With
a track record of spotting tomorrow’s stars, the hit show’s fifth series puts
the spotlight on newcomers Nell Tiger Free, Toby Sebastian and Jessica Henwick
When
the world premiere of the much-anticipated fifth series of Game of Thrones
takes place at the Tower of London on 18 March, it won’t only be fans queuing
to find out what happens next. The red-carpet event is expected to be attended
by most of the cast – and no one will be more excited than three largely
unknown British actors who are set to play a major role this season.
Jessica
Henwick, Toby Sebastian and Nell Tiger Free have all landed key parts in one of
this season’s most eagerly awaited plotlines – events in the much-discussed but
until now unseen Principality of Dorne, where a substantial part of the new
season is expected to take place.
Given
Game of Thrones’ track record in spotting the stars of tomorrow –
younger cast members have gone on to everything from big-budget blockbusters,
such as the latest X-Men movie, to critically acclaimed independent fare
– all eyes will be on Henwick, Sebastian and Tiger Free as their characters
manoeuvre their way through the always tricky politics of Westeros.
Of
the three, 22-year-old Henwick, who starred in the CBBC adventure series Spirit
Warriors before playing barrister pupil Amy Lang in the legal drama Silk,
is probably the best known. She has been cast as Nymeria Sand, one of Oberyn
Martell’s daughters, a group of not-to-be-messed-with warrior princesses known
as the Sand Snakes.
“We’d
auditioned Jessica a lot – including for the new Star Wars movie
[unconfirmed reports suggest she has a role in that film] – so I knew her
pretty well,” says Game of Thrones’ casting director, Nina Gold. “We
knew she’d be a good fit.”
Nell Tiger Free is one of three new
young British actors appearing in the new season of Game of Thrones. Photograph:
Simon Webster /Rex Features
Relative
newcomer Sebastian will play Oberyn’s nephew, Trystane Martell, and is better
known as a flamenco musician, though he has a small part in the forthcoming
action comedy Barely Lethal with Hailee Steinfeld and Jessica Alba.
“We
knew Toby more because he’d done a lot of music things in the past, but he has
a really romantic feel that just worked,” says Gold of the striking young
actor, whose part is thought to have been significantly changed from the books.
The
third member of the British trio, 15-year-old Nell Tiger Free, takes on the
role of Cersei Lannister’s daughter Myrcella, last seen being sent to Dorne as
part of a political marriage deal. She replaces Aimee Richardson in the role;
no explanation for the change has been given. “Nell is really brilliant,” says
Gold. “We’d seen her in [indie film] Broken and she had a great natural
style. She’s a very talented young actresswho’s going to go far.”
While
Game of Thrones has been celebrated for its astute casting of young
unknowns, most notably Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner who play the show’s
beleaguered Stark sisters, it’s not averse to the odd piece of big name
window-dressing. Earlier seasons have seen the likes of Diana Rigg and Charles
Dance take key roles and this season’s star catch is Jonathan Pryce, hot off
his turn as Cardinal Wolsey in Wolf Hall, which Gold also cast, and
playing a very different man of faith with a mission that will have lasting
repercussions for many in the capital of King’s Landing. “Now and then we have
the opportunity to cast someone with more of a profile,” says Gold. “I’d say
each season we get one really great well-known actor, and getting Jonathan was
really satisfying because he’s someone I’ve always wanted to cast.”
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The
other piece of eye-catching casting is that of former child star Keisha
Castle-Hughes, Oscar-nominated at 13 for The Whale Rider, who will play
the oldest Sand Snake, Obara. Castle-Hughes reportedly pushed for a role
because she was a fan of Martin’s books – and Gold admits they are inundated
with requests from people desperate to appear. “We do get amazing messages from
fabulous people saying they’d like a part – I saw Danny Dyer saying he’d been
turned back three times. I honestly don’t remember that but he must have been.
People are really keen to be on the show.”Not surprisingly, given the boost it
can give a career. Former Soldier Soldier star Jerome Flynn banished two
decades’ worth of Robson & Jerome memories with a swashbuckling turn as
cynical mercenary Bronn, while established stars from Stephen Dillane to Iain
Glen have carved out a part of Westeros to call their own.
“We
have so many conversations where we say, ‘Oh he’s very Game of Thrones but
what role?” Gold admits. “Generally we’re looking for people who are going to
bring something original to the part. With Jerome he hadn’t been that keen to
do stuff for a while, but the character and the world really appealed to him.
Similarly, [Scottish actor] Rory McCann really took his character [the
tormented royal bodyguard Sandor Clegane] and made it live.”
Does
she worry about getting it wrong? “We get a pretty good brief and then it’s
largely about instinct. Young actors are a risk because there’s so much growing
up and developing to do, and the men are generally harder because those parts
are so unlike 21st-century men. The trickiest was probably Oberyn Martell. We
try not to get wound up by negative feedback and [Chilean actor] Pedro Pascal was
really successful in the end, but he was the hardest to cast.”
