as Samwell Tarly
Character Overview: Samwell Tarly is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly. Fat, timid, and unsure of himself, he is nonetheless intelligent and thoughtful. He is a Brother of the Night’s Watch. – Wikipedia
Recent Events: Samwell Tarly is one of several other initiates to the Night’s Watch when Jon Snow arrives. He is considered weak and cowardly even to himself. Jon strikes up an easy friendship with him, cemented when Sam and the rest of Jon’s friends in the Night’s Watch convince him to stay at the Wall instead of fighting alongside his half-brother Robb Stark when he goes to war with the Lannisters. What Sam lacks in brawn, he makes up for in brains; his obsession with the Night’s Watch library gains them valuable insight into the White Walkers, the wildlings, and the other threats waiting for them beyond the Wall. When Jeor Mormont leads a ranging beyond the Wall to learn firsthand what the wildlings are up to, Sam is part of the group. When they make camp at Crastor’s Keep, Sam takes a liking to one of Crastor’s daughter-wives, Gilly, in spite of his vows to the Watch.
Sam gets firsthand experience with the White Walkers on more than one occasion: on his return from the fateful ranging with Qhorin Halfhand, where (unbeknownst to Sam) Jon pretends to turn his cloak to the wildlings in order to learn their plans; and again when helping Gilly come to the safety of the Wall with him. On this latter instance, he slays the magical creature with a dragonglass dagger found buried somewhere beyond the Wall. Sam also crosses paths with Bran Stark at the Nightfort; he gives the younger Stark and his friends safe passage underneath the Wall and promises not to tell Jon that Sam ever saw him.
Sam’s claims of killing a White Walker earn him the name “Slayer”, which he detests; he is also fearful of someone discovering Gilly, and decides she would be safer at Mole’s Town, south of Castle Black. She is forced to flee back to the Wall, however, when the Thenns attack, foreshadowing the wildling assault on the Wall. Sam proves himself much less of a coward during the Battle on the Wall, which he ultimately survives, though the safety of Gilly and her son are still in doubt.
Actor Bio: John Bradely graduated from School of Theatre at Manchester Metropolitan University in June 2010. The role of Sam will be his first professional appearance. Prior to Thrones, Bradley appeared in the TV shows The Borgias, Merlin, and Shameless (UK) and had an uncredited appearance as an Austrian prince in the 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina. He will be appearing in the upcoming dark comedy Traders and is currently attached to a planned 2015 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, simply titled Caesar. –IMDb
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