Game of Thrones isn't exactly known as the most hilarious show ever to hit the airwaves, and Season 7 was chock full of very serious scenes, including the one in which Dany arrived in Westeros for the very first time. The Mother of Dragons had spent six seasons building armies and allies to retake the Iron Throne in the Targaryen name, and she was finally setting foot on the shores of the Seven Kingdoms. According to one Game of Thrones star, however, Dany's arrival in Westeros wasn't all that serious behind-the-scenes. Jacob Anderson plays Grey Worm on the show, and he told CinemaBlend this about filming the scene:
It was so exciting. Being on that beach, it felt very weighted. And I think as well you can forget sometimes while you're shooting the show, you can forget the weight of some of the story moments. The reality of actually being on the other side of the world was definitely not lost on us. Although on one of the days that we were shooting on that beach, I found a megaphone which I think belonged to the director, Jeremy Podeswa, and I picked it up and started singing to everyone. As weighted as it was, I still had fun. I say that I treated it with a lot of respect and a lot of the weight that it deserved, but I also really enjoyed messing about with a megaphone on the beach. And Conleth Hill had these amazing pink earmuffs and he looked like sort of a Mario character or something.
Just because Dany and her crew had to be somber didn't mean the actors couldn't have fun! Jacob Anderson spoke with CinemaBlend in support of the December 12 release of Game of Thrones Season 7 on Blu-ray and DVD, which can be found in the HBO Shop and other retailers everywhere. Filming Dany's arrival on Dragonstone evidently felt as weighted and momentous as was warranted after six seasons of buildup, but there were still some shenanigans when the camera wasn't rolling. Director Jeremy Podeswa apparently lost his megaphone to Anderson for a while so Anderson could serenade everybody on set. It's certainly fun to imagine Conleth Hill in those pink earmuffs, if only because Varys would never wear such an accessory. Then again, perhaps Varys' ears don't get as cold.
Jacob Anderson singing to the folks on set must have been enjoyable, as he is a professional singer-songwriter and rapper when he's not bringing Grey Worm to life on Game of Thrones. We can bet that there was no off-key version of "The Rains of Castamere" or "Bear and the Maiden Fair" being bellowed on the beach. If anybody was going to start singing into a megaphone, the professional singer was probably the one that everybody could enjoy. Really, the cast deserves even more kudos for their performances in the scene now that we know that there was some silliness on set.
In case you've forgotten just how the scene goes, you can check it out here:
Grey Worm didn't have the smoothest Season 7 following the arrival in Westeros. For pretty much the first time, the Unsullied found themselves facing an enemy they didn't understand and had never faced before, and they suffered a crippling defeat at Casterly Rock. Jacob Anderson spoke about how the battle at Casterly Rock affected Grey Worm and should impact how the Unsullied fight moving forward. Their fighting style may have some key differences in Season 8.
We probably have a while to wait before we see anything out of Season 8, however, as actress Sophie Turner recently stated that Game of Thrones won't be back until 2019. You can pass the time by rewatching (and checking out some fun special features) with the Game of Thrones Season 7 Blu-ray and DVD sets. Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark) also spoke with us about one of the biggest plot twists of Season 7, so be sure to take a look.
For your other viewing options in the coming weeks, swing by our fall TV guide and our 2018 midseason TV premiere guide. Our breakdown of 2017 TV cancellations can fill you in on all the projects that got the axe over the past year.
