'I would love a gruesome death'

Isaac Hempstead Wright plays Bran Stark, a young man with mystical powers, on the fantasy series Game Of Thrones, in which warring clans plot and scheme for the ultimate prize of the Iron Throne of Westeros.

What do you think Bran's role will be in the new season?

I think Bran could be quite crucial in being able to assist someone in his quest for Westeros. I don't think he will be the one who charges and takes the throne himself, but his powers have extraordinary enabling capabilities. I have no idea what he'll do, but I suspect he's one of the ones who has the capability to really cause an earthquake in Westeros and shake things up.

The trailer shows Bran standing with the white walkers. Does this mean he has recovered the use of his legs?

When they released the pictures, they said this is Bran in a vision and I don't think anybody saw that. They were like "Bran's standing!". There are some really cool visions with Bran this season.

What animal would you like to warg into and enter the mind of?

I'd love to be able to fly. If dragons were real, then I would do that. Sadly, no. I think I'd be like an eagle or something.

What have you learnt as Bran Stark?

Bran Stark is like one of those characters who faces extreme hardship. He always wanted to be a knight and then he's chucked out of a window and paralysed, and his family are all murdered and his home is burned down and he's taken to this really dangerous part of the north with two people he's only just met and he has to send his brother away.

He had the opportunity to meet again with Jon Snow and take the easy route out and not follow his mystical calling. He's a symbol of struggling through hardship and not taking anything for granted and a metaphor for pursuing exactly what you feel you should do.

If you had to be killed, how would you like to see your character go?

I would love a really gruesome death because then you get all the cool prosthetics and you get a decapitated head you can take home.

Who's your favourite character on the show?

You've got to love Tyrion (Lannister). He's funny and he's smart, which is something which often gets pushed aside in Westeros in favour of being stabbed, so it's refreshing to have a character there who's holding on and keeping his wits around.

What is your take on the death of Jon Snow, Bran Stark's half- brother, last season?

It was pretty shocking. They kill everyone, don't they? But nobody really wanted him to die. But again, that makes Game Of Thrones slightly different from the rest of it all. It isn't afraid to murder the characters that everyone loves and tune in for.

Who would you want to see on the throne at the end of the series?

I would quite like to see Sansa (Stark) on the throne. She's another character who's really had to put up with some horrendous things. She's really had to learn the way of the diplomat and she's been exposed to the politics of Westeros in a way that a few of the other characters haven't. I reckon she'd be very, very cunning and make a good queen. Nicer than Cersei (Lannister).

What are some of your most memorable scenes?

In season one, the scene where we first find the direwolf pups. Tollymore Forest, which is where we shot that, is the most idyllic, stunning forest vista I've ever seen.

Ned Stark's beheading scene was particularly freezing cold. A lot of people came and said: "Wow, Sean Bean (as Bran's father, Ned Stark) looks really cold, great acting".

It was freezing cold.

What is your favourite fan theory about Game Of Thrones?

I really like the one that Meera Reed (daughter of Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch) and Jon Snow are actually brother and sister.

But I haven't managed to get anything out of George R. R. Martin (the author of the books the series is based on) just yet.

Boon Chan

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 06, 2016, with the headline 'I would love a gruesome death'. Subscribe