‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7: Aidan Gillen And Kit Harington Spill Details

Warning: This article may contain Game of Thrones Season 7 spoilers.

Two Game of Thrones Season 7 actors are currently promoting new films, and that gives news outlets the opportunity to sprinkle a few GoT questions into their coverage, giving hungry fans of the HBO series a little treat as they wait for the show’s July 16 return.

Aidan Gillen is starring in a new film, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Collider asked him if playing Littlefinger on Game of Thrones helped him prepare for the role.

He explained that, while Game of Thrones didn’t help him with the fight scenes, since Littlefinger hasn’t experienced much swordplay, the actor did think GoT has helped make fantasy films more mainstream, and therefore more of a moneymaker for studios.

“I don’t doubt that the popularity of Game of Thrones, for example, makes this kind of film more producible and bankable … I think everyone, including myself, even though we knew Game of Thrones was good, [was] surprised at how exactly how huge it became, which is massive and around the world. Although, that shouldn’t be a surprise in that it’s quite universal and could be understood anywhere … [The fantasy genre is] possibly more acceptable and less of a gamble nowadays. Or maybe it’s always a gamble because you never know when people are going to get tired of it. It just has to be really well made and entertaining.”

Gillen also talked about becoming a sex symbol among the Game of Thrones fandom.

“I’m kind of surprised by that now because I wasn’t really aware of it,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s interesting given that some of the strands in the story are unsavory or could be seen that way and Littlefinger’s relationship with Sansa Stark is quite unorthodox, without me trying to put as much warmth into it as I can and just play it for real. I’m not aware of being a sex symbol though.”

Meanwhile, Kit Harington is out promoting his new film, Brimstone, co-starring Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce, and he was asked by Huffington Post if the long wait for Game of Thrones Season 7 will be worth it to fans.

“Yes, I’m gonna say, ‘Yes.’ I mean, I hope it is. I certainly did more this season than I’ve ever done. I think every actor on it did more action, had more action, had more scenes.”

“They really focused it because less characters are coming in, and they’re focusing in on the existing ones, and there are lots of people who cross paths, and that’s something that I think the audience has been waiting for a long time.”

Harington also mentioned that HBO is spending more on Game of Thrones Season 7, which has only six episodes, than previous, longer seasons.

“They spent an increasing amount of money on less episodes, so it’s gonna be much bigger in scale, the CGI,” he said. “We’re trying new things, experimenting with new camera techniques. I think we’re trying to break boundaries in these final two seasons.”

He went on to explain that the extra budget was spent on Game of Thrones Season 7 to keep up with increasing fan expectations.

“You have to live up to the hype that’s surrounded the show and the worst thing would be to end without really pushing and trying new things,” Harington said. “Even if it’s a failure, at least trying to go out with a bang.”

Speaking of fan interest, in an ABC interview, Harington said that he and his fellow GoT actors theorize about upcoming plots just like fans do.

“We all have our theories and theorize together as actors,” he said. “Honestly, no one has any idea [how it ends]. That’s what’s magnificent about it. I can’t wait, I’m going to feel so privileged to be one of the few people who is going to get to read the ending before anyone else sees it, a year before. I really am counting down the days ’til I get those scripts.”

Game of Thrones Season 7 returns to HBO on July 16.

[Featured Image via HBO]