Game Of Thrones actor Conleth Hill has spoken out about his initial hesitation to take part in the acclaimed fantasy series.
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Speaking to The Irish Times, Hill – who played Lord Varys in the hit HBO show – said of his taking the role: “I was resistant for a long time. I’m not into wizards.”
Varys, also known as the Master of Whisperers among the Small Council on the show, was an enigmatic but cunning character, who wielded influence through the network of informants he called ‘little birds’.
He served several rulers that sat the Iron Throne, including Robert and Joffrey Baratheon, and formed an alliance with Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister before conspiring against Daenerys Targaryen led to his execution.
According to The Irish Times, it was a scene in the script between Varys and Tyrion in which the former reveals the abuse he suffered as a child that “swayed” Hill to take the part.
Describing how he came to audition for the role, Hill said: “I don’t think it was a typical casting call. They wanted people who could handle the language, who had done Shakespeare.”
Game Of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire novels, ran for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019, and is one of HBO’s most successful shows ever.
Its first spin-off series House Of The Dragon, which portrays the battle between the ruling Targaryens centuries before the events of the original series, released its second season last year to mostly very positive reviews. Another spin-off show, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, is set to air this year, and Martin has shared that he’s a fan, despite warning audiences not to expect much action.
There is also a Game Of Thrones film reportedly in early development, and Martin has teased that Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark in the show, could reprise her role.
The world of Westeros is also expanding into video games, with Games Of Thrones: Kingsroad, which features Kit Harington’s character Jon Snow, out this year.