‘Game Of Thrones’ Actor Talks About Gendry’s Return And Has His Say On Who Should End Up On The Iron Throne
The return of Robert Baratheon’s bastard son Gendry, played by English actor Joe Dempsie, was one of the main talking points in Game of Thrones’s latest episode, titled “Eastwatch.” Dempsie’s character, who’s become somewhat of a fan favorite since his introduction way back in Season 1, has been missing for three seasons, and many Game of Thrones fans have been eagerly awaiting his return. In the fifth episode of Season 7, it was finally revealed that Gendry had returned to King’s Landing after being freed from the clutches of Melisandre by Davos Seaworth.
When Davos returned to the capital of the Seven Kingdoms to recruit Gendry, the illegitimate son of King Robert didn’t need a lot of convincing to leave his current occupation as a blacksmith for the Lannister army. What’s more, Gendry got to show off his fighting skills with his new weapon of choice — a massive hammer decorated with the sigil of House Baratheon. After Tyrion Lannister was spotted by two City Guards, Gendry swiftly picked up his hammer and dealt two decisive blows to their heads, demonstrating his overwhelming strength in the process. Gendry then arrived in Dragonstone and persuaded Jon Snow to allow him to accompany the King in the North beyond the Wall, where the army of the White Walkers is slowly marching toward the Seven Kingdoms.
In an interview with Variety, Dempsie revealed how he feels about returning to Game of Thrones after an extended period away from the show. The actor said that he was overjoyed to return to Westeros, mainly because it seems as though his character will play an integral role in the conclusion of Game of Thrones.
“I think the majority of us would say, ‘I just want a part to play in the end game.’ So hopefully by staying out of harm’s way for three seasons, I hopefully get to survive a bit longer.”
Dempsie further revealed that he’s been keeping up with the show, even though Gendry hasn’t appeared on screen since Season 3. According to Dempsie, Arya Stark’s adventures in Braavos and Ramsay Bolton’s rise to power have been his two favorite storylines since his departure from the show. On Game of Thrones, Dempsie’s character was, of course, a close friend to Arya and accompanied her during her travels until he was sold by the Brotherhood Without Banners. If Gendry survives his trip beyond the Wall, fans can certainly look forward to a reunion between the blacksmith and Arya in Winterfell.
“I always liked to follow what’s going on with Maisie, so Arya’s storyline. The fact she spent such a considerable amount of time with The Hound was great because he’s also one of my favorite characters. I like the Ramsay Bolton storyline too. I think that one of the things ‘Thrones’ does really well is create villains you love to hate […]”
Finally, Dempsie was asked who he thinks should end up on the Iron Throne and rule over Westeros. In response to this question, Dempsie said that he would love to see Tyrion Lannister on the throne, as he believes that Tyrion’s compassion and background story would make him “a pretty good leader.”
With the climax of Game of Thrones steadily approaching, fans will soon find out who’ll end up as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. In the meantime, let’s take a look at what awaits Gendry and the others in the upcoming episode of Game of Thrones.
[Featured Image by HBO]
