WARNING: The following contains spoilers from season 8 ofGame of Thrones.
Vladimír Furdík, a Slovak actor, has played the Night King since the series’ sixth season, when he took over for Richard Brake. However, his origins in both the HBO hit show and prior films aren’t acting roles, but rather stunt roles.
Furdík, 48, has a long history of doing stunts in films. He appeared in movies such asSherlock Holmes,Skyfall, Spartacus, andThor: The Dark Worldstrictly as a stunt double, at times not even being credited for his role. In 2015, he transitioned to the small screen when he landed his firstGame of Thronesgig.
The actor started off as a stunt double and a stunt supervisor, specifically in season 5’s epic “Hardhome” episode, as he explained in an interview withEntertainment Weeklyin March.
HBO; Jakob Ratz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty
“When we did season 5, I was the White Walker who fought Jon Snow — the first time Jon Snow killed a White Walker, that was me,” he explained toEW. “After that, [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] asked if I’d play the Night King for seasons 6 through 8. I never asked why. Maybe they were happy with what I did in season 5.”
Upon assuming the role, Furdík was involved in the series much more frequently, especially the show’s mostrecent episode, which saw the end of the Night King’s reign of terror at the hands of Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). However, much of the character’s backstory still remains a mystery, and with just three episodes left in the series, it’s unclear how much fans will learn about him.
“He never wanted to be the Night King,” Furdík explained toEWregarding his character’s intentions. “I think he wants revenge. Everybody in this story has two sides — a bad side and a good side. The Night King only has one side, a bad side.”
“Not often,” he said of being recognized. “Sometimes. Many people ask me: ‘Can you please kill Jon Snow?’ It’s very interesting. Sometimes I watch YouTube reactions after the season airs. Fifty percent of people love the Night King and 50 percent of people hate him.”
Game of Thronesairs Sundays (9 p.m. ET) on HBO.
source: people.com
