? Did they kill him off because he didn’t want to be on the show? He is a great actor but honestly he sounds like a pompous douchebag. HBO has raped the story because Stannis hadn’t even reached his arc in the books. They created a bullshit arc to kill him off and make room in the budget for more actors.

His son is in the shitty walking dead spinoff, I wonder how he feels about that?

He must be proud of his son making money … it´s also important.

all he said was that he didn’t really understand or like the show..

His first comment years back was that GOT was German dungeon porn. I think he was great as Stannis and honestly, it will probably be what he is remembered for. Not that GOT is the best show of all time but it will most definitely be one of the biggest.

Fear the walking dead is great, Stephens sons character in it is pretty good. Everyone is allowed an opinion, and Stephens opinion of the show was not great. Despite this he still did a wonderful job. No you didn’t read it correctly. They killed him off because his story on the show ended not because he didn’t like the show.

I think Fear the Walking Dead is awesome. Sure it’s not based on some brilliant series of books, but it’s an awesome show.

And yes I think you may have misread/misinterpreted what was said. I don’t see anywhere where it says they killed Stannis off because Stephen didn’t like the role.it was probably the path that was going to be taken regardless.

That’s what it was made to sound like that his character was killed off because the show wasn’t his cup of tea. At least, when I first read it that’s how I interpreted it. After rereading it though, it was just a poor order of words and I think dillane was saying he didn’t do interviews because he didn’t understand the show. Not that his character was killed off because he didn’t understand the show.

P.s. I haven’t watched the walking dead, but hopefully it doesn’t become as redundant as the walking dead.

I was suspecting this already earlier. Did they made his death a bit ambiguous, because his willingness to continue in show was ambiguous as well? Sure they wanted to have him for another season, but it was up to him whether he wanted to sign.

Stephen Dillane is wonderful and a master of his acting craft.

At least Dillane was a good sport about it while being on the show, and never came out and spoiled plotlines or denigrated the show while he was a part of it. He still doesn’t in the interview, either, despite it not having been the role of his lifetime.

….Like some others actors of late……. cough::IanMcShane::cough

Always thought of Stannis as the most Shakespearean character of A Song of Ice and Fire. Complex and ambiguous on the one hand, but crystal clear in terms of what drives him forward on the other. It is hard to imagine a better fit for the character than Stephen Dillane, who played it flawlessly.

As a side note, I think Dillane would have made a great Randyll Tarly as well.

It´s getting old and annoying to read insinuations about Ian in many articles, let it go … Actors have the right to be honest and make jokes. It could harm their careers or not. I believe both Stephen and Ian are so well established in their careers that they don´t care about the consequences of being honest. Fantasy genre isn´t for everyone.

Of topic: HELP! brienne of tarth and jaime lannister are losing a battle of dynamic duo’s vs sevro and darrow on

I love ASOIAF… but seriously… Darrow and Sevro in spades. No contest.

He’s a massive, ungrateful borgon from the planet miserybollocks. There are loads of unemployed actors out there who could’ve actually

the material and respected it, and they gave the role to a paycheque player who didn’t give a toss.

Kevin Doyle could’ve done just as good a job and chances are, he wouldn’t’ve been an obnoxious knob about it either.

I don’t think Stephen disrespected anything. Not has he been obnoxious. I think that he had been a true professional and done his job.

He did a hell of a job bringing Stannis to life and was a big reason he became my favorite character in the show and books. I’m going to miss him.

Huge respect for Stephen. Especially for not succumbing to fame and all the bull****, that comes with it, like being an ad for fashion companies.

I had to laugh reading Dillane’s comments. He’s just so

. He had some nicer things to say about the show in another interview he did, though, apparently.

He still basically admits he didn’t get much out of it except the money, but the article also includes this quote from him about the show:

“It’s fantastic. I don’t dismiss it at all. I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s an extraordinary thing. An amazing phenomenon. A really amazing phenomenon.”

