STACK Mar #137

30 / 99

visit DVD&BD FEATURE
30 MARCH 2016
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&
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A lthough he has been in
every season and has
probably interacted with
more characters in Game of
Thrones than anyone else,
Littlefinger has never enjoyed the
same sort of profile as some of
the series’ other main villains. In
some ways, that’s not particularly
surprising because he is the
consummate behind-the-scenes
player, quietly manipulating people
to advance his own ambitions.
However Aiden Gillen, who
plays the man otherwise known
as Petyr Baelish, takes issue
with the suggestion that he is
snake-like. “I don’t see him as a
snake or a creep, but I could see
why a character like Cersei or
another character would refer to
him as slithery or slippery,” says
the Irish actor, who first came to
prominence in another HBO series,
The Wire. “I’m just standing up for
Littlefinger as a human!”
To Gillen, it’s the game of
thrones rather than the throne
itself that motivates his character.
“I don’t see his ultimate goal
as ultimate power, as in sitting on
the throne and ruling,” he reasons.
“I think that’s maybe too boring
and too dangerous. The playing
of the game is a big part of what
makes him tick. He does enjoy it,
the manipulation, seeing his plans
come to fruition. But I believe
there’s also some humanity to
him. It hasn’t always been
nastiness. For instance,
those first scenes with
Ned Stark, he says, ‘Distrusting
me was the wisest thing you’ve
done’. It’s funny, but it’s true. He’s
not lying.”
In Season Five, Littlefinger
seeks to cement his alliance with
the Boltons by marrying Sansa to
the psychopathic Ramsay (Iwan
Rheon). Given that the family was
responsible for the slaughter of
her mother and brother at the
notorious Red Wedding,
it seems a particularly
despicable thing to do.
Gillen admits he
was surprised by the plot twist,
but excited by it, too, adding that
it is always interesting to enter
a new world and interact with
different characters. And he still
believes that Littlefinger genuinely
cares for Sansa.
“There’s always been a lot
of talk about the nature of that
relationship, how creepy or not
creepy that might be. I don’t think
there’s too much more to it than
the fact that she is the daughter of
Catelyn Stark, which explains why
he’s quite obsessed with her.
“But it’s with her well-being as
much anything else. Littlefinger is
not grooming Sansa, though he is
mentoring her. And it’s been quite
satisfying to see her really bloom
in that way and emerge as a
player. She’s probably playing him
as much as he’s playing her.”
Kiwi star Keisha
Castle-Hughes
joins the cast of
Game of Thrones
for the fifth season,
playing one of the
Sand Snakes, the
badass daughters
of the late Oberyn
Martell.
The New Zealand star,
best known for her Oscar-
nominated role in Whale Rider,
has been a fan of George R. R.
Martin’s fantasy series since
reading the books at school.
And the Sand Snakes were
among her favourite characters.
“I loved them,” she
enthuses. “They are definitely
some of the most badass
female characters in the books.
When Pedro Pascal turned up
as Oberyn Martell last season,
it was so exciting. I started
thinking that I could be related
to Pedro Pascal. I put it out
there into the universe; I got
in touch with my manager.
They announced that they
were auditioning the Sand
Snakes, and from that point on,
I became very persistent about
making sure anyone who was
involved in the show knew that
I was gunning for it.”
Castle-Hughes plays
Obara Sand, probably the
most warrior-like of the three
siblings. “Obara is the most like
Oberyn,” she agrees. “She’s
trained her entire life with him
to use the spear like he does.”
However, she adds: “Obara
is so goddamn serious all the
time and then the other two
are like, 'Chill out. Stop killing
people! Just relax.' Then
you’ve got Obara going, 'I don’t
understand why the two of you
aren’t taking this seriously'.”
AFINGER
INEVERY
PIE
Littlefinger has been one of Game of Thrones’ most ruthless
players, quick to double-cross – and even murder –
friends, loved ones and allies if it helps his cause.
However, Aiden Gillen reckons he is not all bad.
WHALEOF A
TIME
I don’t see him as a
snake or a creep