Entertainment

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Says This 'Game Of Thrones' Scene Was Even Too Violent For Him, &, Um, Same

by Nathan Diller

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's time in the Seven Kingdoms is almost over. In an interview with Variety published on Wednesday, the Game of Thrones star opened up filming the show's last season, and Coster-Waldau said he'd shot his final scene as Jaime Lannister. He also revealed the one Game of Thrones scene that was so violent, even he couldn't bring himself to watch it.

Game of Thrones is known for shocking viewers, but sometimes the show was just a little too much, even for the actors. Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Coster-Waldau admitted that he couldn't watch when young princess Shireen Baratheon, played by Kerry Ingram, was burned at the stake. As he said at the festival, he thought it "was just cruel. I understand why they did it, but I just couldn’t watch it. And it was difficult to even read."

He also noted that he found the controversial scene in which seven-year-old Robin Arryn, played by Lino Facioli, is breastfed "so weird and wrong on every level," but that the show always struck a delicate balance, weaving in startling but plot-driven moments.

The actor, who plays the gallant warrior and incestuous royal on HBO's hit series, also revealed that he had shot what would be Jaime Lannister's final scene on the series. Though he did not give too many details, the actor did hint that Jaime might not be featured in the final scene of the series, according to Variety.

Coster-Waldau also said that while shooting Season 8 has been more ardous than past seasons, he couldn't be happier with the way creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff wrapped up Jaime's storyline. "They just couldn’t have done a better job on ending our story,” he said. "We've worked harder than ever before. We spent twice as much shooting these six episodes than we did on two full seasons before. No expense has been spared. We've gone all in." The actor, it should be noted, may have shot Jaime's last scene, but Coster-Waldau still has some work to do before he's done with Game of Thrones for good. "I don't think it'll ever be gone from my life. I’m going back to Belfast next week,” the actor said. "I'm not 100% done, but I've shot the last scene with me."

Coster-Waldau and his co-stars have been dropping hints here and there about what the show's final season will be like. In the Season 7 finale, the Kingslayer decided to leave his sister Cersei, played by Lena Headey, to fight in the Great War. And while Coster-Waldau hasn't give any specifics about what's next for Jaime and Cersei, during a previous interview at the Cannes Film Festival, the actor said, "I also know that we end the right way and the show ends on its own terms," according to WinterIsComing.net.

He continued, "When I read the scripts for the last season, I was like, 'Wow, they really pulled it off.' It’s one story from Season 1 to 9 and it makes sense."

Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark on the show told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2017 that the finale will "hit hard," but it won't satisfy every viewer. "It won't go the way some people want," he told the publication. "It will be too happy for some people, or too sad, or too whatever. That's the nature of an ending."

Emilia Clarke's comments on the show's final season raised some concern from fans about the fate of her character, Daenerys. In a May cover story, she told Vanity Fair that she, too, had filmed her final Game of Thrones scene, and that it "f**ked me up." She continued, "Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is ...," before trailing off, leaving fans with plenty of questions about what Season 8 will bring for the young queen.

Coster-Waldau's comments - and those of his castmates - make it clear that the end of the show is near, but viewers likely won't get any concrete answers about what happens until the episodes air in 2019.