Game of Thrones Season 6 Casting Rumors and Speculation

Casting calls for Game of Thrones Season 6 have surfaced online, courtesy of the fine people over at Watchers on the Wall. We’ve reached out to HBO, which could neither confirm nor deny whether the casting calls were legitimate, so take them as you will. Also, there will be speculation as to which characters from A Song of Ice and Fire these casting calls are for, so watch out for potential spoilers.

The first role called for is:

• Pirate,  man in his 40’s to late 50’s. He’s “an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.” He’s a dangerous-looking man. A very good part this season.

One of the biggest complaints from book readers about Game of Thrones Season 5 is that there’s been no Greyjoy/Iron Islands story arc, something that took up a lot of ink in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. The description above reminds me of Euron Greyjoy, aka Crow’s Eye, so it’s possible the show has just been holding off on this plot until next year. Euron is second in line to the Seastone Chair (the throne on the Iron Islands), behind his brother Balon, who is father to Theon and Yara (Asha on the show). Euron is a swaggering pirate in the books, who claims to have sailed through the Smoking Sea to Asshai on his ship Silence, so named because Euron removed the tongues of everyone else on board. He plays a large part in the novels, so whoever plays him will have to possess a lot of gravitas.

Next up is:

• Father. Aged 50’s to 60’s, he’s one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros- a humorless martinet, severe and intimidating. He demands martial discipline in the field and in his home. It’s described as “a very good part” for next year and that he’s “centrally involved” in a protagonist’s storyline.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are seeing the casting for Sam’s father, Randyll Tarly. We’ve even heard his name mentioned this season by Stannis when he confronted Sam about the younger Tarly’s research into how to defeat the White Walkers. Randyll Tarly could serve any number of purposes next season. We could see Sam take Gilly to visit his family, as he thought about doing during A Feast for Crows. However, I believe we will see Lord Tarly in connection with Brienne, and then possibly involved in some sort of siege of King’s Landing. As a Bannerman to House Tyrell, Lord Tarly may be called to encamp the Tyrell armies around King’s Landing, especially if Loras or Margaery’s trial goes awry. Also, Lord Tarly carries a Valyrian two-handed greatsword called Heartsbane, and I am excited to see that in action.

In connection to Father casting, we have:

• Mother, in her 50’s. She’s a sweet, plump, and adoring mother, and has a soft spot for one of her children who benefits from her decency.

• Sister, in her early 20s. She’s a kind, friendly and unpretentious woman.

• Brother, in his early to mid-20’s . Athletic, a good hunter, an excellent swordsman, manly, not particularly bright but the favourite child of the father.

To me, this seems to be the casting call for Sam’s family back home at Horn Hill. Sam’s mother is described as a loving and doting woman who coddled her son, Sam. Also, Sam had a very good relationship with his sisters, much to the great chagrin of his father Randyll who though the relationship was making Sam soft. We may see these characters in a flashback, or if Sam brings Gilly and her babe to Horn Hill to become a maid in the service of Sam’s mother. If you were paying attention to Maester Aemon before he passed away in “The Gift,” he specifically told Gilly to go south…Horn Hill lies south of the Wall…WAY south of the Wall.

The brother may be Sam’s younger brother, Dickon. Dickon is everything that Sam is not. In fact, when Lord Tarly learned that his wife had borne another son, Lord Tarly gave Sam two options: take the black and join the Night’s Watch, or die in a mysterious hunting accident. Yeah, Randyll Tarly is a real dick.

Next up is a character that many were hoping for this season, but with the exclusion of the Riverlands, he was all but forgotten:

• Priest, in his 40’s or 50’s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion. Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. He’s salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.

This sounds like the wandering missionary of the Faith of the Seven, Septon Meribald. Much like the High Sparrow, Septon Meribald wanders the earth barefoot, ministering to the smallfolk of the war-torn Riverlands. He is joined by his dog, who is appropriately named Dog. Brienne and Pod come across him during their travels in A Feast for Crows, and decide to accompany him for a time.

There are some nondescript roles here:

• Leading Actress, in her early 40’s, she’s an elegant actress with a traveling theatre company. Fun, charismatic, rum-drinking actress in the troupe.

I believe this actress to be part of a troupe of mummers who Arya has dealings with in Braavos.

• Priestess. Mid-20’s to early 30’s. Any ethnicity- she’s beautiful, intense, and magnetic.

Possibly another Red Priestess of R’hllor?

• Fierce Warrior, a tall man in 30’s or 40’s with a powerful physique. They’re looking for someone with “mixed ethnicity” for the role.

This one’s a mystery to me, but I’m thinking this might be describing either Khal Jhaqo, whom Dany will interact with if Season 5 ends in the same way A Dance with Dragons did, or Gerold Dayne, who is called Darkstar (word is that he’s of the night). Dayne is central to the Dornish plotline in A Feast for Crows, but he seems to have been cut out of show this season.

The last bit of this casting call is pretty interesting.

• A large boy, with an actor who is 10-12 but playing 7 or 8. He’s described as “a clever boy” who seems too large for his age. He’s big and tall but not fat. “Characterful squat features” are a plus for this part. it’s specified that this is a one-time appearance.

A one-time appearance may mean we will see this boy in a flashback. Perhaps a young Robert Baratheon? Or maybe he is meant to be young Hodor? How about young Brandon Stark (Bran’s uncle)?

• 12 year old boy, with brown hair and blue eyes. He needs to use a Northern accent. He has scenes where he has to spar with a wooden sword.
  The length of the role isn’t specified.

I believe this character to be either young Brandon Stark (Ned’s older brother), or Ned himself.

• 7 year old boy with dark brown hair, a narrow face and green eyes. He also has a Northern accent. He also spars with the wooden sword, so it’s safe to assume it’s the same scene. This role is similarly open-ended, the description only stating that the character is being ‘introduced.’

And, I think this is either Ned (Sean Bean has green eyes), or Benjen Stark, Ned’s younger brother. My reasoning is simple: Bran is now in the cave with the Three-eyed crow, and he is learning to use his powers as a greenseer. In A Dance with Dragons, these power include the ability to peer into the past by looking through the eyes of weirwood trees, so ubiquitous in the North, although he is unable to interact with the people he sees. In one particular vision, Bran sees a boy and a girl play fighting with branches. Now, we know the show tends to take liberties with certain book scenes, so it would not be outside the realm of possibility to see the girl (assumed to be Lyanna Stark), replaced by one of Ned’s brothers.

So what do you all think about these casting calls? Are we seeing the casting of some very exciting and long-awaited characters? Let the wild rumpus speculation begin!

• Published on 05/27/2015 at 11:59 AM CDT
• Last updated on 05/27/2015 at 12:00 PM CDT