While most know Ed Sheeran for being a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer, he also has more than a few acting credits under his belt. Of course, his most high-profile performance is arguably his appearance on Game of Thrones. Sheeran appeared in the seventh season premiere as a Lannister soldier, a gig that followed years of discussions regarding a potential cameo for the entertainer. Now, in a new interview, the singer explained how the hit drama toyed with a major character’s death during his appearance.
Ed Sheeran talked about just about everything, from the British music scene to wine, during his recent appearance on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast. And of course, his appearance on the hit HBO series came up during the discussions. As Sheeran explained, one of the show's key stars, Maisie Williams, was a big fan of the British singer and that her character, Arya Stark, was actually going to meet her demise:
She’s always been awesome. I don’t think they had written the ending yet. It was meant to be her last season, but it wasn’t. And as a surprise for her, [they got] me on. So, she was meant to turn up on set, and I was by the fire. And she was meant to know her lines and everything.
The fact that Arya Stark’s ending could have been completely different comes as a major surprise. What's also surprising (but sweet) is that the producers brought in the singer just as a surprise for the actress. One can only imagine how excited she was to not only see him but get to work with him on the massive series. I'm glad the character and the actress ultimately remained with the show, but I can't help but wonder how things would've progressed had Season 7 been her last.
I'm also wondering what other tea the singer has from the Game of Thrones set. Surely four years after being on the show, which ended over two years ago, he’d be able to talk about everything, right? If anything, his recent reveal indicates that the creatives behind GoT didn't mind being flexible with the narrative. And thank goodness for that, in this case.
It's honestly still scary to think that Maisie Williams could have been written out of the show earlier than expected. But after hearing this story, I only appreciate her and her character more. Her Arya Stark was a big part of GoT and managed to make a serious impact, so I'm definitely glad that she was able to be on the series until the end. I'd be curious to hear any other secrets Ed Sheeran would be willing to divulge. I personally wouldn't be surprised if he has another whopper or two he's not speaking about.
You can revisit Game of Thrones by streaming the series on HBO Max, and check out CinemaBlend's fall 2021 TV schedule for info on new and returning shows.
