‘Game of Thrones’ actress Gemma Whelan discussed the upcoming sixth season in which she will reprise her role as Yara Greyjoy. In a recent interview with the British Comedy Guide, the actress was asked whether the hit HBO series will no longer be following the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ books now that the TV version has seemingly taken on a faster pace.
"Yeah, they've sort of," Whelan responded, while adding, "not run out of books really, but they've liaised with George R. R. Martin who writes the books, and gone off on their tangent, with his approval. So that's why people are even more interested in spoilers. It's funny isn't it, there's no other show like it."
The actress did not disclose much information about her role and was hesitant to open up even about the minor details about the show. She explained that the ‘Game of Thrones’ cast members have to be careful about what they discuss regarding the show’s upcoming episodes.
The Leeds native also shared that even mentioning the fact that she has paid a visit to Northern Ireland for filming soon made her feel uncomfortable. The actress can only confirm her character’s return due to the leaked reports.
Whelan also revealed that the first thing that came into mind after receiving the script of ‘Game of Thrones’ season six was to look through the pages to check if her character has met an unfortunate end.
“Am I dead? Am I dead? Am I dead? - it’s the first thing you look for,” she said.
Much of the filming for the hit fantasy drama has already been completed. The 34-year-old actress reportedly worked on one of the major scenes that was filmed recently, which included the presence of the Greyjoys on the Iron Islands.
A scene for the Kingsmoot, known as a ceremonial ritual for choosing the rightful king of the Iron Islands, was filmed last month. According to a report by WatchersOnTheWall, Yara Greyjoy had also been present at the scenes filmed at the Ballintoy Harbour in Northern Ireland.
‘Game of Thrones’ season six will put forward a new character from the books called Euron Greyjoy, played by Pilou Asbaek. The scene filmed at Ballintoy Harbour reportedly involved the crowd cheering for Euron.
Aside from Yara Greyjoy who last made an appearance in season four, other characters, such as Brynden “The Blackfish” Tully (Clive Russell) and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies) who were last seen in the third installment, will reportedly appear in the next season.
HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ season six is expected to make a premiere in spring 2016.