Eugene Simon Talks Lancel Lannister’s Transformation

Over the course of five seasons, characters we know and love have undergone some significant changes, both in terms personality and in appearance. Arya, for instance, has gone from little girl to contract killer in training. Sansa has slowly grown up from a innocent girl to a wary and distrusting woman. And let’s not even talk about Daario. He’s gone from handsome is to handsome does, in a most bewitched like way.

But one of the most startling transformations on the show has been that of Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon). When the character showed up after a long absence in the fifth season premiere, sporting a close-cropped haircut and an insane look in his eye, people even asked if he was played by the same actor. It is, indeed, still Simon, but Lancel has gone through a lot of changes since the days when he thought he could be Jaime Lannister by committing incest, only to be tossed aside and left lying in the ground in pain as Cersei stormed off.

Lancel’s insistence on joining the Sparrows, Westeros’ very own fanatical religious sect, may be an embarrassment to his father Kevan, but that’s nothing compared to how dad’ll react when he sees the new forehead brand his son is sporting. Spoilers from here on out for last night’s episode.

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Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Simon talks about what made Lancel join such a fanatical cause.

He’s probably an example of one of the purist types of the Faith Militant. Many of the Faith Militants are people who have been impoverished for so long that they feel like it is a way to improve their station. Lancel is far more ideological. This is a guy who has been amongst the richest and wealthiest families in the Seven Kingdoms, and his reasons for joining this cult are very much born out of a great deal of pain and a sincere — but twisted — wish to rid the world of any of the people who caused him that pain,  which is pretty much every major character in the books. 

He doesn’t feel much anymore. That’s the most worrying thing about him. He’s numbed himself to pain through his religion. Or he would argue he’s been freed by the gods. What that really means is he’s numbed himself to any pain, any wrongdoing.

Not only does Lancel sound like a scarred individual, it sounds like he needs some therapy. Someone who has gone numb to pain though—that should worry Cersei. Especially when Simon admits he believes that Lancel does not see himself as a Lannister anymore. House Loyalty is what makes most people hold their tongue. Now that Lancel has no loyalty to Cersei, what’s to keep him from speaking out about all her misdeeds?

Simon won’t answer that question, but he does say that the Sparrows should worry the heck out of the ruling classes.

The Sparrow Uprising is very much an uprising of the impoverished. When I was talking to the director Mark [Mylod] about episodes three and four, we agreed it was similar to a communist uprising. These are people who have absolutely no regard for the status quo or authority because they answer to a being that is higher than any sort of moral authority. They believe they are divinely driven, which is a frightening prospect.

And as for that hard core carving in his head?

It’s a sign of a lifelong commitment to this particular sect of the Faith of the Seven. The fact that Lancel and so many of his fellow Sparrows are willing to go from being Sparrows to being Faith Militant shows how quickly the nature of this sect has become militarized. It’s not something that bodes well for anyone in the Seven Kingdoms.  

It certainly is a sign of life-long commitment. It’s not like that’s a brand one can cover up at their next job interview.

For more from Eugene Simon, including talking about arresting Loras Tyrell, check out the full interview here.

• Published on 05/04/2015 at 3:00 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 1:05 PM CDT