Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: Jaime Lannister is a great part

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays the Lannister sibling Jaime, is not afraid of his character being unceremoniously killed off, something the show has made a habit of since season uno. And with Game of Thrones season 6 just around the corner (the red-carpet premiere takes place on April 11), the 45-year-old actor is gearing up for what he claims is the “best season so far”.

“At the end of season 5, he is returning home with his dead daughter. So for anyone who has seen the show and they know what his sister is like, you can only imagine how [Cersei Lannister] will respond to that. He is going to have to deal with that situation,” he said.

“Also when he was away the high sparrow, the whole religious uprising in King’s Landing is something that is on him and he has to deal with that,” he added.

The first episode will air in the UAE on April 25 at 10pm on OSN HBO and is available at the same time as the US on OSN On Demand and OSN Play.

Does it ever get taxing playing a character that’s been so widely hated and loved in equal measures over the years?

“No it’s a great part, he is a human being and he is conflicted but he is also honest. I like playing him because he is motivated by something which is pure, even though he does horrible things.

“One of the first things he says in season one in episode one is ‘the things I do for love’, which I think is the very core for why I think he does what he does. I think it works because people can understand that and relate to it on some level. And of course having followed him throughout these years, he has gone through a lot so I think people will be able to sympathise,” he said.

And ask him about his “complicated” relationship with his on-screen sister, played by Lena Heady (it’s an incestuous affair), Coster-Waldau almost looks tired but he puts it across succinctly.

“I think most people have tried at one point in their lives to be attractive, to fall in love with a person they shouldn’t have fallen in love with. If you use that angle, that was my look into it. In fact, he genuinely loves this woman. Now the fact that she is his sister is weird, but what can you do?”

It’s common knowledge that the books and TV shows have for a while been running on different tracks. Coster-Waldau hasn’t tried to keep up with the books.

“I started but then I stopped because I found that this is an adaptation and there are things that are left out. I didn’t want to miss stuff. Once George is done with all of the books I will go back because I know for a fact there is so much more in the books. Already, there are so many characters still alive in the books, that the show has killed.”

Having played a genre character like Jaime Lannister for six years now, there’s always a risk that an actor could get typecast with the genre. But Coster-Waldau is not worried.

“No I don’t worry about that. I have been working for 10 to 15 years before Game Of Thrones and I am going to work after. The show is massive but I have been shooting a lot of movies during the show’s progression. I do try to do different work just because it is interesting, and so far I haven’t felt any problems,” he said.

The actor will next be appearing in the movie Shot Caller, releasing later this year.

“I am really excited about it, it is set in a prison and it’s a real cool story. There is also this other small film I co-produced back home, which is also coming out in the fall,” he said.

Did you know?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s best and worst GOT deaths

Asked by a fan at Comic Con on Friday which were his favourite and least favourite character deaths in Game Of Thrones, the actor called it “a dark question”.

“Shireen, last year, the little girl, who was burned. I remember reading that script, and thinking ‘oh my God, that’s horrible’, and watching that felt pretty heartbreaking.

“Who did I enjoy? I don’t know. I mean he was a kid... he was my son... but I think Joffrey had it coming. Sorry — spoiler!” he said to laughter in the hall. He then asked his questioner which death was most heartbreaking for him, to which the answer was Ned Stark.

“That was a good one. He had it coming too.”

Asked about what’s in season six, he reminded fans that “you don’t want to know anything anyway, right?”