There’s no denying that Game of Thrones has been the home of several characters that would be held up as absolute monsters of the modern world. But for all of Melisandre’s dastardly advising and Joffrey’s impish impulses, only one person in the Seven Kingdoms immediately draws comparisons to the real world’s biggest abomination, Adolf Hitler, and it’s obviously House Bolton’s resident castrating rapist Ramsay Bolton. And it might not surprise you to learn that actor Iwan Rheon’s next gig will see him playing the notorious fuhrer for an upcoming TV movie called Adolf the Artist. Do we call this art imitating art, or what?
Iwan Rheon seems to understand that his Game of Thrones character’s innate awfulness might have some kind of guiding pull on his career. Here’s how he put it in a recent interview.
I’m playing a young Hitler. Oh, I’m typecast already!
At least he’s playing a younger version of Adolf Hitler, I guess, since that version of the future world leader hadn’t yet unleashed any sadistic plans on entire populations. (Although that sadly means no Downfall-ish memes.) He won’t be able to go Full Ramsay when he’s just kicking about trying to make a name for himself as an artist, but I’m betting he doesn’t take rejection well in the slightest.
Set to air on Sky Arts, Adolf the Artist is a satirical look at the young Hitler as he struggles with getting recognized for his non-genocide talents, as well as his frustration with not getting into the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. The comedic TV flick will juxtapose the mustachioed pre-madman with the more freewheeling, boozy and sexually open art scene of the early 20th century, and Rheon could possibly add some pathos to the foils of an attention-seeker in the years before he became the most important person on the planet. (Assuming we all live in opposite world.) Plus, Rupert Grint will be in there as well, playing close friend August Kubizek.
Of course, just because he’s not doing heinous things as Hitler doesn’t mean Iwan Rheon is done with debauchery. He told the New York Times that his character will get into “very bad things” this season on Game of Thrones. It’s a description that would just sound vague in terms of most characters, but when we’re talking about Ramsay Bolton, there are no clear bounds on where the badness stops.
Will Iwan Rheon’s Hitler compare to Charlie Chaplin’s portrayal in The Great Dictator? Probably not, but this still looks to be an intriguingly singular take on a man whose mere name inspires ire and rage. Meanwhile, Ramsay will be coming back (and possibly dying, but probably not) when Game of Thrones debuts Season 6 on HBO on Sunday, April 24. To see when everything else is coming to TV over the coming months, check out our summer TV schedule.
