DeObia Oparei on The Strong and Silent Areo Hotah

(Warning: This article contains one big spoiler from last night’s episode. Proceed with caution!)

Dorne has been a very hit-or-miss proposition this season. Despite the production hyping the heck out of it in the pre-season run up (or perhaps because there was too much hype), the scenes have mostly felt like letdowns, especially where the Sand Snakes are concerned. One of the few bright spots has been Alexander Siddig as Price Doran, and DeObia Oparei as his taciturn armed guard, Areo Hotah.

One of the best scenes we’ve had in Dorne occurred this past Sunday. We won’t spoil it for you, but Hotah, without saying a word, steals it completely. Vulture released an interview with Obarei this morning, discussing the character and how hard it is to be that strong and silent type. Here’s what Obarei had to say about his hopes for Areo in the future:

I see Areo’s story as being incremental, as most of the stories are. Ellaria didn’t have as much to do last season as she does this season. This season she comes out as a firebrand, and I hope that will be the same with Areo. It better be! [Laughs heartily] I love the books. And I really enjoyed Areo’s parts of the books. He’s very nuanced, and a very political character, very aware of the various forces within and without Dorne. His eye is constantly on the prize. He’s very empathetic, and with the stoicism that he has, a large part of his arsenal.

Oparei also talks about how his background in dance has been extremely helpful in fight choreography, especially considering what a large man he is.

It’s all about the sensuality of movement, every movement you make. That’s why I love doing action movies. It’s all about movement, dance — even if you’re hitting someone in the face. You’ve got to sell it all with great passion. There’s a narrative to the body. It’s exactly the same as dance.

He also discusses Myrcella, who, unlike her brother Tommen, is a strong character, able to stand up to her Uncle/Father, in a way we haven’t seen any Lannister child do. (Joffrey was bratty, but he couldn’t stand up to Tywin any more than Tomen could to Cersei.)

Myrcella is a very interesting character because she’s been empowered with a sense of agency…that most young girls can only dream of. In Dorne, female power is not seen as a threat…It’s a world of people of many hues, many colors. And it’s a hedonistic world, where one is allowed to be free with the senses…Racial and gender dynamics are very different, in sharp contrast to King’s Landing. So Myrcella developed this confidence in Dorne, away from her mother and her family, that made her mature very early.

And most importantly, when asked about going up against another fighter character in the show, Areo considers whether or not he could take on Brienne of Tarth.

She’s about as big as me! She’s about as tall as me. She’s got a splendid body. It would depend on the situation. If it was to kill, that would be unfortunate, because that would be quite a fight. He would have a great admiration for Brienne, for her tenacity and her loyalty…She doesn’t give up. A fight between Areo and Brienne would be great if it wasn’t as much about brawn as it was about smarts and cleverness.

Perhaps with the decision tonight to (here’s the big spoiler!) send Myrcella and Trystane to King’s Landing next season, Areo can go with them and protect them, and maybe, just maybe, meet up with Brienne and we can see how the two would throw down in a fight.

• Published on 06/08/2015 at 10:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 06/08/2015 at 11:04 AM CDT