In the run-up to the much-anticipated final season of HBO's Game of Thrones, which debuts April 14, Entertainment Weekly has been speaking with several prominent cast and crew behind the show. Their latest interview is with Vladimir Furdik, who originally joined the show to perform stunts before eventually taking on the role of the menacing Night King. Speaking about how he got the role, he also gave a small but tantalizing tease of Season 8.
"When we did Season 5, I was the White Walker who fought Jon Snow[in'Hardhome']—the first time Jon Snow killed a White Walker, that was me," Furdik said. "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." Before that, Furdik could be seen performing in sword fights among other stunts.
"Every director has a different vision of how to play him," Furdik said of what acting directions he usually gets when playing the Night King. "Dan and David want him to be like a cold man, some of the directors want to show that there’s some human in him." When playing the Night King, Furdik is seldom seen blinking, and he said that's conscious choice. "Yes, many times they ask me don’t try to blink your eyes. This is very difficult," he added.
As for what fans can expect from the Night King in the final season, Furdik explained, "People will see he has a target he wants to kill, and you will find out who that is." From there he also teased another moment between the Night King and Jon Snow, adding, "There’s also that moment [in 'Hardhome'] when Jon Snow was on the boat and the Night King looked at him and raised his arms—there’s a similar and even stronger moment between Jon and the Night King this time."
Perhaps more exciting, however, he said his all-time favorite Night King scene is "still coming."
