John Bradley discusses Sam's ending and how he became the Grand Maester

Game of Thrones was brutal towards a lot of brave character, but the character that was introduced to us as the wimp — John Bradley‘s Samwell Tarly, somehow survived everything. Not only that, he ended up becoming the Grand Maester of the new realm of men, under King Bran. In a recent interview with Esquire, John Bradley discussed Sam’s ending, and how he ended up the Grand Maester. Read on!

Bradley had been uncertain about whether Sam would survive any of it, and said the ending was what he always wanted for Sam:

“Now he’s the Grand Maester on the small council and he’s using his knowledge and using his unique set of skills, in terms of his academic mind and curiosity, he’s using all of those tools that he has at his disposal to affect the common good and he’s making change. He’s making a difference. That’s the best ending that I could have ever hoped for Sam or even that Sam could have ever hoped for himself. It was beautiful and I hate getting rid of it, it’s just strange to say that because you do feel so firmly connected to the character, you’ve embedded the character. Sometimes, it’s hard to look from the outside in.”

He then talked about how Samwell ended up becoming the Grand Maester:

“There were enough people in Winterfell during the battle planning that Sam’s insight and Sam’s wisdom and Sam’s intellectual capacity was noted by the rest of the people around that table. So they know, that in Episode Six, they have a decision to make. Part of my pride in Sam and part of my hope for Sam would like to believe that they all got together and decided that he would be of use and his input would be valuable in that environment.”

He continued:

“I’d like to think that when they were assembling that team he was seen as somebody that was going to be a very valuable person in that arsenal and a great head to have around that table. And I think that that says a lot about his journey. He was ridiculed and he was worthless and he was cast aside by his family. He was a target of abuse for the rest of the Night’s Watch and everybody else at Castle Black. He’s now in a position where his opinion is being sought. His presence is required to make these big decisions.”

He also said that Bran and Sam’s bond could have also helped him climb the ranks, although deservedly:

“I think Bran and Sam have developed such a close bond by this stage because they went through the whole process of finding out Jon’s parentage. They’re such a formidable team because they’re the only two people in the world who can do what they do because Bran can see things and Sam can interpret them. As soon as Bran became King, Sam—who has never been slow when it came to seeing how he could work a situation to his advantage—he could have gone to see Bran and say “Bran now that we are mates and now that you’re King, remember that time when we found out about Jen’s parents? Well how about you do your old mate a favor and maybe see if the Grand Maester position is available.”

Bradley also commented on Samwell’s idea of democracy, and how he had always been too progressive for the world he was in.

What do you guys think? Did you like Sam’s ending? Talk to us in the comments, down below!

Humility is a virtue possessed by few. Even though Game of Thrones reached great heights, the show’s cast was always humble to their roots. They have won the admiration and respect of fans all over the world due to their down-to-earth nature. For example, Jason Momoa reached out to a young Aquaman fan battling cancer last year. Kristian Nairn (Hodor) talked to Digital Spy about the show’s success and praised his co-stars.

He said, “It didn’t happen overnight, and I think for us that was a good thing. I mean it was always immensely popular, I just think as the seasons went on it moved from a really amazing TV show into a kind of phenomenon. It sort of turned into that thing that everyone talks about, people say over the watercooler at work. “

“It’s crazy, because every TV show you watch these days, every single TV show or movie, they all reference Game of Thrones. It always blows me away. I watch a show I love and there’s a reference to Hodor, there’s a reference to Khaleesi. It’s become such a huge part of the public psyche. I don’t think we ever dreamed before season one was out that that would happen. It still happens!”

“It kind of grew, it really doubled per season. But we grew into it, which made it kind of easy. The cast was really down to Earth. I can say hand on heart we’re all really down to Earth. I think that’s a really nice thing. Just the whole Hollywood thing, we’re all kind of aware of that… Game of Thrones is so brutal and real. It’s important to keep it real.”

Have you ever met a Game of Thrones star in real? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

Game of Thrones was an enchanting journey that lasted for nearly a decade. Some of the show’s cast was very young when the show began. They sort of grew up with the show, like Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner and Isaac Hempstead-Wright. Stardom can be a bit scary when you are young. Especially for someone as studious as Isaac Hempstead-Wright. He revealed about his nervousness in an interview with Digital Spy.

Isaac (Bran) said, “It was actually a little bit intimidating. I remember seeing the show go interstellar. Especially when you’re separate from it a bit [Bran was off-screen during season five], you really just see how huge it is when you’re not in the midst of the whole thing.”

“I really think season five was when it had its meteoric rise. So coming back into season six – and I hadn’t acted for a year; I’d been doing my GCSEs – coming back in was kind of like, ‘Argh! I’ve forgotten how to act!’”

He continued, “I think also there had been a lot of bonds forged in that season, and a lot of people had grown up. I’d kind of grown-up, but I had that key year of being 15, 16 away from it. So it was a weird one to come back to. But after a couple of days, it was business as usual.”

Did you ever find your job to be intimidating? Talk to us in the comments below!

Game of Thrones ended more than one and a half years ago. It was a beautiful journey for both the fans and the crew that lasted for a decade. The fantastical series still holds the record for the most number of Emmy Awards won. On the occasion of New Year, the cast of the show came together for an interview with Digital Spy. They shared their experience while shooting for the fantasy epic. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne) and Kristian Nairn (Hodor) talked about how they were cast for their roles.

Gwendoline recalled, “I immediately rang my agent and said, ‘I want to do this’. My agent said, ‘What are you talking about? I’d never ever put you up for this. She’s ugly, her nose is broken, her teeth are broken and you’ll need to use a sword’.”

Nairn remembered, “I was a first-time actor. I was glad I didn’t know anything about the show at the time. Because if I had I would’ve realised what a huge audition I was going for. I had no idea what Game of Thrones was. I had auditioned for a part in another movie called Hot Fuzz, and I didn’t get the part. It was the casting director Nina Gold who remembered me – she called me in for this audition. I didn’t know it at the time, but when you’re called for an audition, that’s really in your favour.”

What are your best memories from the show? Talk to us in the comments below!