This GoT Star Was Relieved When His Character Got Killed: 'I Was Happy to Move On'
Thought the actors were sad to leave Game of Thrones? Yes, but not this particular actor.
On April 17, 2011, the first episode of Game of Thrones aired on HBO. Viewers finally saw the Stark, Baratheon, Lannister, and Targaryen families on screen and got their first glimpse of the intrigue that has been woven in the Seven Kingdoms since Robert’s Rebellion.
One of the essential parts of the show, and one of the ingredients of its unprecedented success, was the twists and turns and unexpected deaths. The most prominent example of this is, of course, the Red Wedding, which has already gone down in television history as one of the most shocking and violent scenes.
The story of Robb Stark, played by Richard Madden, ended just then – in the ninth episode of the third season. It would seem that actors should be upset to leave such a popular show, but Madden, oddly enough, felt that his character was killed off just in time and was also happy to end his journey in Game of Thrones:
“I was happy to move on from that and work through the rest of my twenties doing other jobs, other characters. There’s a restraint that comes from doing these television shows because sometimes you can’t – you’re not allowed to do other things.”
In fact, Madden’s acting career on and after Game of Thrones looks like a win-win situation. He spent just as much time on Game of Thrones to go down in the show's history, and was able to keep the success and popularity in his own hands after leaving the series.
After Game of Thrones, Richard was literally inundated with offers to collaborate. In 2012, he starred in Philip Martin's military drama Birdsong, and after that, the actor's filmography was replenished with Lady Chatterley's Lover, in which Richard played the role of Oliver Mellors.
At the same time, the actor played the prince in Cinderella with Lily James and Cate Blanchett.
Then Richard took part in three really big projects – the biographical drama Rocketman, the military movie 1917 and the Marvel film Eternals, where his co-star was Angelina Jolie.
Source: Variety