Natalie Dormer talks about the Game of Thrones ritual for departing actors on the show

Characters are killed on Game of Thrones like flies, and seeing as how many fan-favourites have died so far, we’d assume that some of them would be admired by their co-stars enough to earn them farewell rituals. But during an event in Los Angeles, actor Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell on the show was asked about any farewell rituals that might take place for the actors that leave the show. She revealed that there isn’t a very elaborate ritual since it isn’t practically possible considering the amount of deaths occurring on the show every now and then. Apparently it doesn’t include any cakes or parties or character goodbye procedures.

“If we did that we wouldn’t have time for anything else,” she said. “We would just forever be making cakes.”

However, Dormer did admit that the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss inform the actor whose character is about to be killed, which seems to be a goodbye ritual in itself. “We normally get a phone call from Dan and David, the creators of the show,” she said, but soon covered it up seeing as she had accidentally included herself in the loop, by saying, “My understanding is that there is homage paid that way . . . but that’s as far as the ritual goes from my understanding.

She also clarified that other actors don’t normally get very emotional during a goodbye because something like the resurrection of Jon Snow might take place and the actor(s) in question return to the show. “You never know when a character is going to come back from the dead,” she said.

Dormer might not have shared it but it has been revealed on Vanity Fair that Hodor did get a parting cake, adored as he is. We can all agree that he certainly deserved it.