Game of Thrones: A Tough Act to Follow Part 2

Continued from previous page

At the foot of this article is a video that’s just over 6 minutes long and contains every single death from the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones.

The total number of deaths comes to an incredible 5373, compressed into only a few minutes! I’ve also attached clips of each character’s death.

Let’s continue with the remaining seasons as we look at the deaths of major characters, and see what the actors who played these parts are doing now.

“Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant”

<< Back to Page 1 (Season 1 & 2)

Season 3

Craster: Played by busy thespian Robert Pugh, Craster was a truly despicable character, yet he was also a very interesting one. Craster’s Keep was home to a lot of women who were all daughters and granddaughters of Craster. They were also his sex slaves. When these unfortunate bedraggled women gave birth to his children, he would keep the girls to replenish his stock, and send the boys out as a gift to the White Walkers. Craster is killed by Karl which signals the beginning of the Mutiny at Craster’s Keep. Watch here.

Welshman Robert Pugh, has appeared in a huge number of TV shows and films, like Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 2003 and Robin Hood 2010. Although Pugh has nothing major lined up at the moment, the actor appears to work pretty much non-stop. Not everyone coming from Game of Thrones can make that claim.

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont: James Cosmo played the Nights Watch Lord Commander, who was father of Ser Jorah Mormont. He was also killed at Craster’s Keep, and this act would divide the Nights Watch, but it would also allow Jon Snow to prove his worth. Mormont, known to his men as The Old Bear, was a fair leader, and someone the men looked up to. The Lord Commander is killed immediately after Craster, when Rast stabs him in the back with a knife. Watch here.

Scotsman James Cosmo is possibly the busiest of all the actors on this list, and has starred and featured in some of the biggest Hollywood films. Braveheart, Trainspotting, The Chronicles of Narnia and Troy, to name just a few. Cosmo has as many as 10 films in various stages of production at any one time. Clearly, Game of Thrones was just one more gig for the unstoppable and popular actor.

King Robb Stark: Richard Madden would play the part of Robb, who would go on to be crowned King of the North, for 3 seasons. He lost his father, Ned, to the Lannisters, and via Walder Frey, Robb would die at The Red Wedding at the behest of the mighty Tywin Lannister. Robb had slighted Walder after going back on a deal to marry one of Frey’s daughters. It was then a simple task for Tywin to persuade Frey to assist in the Young Wolf’s death. Out of everything I remember of the books, the two moments that stood out the most were when Robb’s men declared him as king, and his death at the hands of Roose Bolton, while his mother screamed for him to be spared. Watch The Red Wedding here.

Being a regular in 3 seasons of Game of Thrones has certainly gave Richard Madden’s career a boost. Until the actor had been on the show, he didn’t appear to be getting much in the way of film work. However, unlike Robb, Richard’s luck has changed for the better, as he recently co-starred in the 2015 version of Cinderella, with Lady Chatterley’s Lover next.

Catelyn Stark, née Tully: Played by Michelle Fairley, Catelyn Stark would become the widow of Ned Stark, and mother of Robb Stark. Like Robb, she would die at The Red Wedding. Catelyn was a complicated character, who would even go against her son’s orders by releasing the captured Jaime Lannister in an attempt at getting Sansa and Arya back. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t live to see any of her remaining family again.

Michelle Fairley has had a steady career for a while now, and when not working on one show or another, the actress likes to work in independent film. The Irish-born actress has appeared in the Harry Potter
franchise, and she recently featured in the mini-series 24: Live Another Day.
*****

Season 4

King Joffrey Baratheon: Jack Gleeson nailed the part of Joffrey, and became a character that we all loved to hate. When it came to childlike cruelty, Joffrey was truly king. Although his death was a joyous occasion, it also meant we lost a character that we could always rely on to keep us entertained, even if it meant occasionally throwing cups of coffee, along with a few expletives, at the TV screen. Joffrey would die horribly by poison, with the help of Ser Dontos and Petyr Baelish, under orders from Lady Olenna Tyrell. But it would be Tyrion Lannister who would stand trial for his murder, and this would lead directly to the last two deaths on this list. Watch Joffrey die here.

Jack Gleeson has been acting since he was an 8-year-old, but he’s now retired to concentrate on academia. This would make Game of Thrones his final performance. Apparently, acting was never really more than a hobby for Gleeson, which is a pity as he’s actually rather good at it. Perhaps he’ll take it up again one day, and if not, he’ll still have a great story to tell his grandkids. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Prince Oberyn Martell: Performed by Pedro Pascal, Oberyn Martell would become a very popular character in his one and only season on the show. The Red Viper of Dorne arrived at King’s Landing to attend Joffrey’s wedding in place of his brother, but his real motive was to seek revenge for the murder and rape of his sister by Tywin’s bannerman, Ser Gregor Clegane. Oberyn gets his chance when he volunteers to champion Tyrion against the much hated Clegane. It turned out to be a very painful experience, for not only Prince Oberyn, but the audience, too. Watch here.

While Pedro Pascal is certainly getting steady work on TV shows like Graceland and The Mentalist, the Chilean actor is also picking up more gigs doing movies. 2016 will see Pascal co-star in the big budgeted The Great Wall, with at least 3 other movies set for release before then. It’s nice to see that the popular actor has benefited from his exciting season on Game of Thrones.

Tywin Lannister: Hand of the King, Lannister patriarch and Lord of Casterly Rock, Tywin Lannister was played by Charles Dance, and even though his character didn’t quite match the Tywin from the book, Dance performed the part like it was written for him specifically. Tywin was the power behind the Iron Throne, and he never suffered fools gladly. People would visibly shrink under that withering gaze of his, and he always gave Tyrion a hard time. Tyrion would go on to murder his father, while Tywin was sitting on the toilet. Tyrion rightly believed his father was about to sentence him to death for killing King Joffrey, even though Tyrion was completely innocent. Watch Tywin die here.

Like with most of the Game of Thrones‘ older British cast, Charles Dance is a prolific thespian. He’s appeared in a large mix of independent and studio movies, covering many genres and budget sizes. From films like the Oscar-winning The Imitation Game, to fare like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (also co-starring Lena Headey). Basically, Charles Dance will act in just about anything. At least he keeps himself busy.