Denise Gough has found incredible success in the first season of Andor on Disney+ but she likely would not have been available to play the role of Imperial officer Dedra Meero if the Game of Thrones prequel Bloodmoon had been picked up. It was something of a shock to fans when the potential spinoff was not taken to series, but Gough looks back on the pilot very positively, and says she wasn’t that shocked the show did not go forward.
It wasn’t exactly a shock when we learned that HBO was contemplating multiple spin offs of Game of Thrones to follow up on the original show’s incredible success. The shock came when, after filming a pilot for one of those shows, Bloodmoon, which was to be set thousands of years before the original series, the decision was made not to go forward. Gough tells THR that she looks back at the experience of pilot fondly, but the fact that it wasn’t picked up was not a shock to her. She explains…
It was wonderful, without a doubt; I was able to work alongside some incredible people. In the end, though, things did not go well. And the point is that this kind of thing happens all the time. Perhaps people think that, this being Game of Thrones, the news of its cancellation are devastating.
Gough is probably right that the fact that we were talking about a new Game of Thrones show probably played a big part in the surprise that came with the prequel not going to series. There was probably an expectation that HBO was so likely to green light a new GOT series that everything would be thrown into it to help make it a success.
In the end, HBO decided to focus efforts on a different prequel series, House of the Dragon, and so far that looks to have been a solid call as that show has been a monster hit for HBO. And everything worked out for Hough, she landed on her feet, getting the call for Andor shortly after learning Bloodmoon wasn’t happening. She sees it all as working out the way it was supposed to. She continues…
For me, everything happens for a reason and everything happens the way it’s supposed to. When our pilot episode wasn’t chosen, when the production didn’t go forward, I didn’t feel devastated. Because, obviously, it wasn’t destined to happen. So, I went back home, to the theater, and then I was contacted by, if possible, an even bigger franchise. I found a role that is closer to those I usually play.
At this point it’s hard to argue with Denise Gough. House of the Dragon and Andor are both hits, and even if Bloodmoon had turned out well in the end, Andor would be all the poorer if Gough wasn’t there. One certainly hopes that the character of Dedra will return for Season 2.
