Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on brotherly love, and thwarting Tywin Lannister

When Tyrion Lannister demanded a trial by combat, it certainly threw a wrench in Jaime’s plans, as he watched the deal that he had made with his father turn to dust before his eyes. No longer able to help his brother, Jaime was forced to admit that he couldn’t take on a stable boy, let alone The Mountain, and the only thing left to do was share a twisted laugh, and let the Gods (and one very motivated Dornish man) decide Tyrion’s fate.

In a recent interview with Vulture, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau discusses why Jaime was so willing to give up everything to save Tyrion’s life, their damaged relationship with their father, and both Jaime and Bronn’s inability to represent Tyrion as his champion.

Jaime was willing to break his oath and change his whole path to save his brother’s life. Why was he willing to go to Casterly Rock if Tywin allowed Tyrion to take the black?
You know, they don’t have that many friends or that many people they can trust, these guys. I guess you could say Jaime has one other person [Brienne], but she left King’s Landing. And Tyrion, he loves him. He’s one of the few people that gives him love back. And he’ll do anything for his brother. There’s no question about it. I love it. I think it’s beautiful. And of course, [Tyrion heading to the Wall] was too good to be true. I bet a lot of people thought, Oh, this will be cool. We’ll have Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister back together again. But of course nothing is ever straightforward on this show.

[During the trial scene] it was like there was this glint in Peter Dinklage’s eye, because Tyrion knew that he was thwarting Tywin on multiple levels.
Yeah. It’s all about getting back at Dad, because his hatred is so big. Happy Father’s Day! [Laughs.] I think they skip that day in Westeros. And even if they did have it, or other holidays, nothing his kids ever gave Tywin would ever be good enough. If you gave Tywin a book, he’s already read it — twice. And the writing wasn’t really that good. It’s overrated. So Tyrion’s had that pressure from Tywin since he was born, because Tywin blames Tyrion for the death of his mother. I mean, that’s a lot to carry when you’re a kid! With Jaime, he’s wanted him his whole life to be something he’s not. Since he was a boy, he was trained to become a warrior, and he became the very best. But already when he was 16, 17, he became a Kingsguard member. So he made the choice at such a young age, you can’t have a family, because he wanted to dedicate himself to his sister! And when Tywin tells Jaime what he wants him to do, to further the line, and Jaime says no, that seems to be the first time any of his kids ever said no to Tywin. That’s quite amazing, when you think that these people are 40 years old! [Laughs.]

Jaime, as you point out, is missing a hand. Last time Tyrion asked for a trial by combat, he wanted Jaime as his champion, but then there wasn’t time to get him to come, so he got Bronn. This time …
Well, Jaime knows who the other champion will be, and that’s the problem. He wants his brother to live, but Cersei has picked the Mountain — the most vicious man on Earth! He knows that before he lost his hand, maybe he could have beat him, but there’s no way he can beat this guy now. If Tyrion really wants him to do it, he would, but that means both brothers will die. Also, since everyone loves the Bronn-Tyrion relationship, what do you think people’s reaction will be when Bronn tells Tyrion, “I can’t help you”? There’s only so much money can buy you, and it’s like going up against Mike Tyson in his prime! You want to go up against him?

For more from Nikolaj on the damaged Lannister family relationships, and thoughts from the crypt, visit Vulture.

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• Published on 05/27/2014 at 9:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:41 PM CDT