We have a Sam!
With George R. R. Martin not around to drop clues, it was up to Manchester Metropolitan University’s website to break the news that graduate John Bradley-West has been cast as Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones.
A TALENTED Manchester student has been headhunted for a fantasy journey to ‘Middle Earth’!
John Bradley-West, 21, from Wythenshawe, has landed a dream part in the major new TV series Game of Thrones, starring Sean Bean and Lena Headey.
The show, based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, has been described as “The Sopranos in Middle Earth”, and is made for the HBO network which brought us Sex and The City and True Blood.
John, who graduates from MMU’s School of Theatre on July 16, is a graduate of Loreto College, Hulme and St Paul’s RC High School, Wythenshawe.
The article goes on to summarize the show’s plot and has a few quotes from the young theater grad himself.
John plays the role of nobleman’s son, Samwell Tarly, who lives in the shadow of his father and becomes a major character in the second series.
“He’s basically a downtrodden lad who, without giving too much away, comes good in the end,” says John who landed the part at his first audition outside MMU, and joins filming in Northern Ireland in mid-August.
Despite having major roles in MMU theatre productions, The Three Sisters and the Joe Orton farce Erpingham Camp, the Manchester actor admits playing alongside Hollywood actors is a major step up.
“I am going to have to draw upon every ounce of my training and hope I do a good job. That’s all I can do.”
The fantasy drama has generated enormous, online interest for a series at such an early stage and will be on our screens in Spring 2011.
Winter Is Coming: I have no doubt GRRM would have given us hints on this one, if he was around. Oh well, it is just as exciting when it comes out of the clear blue, if not more so. Based on the picture, I’d say this was a good choice. And based on GRRM’s comments awhile back about there being a couple of great auditions for Sam, it sounds like the acting talent is there as well. Welcome to the cast John!
[Hat tip to Westeros for being the first to find this.]
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