Kristofer Hivju talks about the interesting story behind Tormund’s name

Tyrion’s got competition because the God of Giant’s Teat and milk has arrived!

The episode 2 of season 8 was nothing but happy for Tormund Giantsbane’s fans. Not only did he survive the Night King’s annihilation but he also broke a rather weird story behind his name. At least we can expect ‘Torienne’ love blossoming over the entire upcoming catastrophe!

Actor Kristofer Hivju spoke about his role in the final season of Game of Thrones and whether he will have the same luck in his next encounter with the White Walkers. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hivju talked about his role in episode 2, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’.

“I didn’t really think I was going to die. I don’t remember anyone telling me that, but … Game of Thrones is too fond of their deaths to give me an off-screen death. I was insisting on keeping [Tormund’s survival] a secret, even more so than HBO. I really wanted it to be a reveal. And then they placed me in the trailer!”

Hivju also talks about the interesting story behind his screen name ‘Giantsbane’. According to the books, a giant mother took the 10-year Tormund and nursed him as if he was a baby. That’s how he got ‘Giantsbabe’ as a mocking name.

“It was Tormund himself who changed the name to “Giantsbane” … The part where he killed a giant? That might be a lie. But the fact that he was nursed by a giant? I would say it’s about 67% true — and that’s nothing to brag about (Laughs)”, says Hivju.

We see a little bit of tiff from Tormund’s end against Jamie Lannister which was almost comical. However, in the scene where Jamie knights Brienne, Tormund starts the slow, American clap, keeping his competition aside. “He really loves this woman”, says Hivju.

Kristofer Hivju also gives some behind the scene titbits on season 8. “Everybody was like, “Is this even humanly possible to pull off?”, he says.

“We were going into two or three months of night shoots. That’s pretty intense, in terms of driving everybody crazy (Laughs)”.

However, as the big battle approaches, the GoT stars are making sure not to spill even a drop. “I haven’t seen the episode, so I really don’t know. But I think it will be pretty intense”, concludes Hivju.

Guess it’s time to sit with some tissues and a tub of ice crème or pom-poms and a banner with ‘The White Wolf’ written on it.

Tell us in the comment below your favourite Tormund moment.

Game of Thrones gained huge popularity worldwide due to its amazing story, beautiful scenery and perfect casting. Some of these castings were so spot on, the actors came to be identified as their roles in public. One of them was Pedro Pascal’s Red Viper Oberyn Martell.

Oberyn’s screen-time was less compared to many of the show’s leading characters. Pedro delivered the role so perfectly the audience couldn’t take him out of their minds throughout the series. He captivated the viewer’s minds with his charm, cunning and seductiveness as the Red Viper.

Showrunner David Benioff recalls how Pedro was cast into the show in an interview with Variety. “First of all, it was an iPhone selfie audition, which was unusual. And this wasn’t one of the new-fangled iPhones with the fancy cameras. It looked like shit; it was shot vertical; the whole thing was very amateurish. Except for the performance, which was intense and believable and just right.”

Pascal had landed the role after he convinced his good friend Sarah Paulson to send his audition to her best friend Amanda Peet (Benioff’s wife). Benioff continues, “He figures out who the character really is and then he portrays that man, scouring off all falsehood. Plus, he’s really f—ing handsome.”

The Game of Thrones showrunner further went on to praise the charismatic actor, saying he deserved more recognition. His performance was award-worthy. Benioff labels Pedro as ‘an absolute gem of an actor and a man.’

What do you think about Pascal’s performance on the show? Tell us in the comments below!

The final season of Game of Thrones remains one of the most divisive and controversial in TV history. The epic fantasy show came to an end with season 8, despite both HBO and George R.R. Martin wanting it to run for longer. The decision to end Game of Thrones was a risky one. The showrunners felt pressure because the A Song of Ice and Fire books were (and remain) unfinished, and they had to deliver a story within a short time. On top of that, bringing such an epic story to a close seemed like an impossible task due to the show’s popularity.

In the book, Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon written by Entertainment Weekly editor James Hibberd, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss explain why they had to end the run early. Benioff said,

“We didn’t want to become a show that outstayed its welcome. Part of what we love about these books, and the show, is this sense of momentum and building toward something. If we tried to turn it into a ten-season show, we’d strangle the golden goose.”

He continued, “We wanted to stop when the people working on it and watching it wish we had [kept going] a little bit longer. There’s the old adage of ‘Always leave them wanting more,’ but also when you stop wanting to be there – that’s when things fall apart.”

Weiss said, “When we gave them the final outline, that helped. They were able to see why taking this and stretching it into another ten episodes would ruin this and make something that’s ideally powerful and affecting feel drawn out.”

There was even a petition to remake the final season. Would you have signed it? Tell us in the comments below!

Game of Thrones ended more than a year ago. The last season was shocking as well as controversial for many reasons for fans worldwide. One of them is the completely unexpected love-making scene involving Gendry (Joe Dempsie) and Arya (Maisie Williams) right before the Long Night.

Joe Dempsie, who played Gendry Baratheon on the show, talked to Digital Spy on how he felt about the controversial fling. “I think Gendry just lost his head a bit, didn’t he?” reflected Dempsie, “He’s so drunk on legitimacy and popped the question!”

He continued, “I think I’ve always thought that, actually, as wounded as he might have been in the aftermath, as soon as Gendry has time to sit down and think properly about it and rationalise everything, it’ll be pretty clear to him that probably the very reason he loved Arya was the exact reason she could never be with him.”

Dempsie’s deduction is in agreement with the faction of the fans who found Arya and Gendry to be an odd pair. The intimate scene was distasteful and shocking for some, though others had no issue as they were waiting for the impending battle in the next episode.

Joe explains further, “I know that Gendry’s not often been the brightest or the sharpest tool in the drawer, but I think he’s smart enough to know,” he said. “I think he’s perceptive enough to know that. It never would have worked.”

Dempsie is currently starring in Channel-4 drama Adult Material. How do you feel about the love-making scene? Let us know in the comments below!