9April FOXTEL MagazinE8 FOXTEL MagazinE April

cover story

Kingdom at warAs the third season of Game of Thrones hits express from the US, Foxtel Magazine takes you into the action of Westeros with exclusive access to the show’s stars

EPIC. THAT’S THE word that best describes Game of Thrones, the fantasy-drama series on showcase that has viewers excited about dragons again. Adapted from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga, Game of Thrones is a bewitching mix of intriguing familial drama and epic war stories; passionate romances and power struggles. Although it’s set in a completely fictional world, it’s the very human drama that has audiences rewatching old episodes as they wait for a new season to arrive.

Season three looks set to deliver some of the deeply sought-after revenge we’ve been waiting for. Chief amongst those seeking vengeance is Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the exiled girl-queen who is making >

Game of Thrones canvasses the

bitter politics and feuds across the land of Westeros

pho

tog

rAph

y: IA

n D

erry

.

Liam Cunningham (Davos seaWorth)

Last seen: having his ships blown to smithereens at the Battle of Blackwater

What attracted you to the character of Davos seaworth?“He’s one of the few characters in the show with some redeeming qualities. He’s a good man in a nest of vipers.”

Does the show have any relevance to the modern world?“Absolutely. We all know that it’s been called The Sopranos meets Middle-Earth, and I just love it. It’s an incredible story of jealousy and power, legacy, family, and betrayal.”

Did you anticipate Game of Thrones being so successful?“[After] I read the original pilot script, I got onto my agent and said, ‘winner.’ It was glorious and clever… any actor would cut his leg off to do it. ”

gwendoline Christie (Brienne of tarth)

Last seen: slaughtering stark bannermen with Jaime Lannister in tow

What’s it like playing a strong character?“Brienne is a dream part. She’s a character who is very physically strong. I’ve done a lot of intense physical training so that I can do those stunts and do as much of it as convincingly as possible.”

11April FOXTEL MagazinE10 FOXTEL MagazinE April

cover storyDaenerys targaryen

(emilia Clarke) is building an army to

conquer Westeros

the long journey back to her homeland of Westeros to reclaim her family’s throne. Her dragons made short work of the warlocks at Qarth in season two, and there’s no telling how much damage they’ll do now that they’ve undoubtedly grown.

Back home in Westeros, the Lannisters have emerged victorious from their season two clash with Stannis Baratheon in the Battle of Blackwater. With slimy King Joffrey still on the throne, his grandfather, Tywin, is consolidating his family’s power throughout the realm.

Meanwhile, Beric Dondarrion (who was last seen tracking dastardly Gregor Clegane on the orders of the now-deceased Eddard Stark) is leading a brotherhood of guerilla freedom fighters. And, in the north, Jon Snow will finally meet the powerful King Beyond the Wall.

Joining the cast are Ellie Kendrick and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as siblings who join Bran Stark as he flees to the Wall. Clive Russell will also debut as Catelyn Stark’s uncle, Blackfish Tully.

Described by writer Bryan Cogman as a more “intimate” season that “peels back the layers of the characters”, Thrones promises to deliver the drama once again.Here’s what some of the cast have to say about their sword-wielding alter-egos.

Do you consider her story with Jaime to be a love story?“It has the potential to be a very unconventional love story. It’s quite a beautiful thing to watch – two people from very different worlds and different mindsets, put together and having to learn to interact with each other in a functional way.”

is it difficult scraping off the make-up and wearing armour?“It’s really liberating, but really frightening, because sometimes it’s quite difficult to accept what you’re left with. It’s great putting on a costume for a character, though… I definitely feel stronger when I put those clothes on.”

Maisie Williams (arya stark)

Last seen: running free, after weeks of hiding under tywin Lannister’s nose

how does your character arya develop this season?“Arya’s starting to realise that most people don’t stick to their word, and that if everyone else is going to play unfair,

she can too.”

how are the fans responding to arya?“With Arya being popular, that was a lot of pressure. But people

seem to like what I’m doing, which is good. You can’t please everyone, but it’s working well at the moment!”

Do you enjoy dressing up for the show?“All I want to do is not wear dirt on my face and have lots of costume fittings for new dresses. I’ve had

the same costume since the end of season one!”

Secrets from the set l on average, 14 people are killed in

each episode of Game of Thrones

l the official motto of house Lannister is “hear Me roar!”

l the plot from the third season will be based on the third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords

l the third season of Game of Thrones will feature 257 cast members, making it one of the largest ensemble casts in television history

nikolaj Coster-Waldau (JaiMe Lannister)

Last seen: being escorted as a prisoner of war to kings Landing

is this a big season for Jaime?“I’ve been looking forward to this season since I first met [executive producers] Dan and Dave and they told me the story

of the many characters in Game of Thrones, Daenerys targaryen has the greatest reason to want to spill blood. When she was just a baby, her father, the Mad king aerys targaryen, was murdered by Jaime Lannister during the rebellion being led by the starks and Baratheons. fortunately, she and her brother were whisked across the narrow sea to safety, where they lived in exile under the protection of those still loyal to her family. “it’s not just that she’s a woman dealing with a man’s world,” says Daenerys’ real-life alter ego, emilia Clarke. “she’s a girl dealing with a man’s world.”

in season one, timid Daenerys was married for her brother’s political benefit to the barbarian warlord khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). Despite their cultural differences, they still managed to fall in love, but Daenerys lost him and the baby they were expecting to a vengeful witch in their group. in retaliation, she burned the witch at the stake. Grieving the loss of her family, Dany also threw herself and the dragon eggs she received as wedding gifts into the flames – but she emerged from the ashes with three newborn dragons. transformed into a powerful leader, she is coming to claim her birthright.

Dragons have not been seen in Westeros in hundreds of years, and the promise of the destruction they can cause once fully grown strikes fear across the land. and while the lords of Westeros wage their wars with each other over the iron throne, Daenerys casts a long shadow from across the sea as the biggest threat they’ve ever faced.

of what happens with Jaime, so it’s very exciting. It’s a lot of fun.”

is it tough working outdoors in such extreme conditions?“I actually really like it. It’s really cold, but it makes the work easier in a weird way because you just react to the elements. Sometimes I find that the hardest scenes to do are the very simple ones, like sitting around a table talking.”

What do you find interesting about Jaime?“He’s made a lot of challenging choices. This world is extreme, but it’s not that foreign if you look at the world as a whole. Every day someone in our world has to make similar choices.” Joshua Winning

game of Thrones – season Threeexpress from the us Mondays from April 1

@ 4.20pm; encore @ 8.35pm, showcase [403]

FEATURED

the mother of dragons

tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is the craftiest of his family