Who should rule Westeros? Game of Thrones has spent five years and spilled several flagons’ worth of blood trying to figure that out. Wouldn’t it be much simpler just to ask the actors? So, at Wednesday’s season-five premiere in London, we asked a selection of GOT cast members whom they would like to see end up on the Iron Throne, as well as how they themselves would fare as rulers.
Alfie Allen (Theon)
“Daenerys. She was usurped by the Usurper! She rightfully owns the throne. She’d be a rowdy queen. Rowdy! If I had the throne, I’d melt it down into something more comfortable. Theon would just want free love, free love all ‘round, and me, I would just make sure everyone’s fed well. Something Game of Thrones–y, quail, pigeons, something game-y. Give them game!”
Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark)
“I’d love Tyrion to have it. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor, and Westeros needs to incorporate that into a lot of its policy. I’m not sure Bran himself could be a contender, but I think he definitely could exert some kind of influence on who might be able to get there eventually. If he did have the throne, well! That would be interesting to see, because as much as I’d like to think Bran is very morally grounded, which he is, it would be interesting, the effect that power would have on any child. As we saw with Joffrey, it wasn’t necessarily too good. If I, Isaac, had the throne, that would be a terrible idea! The world would collapse momentarily. It would be gone. But maybe I could change the world? Equality for everybody. Who knows?”
Kit Harington (Jon Snow)
“No one. No one. One thing we’ve said all along is that power corrupts, so why should anyone be on that throne? They should ditch the throne and start again. I wouldn’t be on the throne. Jon wants to be up North, in the cold, at the Wall. I think he’s one of the very few people who has no ambitions for power whatsoever.”
Nicolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)
“I think they should really abolish the monarchy in that world. It doesn’t really work out for them, does it? Too much killing.”
Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)
“Hodor. He’s as good as any of them! I love Hodor, I think he’s a great character. [He could rule the land] as well or better than any of the other characters, and perhaps less manipulatively. I wouldn’t sit in it. Power breeds bad stuff. Human nature just can’t deal with it. It turns into an evil black vulture that wants to prey on the weak, and consume it for its own ends. Deep, huh?”
Conleth Hill (Varys)
“Somebody out of left field, like Tommen. Tommen rules forever. Yeah! And he’ll do whatever his mom tells him. Or his wife. Me, I’d melt it down and make something more comfortable, with more cushions. It’s so tiny compared to the one in the book, but it’s still pretty impressive when you see it up close.”
Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne)
“Brienne of Tarth, ‘cause I work for her, and I need a job at the end of the day. I think Podrick could be quite a nice guy, fairly fair, and just. More taxes, so free education, free health care, that sort of stuff.”
Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth)
“Dude! I’m with Team Stannis! It’s got to be Stan the Man, doesn’t it? He’s the right man for the job! And I work for him. But if you go any lower, it should be Davos. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
Dean-Charles Chapman (King Tommen I Baratheon)
“I think Jaime Lannister, and people will go, ‘Why?!’ Because I think he’s a good person. At the beginning, you thought he was a bit iffy, but as the show’s gone on, I think he’d make a good king. Tommen, he’s young, and he’s got a lot to learn, and with Tywin’s death, it’s going to be hard to learn the right stuff that’s needed for the kingdom.”
Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton)
”The Boltons, obviously. Why? Really, if you look at us, we’re a pragmatic old family, we’ve been around a long time, and we deserve it. We just get some bad press, that’s all. How would they rule the land? It would be a quiet and peaceful land. He might soften in his old age, Roose.”
Ian Beattie (Meryn Trant)
”As a fan? Tyrion. He would be the best ruler. He is the most just, he is the most fair.”
Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Mace Tyrell)
“I’d say Mace. Of course! Why not? Who else? I’m the wealthiest man in the realm, I’m very certain in the way I work. [I’d rule] fairly, justly, I would look after my subjects, I would make them like me, and I would amuse [the people]. I’d put on opera evenings.”
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei)
“I have to be loyal to my girl. It’s got to be Daenerys. For me, it’s a strong female role, and she’s trying to make a difference. There’s a real human-rights movement around her story line, and it’s about equality, and not selling people or killing people just because you’re powerful. I guess that kind of goal you’d want for any ruler. I think she’d make laws like you can’t be sold into slavery, women can choose who they marry, you know. If I was the ruler, I’d have a similar goal as Daenerys — people not being slaughtered for no good reason!”
Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm)
“I’m biased, I’m going to say Dany. She’s firm but fair. That’s her rulership style. She’s got a good sense of justice, but don’t mess with her. I think she could be evil, but she’d switch back. She’s got a good moral compass. But I think it’s going to be a White Walker or something. Or a dragon! A dragon’s just going to be sitting there … It’d be surreal. I think Grey Worm would be fair, but he would be quite boring, to be honest with you. He’d say no swearing, no gum, no loud music after 11. It’d be really bureaucratic things. Really dull. Rules, rules.”
