Inside HBO's Game of Thrones

by C. A. Taylor

  Many years before the Targaryen invasion, House Martell successfully united the bundle of conflicted Dornish states. Lord Mors Martell married Nymeria, a Rhoynar warrior queen, and the alliance of their forces was unstoppable. Afterward, Dorne adopted a number of Rhoynar customs, such as calling their rulers “princes” rather than “kings” and allowing the oldest child to inherit titles and lands regardless of gender. Eventually, House Martell allied with House Targaryen through marriage, and Dorne became one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, while still retaining an unprecedented level of independence from the Iron Throne.

  Sadly, not all such alliances in Westeros end so peacefully. Elia Martell was wed to Rhaegar Targaryen and bore him two beautiful children, but when Rhaegar abandoned his wife and kidnapped Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark’s sister, it helped spark Robert’s Rebellion, which ended in the overthrow of the Targaryen dynasty. During the final siege of King’s Landing, Lannister forces raped and killed Elia and murdered her two children, the rumored actions of the Mountain. Afterward, House Martell withdrew from all alliances, left the capital, and nursed a deep mistrust and hatred of the Lannisters.

  Fiercely independent, Dorne’s support remains vital to the security of the crown. To help secure House Martell’s support, Tywin Lannister arranged a marriage between Cersei’s daughter Myrcella and one of the Dornish princes. In recent years, little has been seen from Dorne except its wine, but when the royal wedding between King Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell is announced, a Dornish delegation arrives in King’s Landing to join the festivities and revisit unsettled scores. Elia’s brother, the seductive and earthy prince Oberyn Martell, has decided this is an excellent opportunity to visit the capital, with an agenda all his own.

  House Martell family tree.

  OBERYN MARTELL

  “People everywhere have their differences. In some places, the highborn frown upon those of low birth. In other places, the rape and murder of women and children is considered distasteful.”

  —Oberyn Martell

  Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) is the younger brother of the current Prince of Dorne, Doran Martell. A famed warrior, Oberyn is known as much for his lusty appetites as he is for his prowess in battle. He has fathered eight illegitimate daughters in Dorne, all of whom he loves and protects. Traveling with his bastard-born paramour Ellaria Sand, Oberyn is ostensibly in King’s Landing for the Royal Wedding, but he makes little secret of his true purpose: to discover the truth about the rape and murder of his sister Elia at the hands of the Mountain and, he suspects, on the orders of Tywin Lannister.

  Brute strength wins out over determination and grace as the Mountain and Oberyn Martell duel.

  PEDRO PASCAL (OBERYN MARTELL): Coming onto an established show can be incredibly daunting, especially when you have to play someone as badass as Oberyn Martell. There were a lot of things to think about in terms of Oberyn’s mind-set: living passionately, not caring about what anyone thinks or does, not compromising, having such a single focus and pursuing it relentlessly, while still somehow being a decent human being. He’s a man that seems made of contradictions. He’s driven by hate, but he’s a great father and a loyal life partner. He’s impulsive. He has a cold fury and a charm. He can seduce you or kill you. He’s uncompromising and painfully honest. It’s a decision he has made. He will not compromise on anything that he thinks or feels, and because of that he knows he won’t live very long. It doesn’t make any sense to him to not live that way. It’s not worth it to him.

  ALEX GRAVES (DIRECTOR): The way I see the character, he’s a hedonist because he’s so tortured by what has happened. He’s also a thorn in Tywin Lannister’s side. He’s a seriously dangerous guy. Pedro is so adorable and likeable; what he managed to do was humanize the character in such a significant way that it becomes even more interesting to watch.

  — finding oberyn —

  * * *

  Casting a show like Game of Thrones has particular challenges. In the books, George R. R. Martin has created a world of vivid, immense detail, with extensive histories, exotic cultures, and unique characters. Finding the right actors to play each role requires fulfilling both the needs of the story as well as the imaginations of viewers.

