Toby Sebastian (Trystane Martell) talks being a newbie on Game of Thrones

It says a lot about the reputation of Game of Thrones that the first thing Toby Sebastian brings up in his interview about Trystane Martell, his character, is how he read the script on pins and needles, waiting for the next line to announce his demise.

This is Sebastian’s first season on the show—whether it’s also his last remains to be seen. In a world where the young men of the cast have been thrust into leadership roles at a fairly early age, Trystane is one of the few who can just hang around and enjoy his freedom. He and the recast Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) are both new to the show, and he admits that they’ve spent it in their “own little bubble.”

[Oberyn’s death] will affect everyone differently and on different levels. You have Doran who will be affected the most. Trystane really is just in his own little bubble, caught up in his world with Myrcella. A world, which, as far as an arranged marriage goes, is the best case scenario. For two people to get on and for the relationship to work, for them to fall for each other… given all the ways that it could have gone… That will be a big help for him during this time.

Just as Trystane is in his own bubble within the world of the show, so is Sebastian in a bubble when it comes to its production. Apparently his part was considered minor enough that he only got the parts of the script that pertained to him. Unlike, say, Kit Harington, who gets the whole script with everyone’s scenes included and gets to decide whether to spoil himself, Sebastian isn’t given the option.

Even just reading my parts alone, I have way too much information for the world. I have friends who ask me things, and I don’t have any idea, and they go, “Absolute bullshit!” It’s not bullshit. I’m actually quite happy that I don’t get to see the full scripts because my brain would fizzle and bubble up with spoilers, and I’d have a huge need and want to blurt it all out – I would never do it obviously, it means too much. But that’s the exciting thing, that’s the beauty of a show like Thrones, how confidential it is.

As a huge fan of the show, Sebastian  admits that “it’s a huge gold stamp” to be able to say he’s been cast, but it’s also something he needs to live up to. As for his character’s fate, as he admits at the top, he spent his first read waiting to die. But once he was on set, he took a cue from scifi and fantasy veteran Alexander Siddig.

I was talking to Alexander Siddig [who plays Prince Doran, Trystane’s father] at one point and saying “This could happen… That could happen… But what if this happens… What’s going to happen!?” And he was like, “I don’t know. But you can’t think about it. You can’t dwell on it.” Which is very sensible of him. So I’ve kind of adopted that mentality.

So far, we’ve only seen Trystane from afar, flitting about the Water Gardens with Myrcella while Ellaria seethes. With more Dorne promised this week, we can hope to learn a bit more about the young prince and his Lannister, err, Baratheon lady love in due time.

• Published on 04/30/2015 at 11:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 1:05 PM CDT