Game of Thronesactor Pilou Asbæk is addressing the show’s divisive final season. Or, rather, fans are addressing it with him!
During an interview on PEOPLE,Entertainment Weekly & TNT’s red carpet pre-show ahead of the 2020Screen Actors Guild Awards, Asbæk, 37, said that fans often ask him about the hit HBO series’controversial finale.
“You know, what I get most now is like, ‘Why did you guys f— up season 8?'” Asbæk — who played Euron Greyjoy — joked, before explaining what it was like to read through the final season with the rest of the cast.
“When we had the read-through in Belfast, like two and half years ago, we ended up standing and doing a standing ovation for 15, 20 minutes,” Asbæk explained. “It was a perfect ending but people were upset.”
However, the actor also said that he understood fans’ concerns — because he used to be a fan of the show himself before he joined the cast.
“I kind of get it, because I was a big fan of the show before I started it and became a part of it, and if it had ended in that way I would have been angry as well,” Asbæk said. “Because when something you like so much says no… it’s like a breakup.”
“It was like a breakup andGame of Thronesbroke up with millions of people all over the world and they got upset,” he added.
Theseason 8 finaleofGame of Thronesconcluded with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) returning to the Night’s Watch and heading beyond the Wall — after he killed his lover (and aunt) Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) was named Queen in the North, while her younger brother Bran was named king.
Many fans, however, wereless than impressedwith the final season, and a Change.org petition was even created urging HBO to “remakeGame of Thronesseason 8 with competent writers.”
Helen Sloan/HBO
The backlashsurprised the cast, and HBO Programming president Casey Bloys has said that it didn’t factor into the premium cable network’sspinoff plansbut instead proved how passionate a fan baseGame of Throneshas.
“I take all of the activity around the finale as, there are very, very few downsides to having a hugely popular show,” Bloyssaid in Julyat the Television Critics Association summer press tour. “One I can think of is when you try to end it, many people have opinions on how it should end. That comes with the territory. A petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn’t something we seriously considered.”
Despite the backlash surrounding the finale of the beloved fantasy series, it concluded its eight-season run to critical acclaim, snagging12 awardsat last year’s Emmys,including outstanding drama series.
The 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are airing live Sunday starting at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and TBS.
Watch thePEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly& TNT Red Carpet Live: 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday starting at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT onPeople.com. Stay tuned for the annualSAG Awardsairing on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
source: people.com