  * * *

  Oberyn Martell played by Pedro Pascal.

  FRANK DOELGER (PRODUCER): David and Dan have written exceptional parts for actors, and Nina Gold’s and Robert Sterne’s taste is excellent, so we really were in a privileged position of just seeing the actors and deciding who fits in. We look at different acting styles and for the right look. Some actors seem quite modern, others are comfortably period. Some people are wonderful, but for some reason don’t seem believable in this world. Others are perfect for the world, but don’t have quite the right acting style—it’s about bringing the right people into this beautiful world that has been created.

  ROBERT STERNE (CASTING DIRECTOR): We knew that the character of Oberyn was the character event of the season. Part of his importance was that he was the introduction to an entirely new part of the world, namely Dorne. We knew that we were looking for someone Mediterranean, Egyptian, or South American who could fight and would really bring sensuality to the role.

  PEDRO PASCAL (OBERYN MARTELL): When I got the audition, I felt it was an unobtainable gig. I was highly aware of the show and was completely up to date. For three seasons I allowed myself to be emotionally traumatized because I had to see what was going to happen to Joffrey. Then I get the audition sides and found out how and when he was going to die. I genuinely thought the fourth season was ruined for me.

  I had filmed my first audition on my iPhone, and David and Dan wrote me this extremely generous and articulate email asking me to film it again to show a different color in Oberyn. I call it generous because they took the time to really communicate with someone they hadn’t met, but who they thought might fit into their vision. So I taped it again—not on the iPhone this time! In my head, I was still a million miles away from getting the role. Eventually I was flown out to Belfast to meet with everyone. I took it as a good sign when I was going to stunt rehearsals and costume fittings when I arrived. It was only when it was made official that I dared tell anyone I got the part.

  — costuming dorne —

  Costume designs for the Dornish.

  * * *

  In the southernmost region of Westeros lies the exotic and seductive kingdom known as Dorne. Made up of large expanses of mountains, stretches of vast desert, and rich coastal lands, Dorne is a kingdom of luxury and indulgence. The warmest climate on the continent inspires a very different feel to the highly constructed fashions of King’s Landing.

  * * *

  MICHELE CLAPTON (COSTUME DESIGNER): The costumes for Oberyn Martell and Ellaria Sand are some of my favorites this season. The introduction of Dorne is something I’ve been waiting for, and I’ve been deliberately holding back on using their colors—the ochre yellow and the wonderful tans. We wanted them to have very distinctive looks; it’s incredibly important to have those immediate visual cues to help you as the viewer. It was great to have these two characters lead into the next season, when we’ll be going to Dorne and we’ll have a chance to really push things creatively.

  There are a lot of Indian influences, particularly with these fabrics. We sourced a lot of the fabric for the Dornish characters in India. I like the sand-washed silks, the weight of it and the depth of color.

  Ellaria was an immensely interesting character to me. I think she moves a bit like a sidewinder—I always picture her disappearing over a dune or something. I liked the strength of her outfit, being able to lift the cape away to this very simple, sensual elegance, cut to the navel without revealing too much. It’s a very assertive piece, both in movement and color. I love to think of what Cersei’s reaction is when she sees it—after all, her daughter is now in Dorne.

  Despite the substantial nature of some of the fabrics and the inclusion of metal sigils, Oberyn’s costumes were in some ways quite feminine. There is s
omething about the way that Pedro [Pascal] wore it, his masculinity, his total lack of fear of the feminine element, that made it so strong and deeply masculine on him.

  His armor was one of my favorites of all the armors—the contrast between the weight of the Mountain’s armor versus the lithe soft leather covering during the duel is visually exciting. Giampaolo [Grassi, the armor master,] and his assistants stamped all the leather with the design and hand cut all the elements. Being able to talk about it on the dummy, manipulate it around the shape of the body, the changes in the ratio of the symbols— it evolved in the workroom, and their input is immense. I think being part of that process leads to some of the most creative work. You can make replicas of Roman armor forever, and it can be beautiful, but it’s not the same.

