Exclusive Interview with Richard Madden

This exclusive interview with british actor Richard Madden was made available to us by HBO and Sky Germany. Richard, who started his acting career at the age of 13, plays Robb Stark on the HBO fantasy saga "Game of Thrones". In this interview he talks about Robb's journey from boy to king, gives some scoop about season 3 and shares his experience of meeting George R. R. Martin.

Note: © HBO/Sky/myFanbase 2014 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first 2 questions or up to 180 words if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the writer's name and link to this site.
Foto: Richard Madden, Game of Thrones - Copyright: 2013 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved.
Richard Madden, Game of Thrones
© 2013 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved.

1. "Game of Thrones" is a huge success - what is it like to be a part of this epic saga?

I have come of age as an actor during that time, mirroring my character, Robb, who develops into an assured, charismatic leader as the story unfolds. I went from being a young actor getting a great part in a big show, which I didn't expect, with more and more pressure being put on me as an actor, which I've really enjoyed and hopefully I've handled well and acquitted myself well. And that, in a way, is a similar journey to Robb's – he is a young man who has to step up and become a King, a leader. In Season 2, I was coming into my own as an actor just as Robb is coming to his own as a leader so there have been all of these parallels.

2. Your character Robb has been seperated from his whole family except his mother Catelyn. Has this caused a special bond between you and Michelle Fairley?

Playing Robb has been special and I've loved every minute of it, particularly my scenes with Michelle Fairley. We've become very good friends and you know, it's rare that you get to work with another actor for six months of the year, year after year. As actors we were thrust into this in Season One trying to make these relationships work and build trust - and we did. And so when I get on set and have scenes with Michelle and we work out ways how these characters change and develop, that's really special. Building great relationships like that has been really special for me and the trust that comes with that means that the work on screen can be more complex and subtle and more dramatic and hopefully, moving too.

3. Remind us of where Robb Stark was at the end of season two?

Robb has a woman, Talisa, in his life but more importantly he's kind of lost one too, his mother. And Robb has always needed wise heads to give him good counsel since this all started and he was forced into the position of taking up the mantel of leading the North.

4. He knows now that being a leader is a lonely job…

Yes he does. At the start of Season Two he was kind of pretending to be a King and a leader and by the end of it he was one. And those changes mean that he's no longer just reacting to people around him or armies coming at him. By the end of the Season he is a leader and he is the one making decisions, directing the people around him. He's in command.

Foto: Oona Chaplin & Richard Madden, Game of Thrones - Copyright: 2013 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved.
Oona Chaplin & Richard Madden, Game of Thrones
© 2013 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Has there been a price to pay?

Well at the end of the Season he suffered what he sees as a crushing betrayal. His mother, Catelyn, has let his captive, Jaime Lannister, escape in the custody of Brienne. He doesn't know what has happened to his brothers and sisters and the one family member he has with him, his mother, his blood, has betrayed him badly. He understands why she did it and he knows that she did it because in her heart she believed it was the right thing to do. But he is the King, the leader, and that's his focus, and she has undermined him. So I think he is in a very lonely place. And that plays into his relationship with Talisa. Even though his mother doesn't approve, I think Robb's attitude is, "screw it, I've done everything I should have done and it's not worked out. So I'm going to follow my heart and not my head for a change because following my head is not getting me anywhere." And I think that's a turning point for him.

6. Season Three hasn't aired in German free tv yet - can you give us some scoop about it?

Oh I think you can expect some more fantastic story telling because that's the power of George's work – he's created an incredible story that never ceases to grip the audience and it's full of characters who do unexpected things. We're in the hands of a master storyteller here and season three is, I think, as good if not better than previous seasons. He's dealing with the themes that have been there right from the start – the lust for power, betrayal, and dysfunctional families – it's all there.

7. Without giving too much away, it's a big Season for your character. Has that been challenging to play?

It's always challenging but it's always hugely enjoyable. And yes, there's a lot happening for Robb in this Season. I like Season Three because he's with his extended family at the start. He's with his family on his mother's side, the Tullys, who he hasn't seen in years. And it's strange to see Robb in a family situation again. And whereas before he was simply a nephew now his uncles have to kneel to him because he is their King. So it's a really strange family dynamic. We go to Riverrun (the Tully's ancestral home) for my grandfather's funeral and Robb's relationship with his mother is still very difficult because of what she did when she freed Jaime Lannister. And now she is at arm's length and no one is really close to him in the way that she once was – he's lost his true confidante. So like it or not he has to be the King and being the King is a lonely place to be. He has a lot of other problems too, not least because he has a dwindling army of men who are exhausted and starving. So when we start Season three, there's a great line where he says, "Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) knows exactly what he needs to do to make us unravel – nothing." So Robb is in a very perilous place.

Continue reading the interview with Richard Madden

Kommentare