I think that’s probably the most positive thing I’ve heard of him saying about any of his projects. (I had an urge to read the quote in Donald Trump’s voice, though.)

But thank you for pointing out that dillane did give the show the due credit even if it wasn’t his passion.

Look for interviews with the cast about Season 6, please …

What if he wanted to quit and thats why Stannis is death in the show instead of the writers writing him off. Wouldn’t be too surprised if they wanted to keep him this season, it would surely make that cliffhanger with Brienne understandable.

Such a shame he didn’t enjoy his time on GOT, he was fantastic as Stannis.

“Kit Harington, who models watches while trying to find a movie he can star in that won’t be a box office disaster.”

I liked Testament of Youth with Alicia Vikander … I haven’t watched the other movies.

Testament of Youth was really good! It didn’t make a lot of money (not surprising since it’s an ‘art-house’ film), but it was a critical hit, scoring 82 on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic. And Kit showed a lot more range in it than he does as Jon Snow.

Kit must have not returned her/his/it calls at all I guess, ….

You’re criticising somebody for criticising somebody……isn’t that hypocritical?

Well I enjoyed his time on the show even if he didn’t. The revelation doesn’t really make me like him fewer.

Dillane didn’t seem disrespectful shows hes a stick in the mud even in real life. Perfect fit for Stannis

He will be missed. But we haven’t seen the last of him. He will either be the one burning on the bolton cross or killed another way. We still haven’t seen him die

I think his attitude towards the show actually enhanced his performance. I think he is a true artiste. And I am somehow comforted by how he feels; I mean come on, do we all enjoy everything about our jobs? Playing the game is so much different from watching it.

Why is Everyone so sure stannis is dead on the show? Nobody saw him die. He’s off to the wall to become lord commander with one leg…

Dillane never said he didn’t enjoy his time on the show. He just said he didn’t understand his character. This is a typical writer picking and choosing quotes to drum up drama…. Let’s just stick to the facts not your opinions…. ANI!!!

“I don’t like a great many things but I suffer them all the same”. -stannis

The actor was great. I can understand the disinterest–the writing and character advancement stunk to high heaven, especially in Season 5. Stannis checking out Mel’s ass. I bet Stephen hated that moment.

I blame the producers and their nauseating nerd-bro approach to the books.

All I see is Stannis… I’m going to miss this stern character. He might have not enjoyed it that much, but we certainly enjoyed him being cast for this role. Mr. Dillane did a hell of a job!

He was my favorite character on the show, and I thank Mr. Dillane for bringing him to life so expertly.

He does seem like a bit of a stiff in real life as well!

He and Jack Gleeson are free to dazzle us with roles more deserving of their great acting ability.

I can’t wait to see what they’re capable of…

LOL If Emilia or Kit said this I have a feeling this comment section would be very different.

I think he’s fooling everyone and Stannis is still alive. We only got a tiny glimpse of his so-called “death”. Maybe he will be Jon Snow 2.0 after Melisandre puts Jon’s head on Stannis’s body. That could be how the so-called resurrection happens – they are both “dead”, but she makes a new Lightbringer out of them, then they march south to become the King of Dorne. So probably the actor is done, unless they have to film his body and use Photoshop to put Jon Snow’s head on it.

Absolutely brilliant actor– I still say it’s a huge shame how the show runners gave him/ his story short thrift in the end with how they portrayed his demise against the Boltons… Terrible waste.

Dillane is easily among the top few actors on the show alongside Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Maisie Williams, Sean Bean, Dianna Rigg, Dinklage as Tyrion, Pedro Pascal as Oberyn and definitely Jack Gleeson as Joffrey. The show is full of great portrayals but Dillane was extraordinary, if he is indeed gone. I hope D&D know what they’re doing with the rest of the lot, because they’ve let some greatness go by the wayside. 5 weeks to go we’ll see.

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