  [top] Oberyn and Ellaria adorned in the rich colors of the Dornish style. [bottom left] Ellaria’s costume realized. [bottom right] The influence of the desert snake scales can be seen in Oberyn’s lightweight armor.

  Sansa escapes from King’s Landing.

  — filming in croatia —

  Hotel Belvedere transformed into the dueling arena.

  * * *

  Though filming in Northern Ireland can provide many things, the vast world that George R. R. Martin has created in Game of Thrones includes an abundance of different environments—some of which require slightly better guaranteed climates. In previous years, parts of Westeros and Essos have been found in locations which included Malta and Morocco, but season four concentrated filming in just three countries: Iceland, Northern Ireland, and Croatia. Two cities in Croatia played significant roles: Dubrovnik hosted several scenes in King’s Landing, providing the alleys Sansa escapes through, the site of the Royal Wedding, and the amphitheater for the fateful trial by combat between the Mountain and Oberyn Martell. The amphitheater set was built out of the remains of the famous Hotel Belvedere, which was heavily shelled during battles that took place in October 1991. Farther north, the city of Split stood in for Meereen, the slave city that becomes Daenerys’s latest conquest, an entirely new location for the Game of Thrones team.

  * * *

  DUNCAN MUGGOCH (UK PRODUCTION MANAGER): Working with Embassy Films in Croatia is extremely helpful. For much of the Croatian crew, working on the show is more of a summer job—the film production industry is still in its infancy. There is a core group of professional film people that work on everything. The logistics of filming in some of the locations are incredibly complex—250 people arriving with trucks in a city that isn’t built for it can cause chaos. Dubrovnik is such a beautiful city. They are very welcoming. I give [line producer] Erika Milutin a huge amount of credit for that.

  Of all our locations, I’m thrilled with the way the amphitheater turned out—it began as a bombed-out, 1970s, graffiti-filled hotel overlooking the bay and became something unrecognizable.

  Split had its own challenges. The city was not a place that had experienced filming on anything like our scale before. Finding things like caterers was something of a challenge. There is no extras agency, but we were able to do everything within the company. We had open calls and trawled the streets for people who might fit the more particular requirements, like the Unsullied. There is such a passion that surrounds the show that many people traveled to Croatia to be involved. It was quite an international crowd in the end.

  DEB RILEY (PRODUCTION DESIGNER): When we discovered the city of Split, and more particularly the Fortress at Klis, it really informed the design of Meereen in a way that I’m not sure could have been achieved through just books and trawling the Internet. Klis gave us just enough architecture to build around it and create Meereen.

  With Dubrovnik there is a very particular look that is resonant of King’s Landing and that is clear in previous scenes. When we traveled north to Split, there was a feeling that this could be the basis for Meereen: there was a different color to the rock. There was a beautiful organic nature to it, with wild sage growing out from the brick.

  The unknowing delivery of a poisoned chalice.

  — the death of joffrey —

  episode 402: “the lion and the rose”

  “A royal wedding is not an amusement. A royal wedding is history.”

  —King Joffrey

  Concept art for the Sept of Baelor dressed for the wedding.

  * * *

  With the royal wedding between King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell, a new alliance is formed that promises to finally bring lasting security to King’s Landing. Tywin Lannister and Lady Olenna Tyrell have gotten their way, and all seems well. The wedding participants leave the Sept of Baelor to join the crowds of guests for a celebratory feast of epic proportions.

  Yet Joffrey’s pleasure often rests in others’ pain, and at the feast he hosts a spectacle designed to humiliate both his former fiancée Sansa Stark and his uncle Tyrion. A troupe of performing dwarves burst through the lion’s head stage and reenact the War of the Five Kings and the death of Robb Stark in the most vulgar fashion. Joffrey also demands that Tyrion, antagonized beyond reason, service him as a cupbearer, but timing is everything. Secretly poisoned by his drink, Joffrey begins to choke, dying in agony before the horrified crowd and his stunned family.

