‘Glamour Magazine’ Interview

GLAMOUR MAGAZINE – We’re really sad not to see you in the new series of Game of Thrones – what are your favourite memories from being on set?
I was so fortunate; in the years that I was in Thrones we were able to shoot in Iceland. I think some of my favourite memories would have to be isolated, out there, surrounded by nothing but snow and ice. I just remember thinking [Iceland] is what I’d imagine the moon to be like. It was so vast.

You’re known to be sporty, but how did you find the more physical scenes? Could you handle it or did you find it tough?
I like to think that I can run, but I remember once running up and down through different terrains while on set in Iceland and I face planted. The director then decided to get a stunt double in just so that [Ygritte] looked like she knew how to handle all the different terrains. So yes, that was fairly difficult. But it hindsight it was relatively easy so it’s rather embarrassing that I fell over.

What do you do when a new episode of Game of Thrones comes out? Do you have any viewing rituals?
I geek out with my sister. I live with my younger sister and we are obsessed with it to the point where we get very, very excited every Monday night. Our ritual consists of popcorn and curling up on the sofa. You also have to make sure you’re comfortable.

Obviously the big ‘is he? Isn’t he?’ Jon Snow question has finally been answered; Did you know all along or was it a surprise for you, too?
It was! I was kind of just with everybody else: very happy to see him open his eyes and be awake. I was hoping, and I had an incling that that might be the case, but no, I wasn’t sure.

We can’t imagine how fun shooting must have been. Pleeeeeease tell us: What does a Game of Thrones night out look like?
I certainly remember the nights out when we were in shooting in Belfast and Iceland. That was, well… we’re talking about a bunch of actors [laughs]. Yes, there were some nights in the hotel bar, but it was all very causal. Also, my stamina is appalling so it was fairly bog standard.

You’ve tread the boards having done film, TV and stage work. What’s your favourite to do and why?
I was very fortunate to have gone to drama school in London for three years, and that was classical training in the sense that a lot of it was dominated by stage work, so I would love to go back to stage. But having said that, if you’re fortunate enough as an actor to get a job and if it’s a script that you respond to, you have to just go with your gut instinct and not think about what medium it is.

So Sky Box Sets Club is all about helping people geek out about their favourite shows… Is there any series that you’ve binge-watched recently? And why do you love it?
That’s got to be True Detectives. I absolutely loved watching it and it kind of had a heightened effect on me, as well. I was actually in Louisiana in New Orleans when I watched the first season, so that was a wonderful experience, also very frightening. I also loved the second season. And believe it or not, I’m also going to have to say Game of Thrones.

We’re big into books here at GLAMOUR. Do you read much and if so, what are you reading at the moment?
I do like to read! I’m currently reading Girl on a Train [by Paula Hawkins].

You’ve already had an amazing career, what have you got lined up next?
I’m doing a bit of theatre, I’m doing a Mike Bartlett play called Contractions. I’m very, very happy and lucky to be going back to the stage.

(source)