  In the confusion of Joffrey’s death, Sansa escapes with Ser Dontos, a man she believes she can trust, unaware that her flight makes her appear guilty of murder. Tyrion, too shocked to move, is immediately seized for regicide at the command of an hysterical Cersei.

  * * *

  JACK GLEESON (JOFFREY BARATHEON): There is no question that Joffrey had to die in a way that was something like this. He can’t just fall off a ladder and go splat. The audience needs and also really deserves a nice drawn out choking death. It’s the most painful way one can imagine to die, and it’s shown in a very visceral way, so it offers something of a catharsis for all the years of Joffrey that have come before.

  PETER DINKLAGE (TYRION LANNISTER): When Joffrey dies, it is the worst possible timing for Tyrion. The wedding celebrations begin with a humiliating pageant, and then Joffrey is killed. I honestly don’t think Tyrion saw either coming, however much he might have hoped for the latter.

  LENA HEADEY (CERSEI LANNISTER): Even before Joffrey dies, Cersei’s world is beginning to crumble. She began the series as an invincible force, married to the king and very much in control. That has begun to shift. She’s hugely threatened by Margaery, this beautiful young girl who is taking Joffrey’s attention. She knows she is losing her grasp on him. He can’t really be controlled. When he dies, Cersei comes apart in a way you would never expect. It’s the beginning of a descent into madness. Being a parent is both a gift and a curse—there is no love like that of a parent for their child. You open yourself to something extraordinary. When I was lying over his body, I was thinking of the loss of no longer having Jack around—this warm, funny, intelligent being, so beyond me in wisdom. I couldn’t look at him on the day without tearing up. Cersei was Joffrey’s one true ally, and he never saw it. Now she’s completely alone.

  With his dying breath, Joffrey makes an accusation.

  NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU (JAIME LANNISTER): Cersei’s reaction is that of a mother who has lost her son. Jaime’s isn’t. I don’t believe Jaime has ever had that connection with Joffrey. He’s never been blind to what sort of person Joffrey is. His reaction is for her. There is no love lost.

  BRYAN COGMAN (CO-PRODUCER AND WRITER): Cersei has devoted her entire life to the advancement and protection of her children, particularly first-born Joffrey. I love the way Lena played the scene—but it’s consistent with how she’s always played Cersei. She’s never a villain, never the ice queen. She’s a flesh-and-blood person who loves her family and feels the same all-consuming grief at losing Joffrey that a “heroic” character like Catelyn felt at losing Robb.

  PETER DINKLAGE (TYRION LANNISTER): Cersei truly believes Tyrion was guilty; there is no question. She loves her children so much. She is a true scorpion to defend them. The madness that comes with
it makes sense. The instant she believes it, she is pure venom. Everyone else is simply following the big fat liar that is Tyrion’s father.

  DAVID BENIOFF AND D. B. WEISS (CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS AND WRITERS): Although Joffrey’s death was indeed grotesque, it wasn’t meant to be triumphant. We knew many people would take it that way, but it’s not played as a victory. If we’d ended the episode on Joffrey’s death, it might have, but the accusatory fingers point right at Tyrion before we have time to savor Joffrey’s demise. For Joffrey’s final moments, Jack and Lena stripped their characters down to the bone—he was a son in trouble begging his mother for help, and she was the mother who couldn’t help her son when he needed her most. Something definitely snaps in Cersei at this moment—her “anger” phase kicks in right away, and hits Tyrion head-on.

  JACK GLEESON (JOFFREY BARATHEON): In terms of the experience, the run up to my death was great fun to do. The actual death was very technical—we had different stages of makeup, and everything had to be shot repeatedly, so it was a little harder to do. For me, though, it was wonderful to be able to do my final scenes with so many of the cast around me, just to be able to see them all before I went.