'Game of Thrones' Actor Kristian Nairn Opens Up About Last Night's Hodor Scene
WARNING, SPOILERS for Sunday night's episode of Game of Thrones, "The Door."
Last night, Game of Thrones bid a tearful adieu to its gentle giant while simultaneously explaining the mystery behind his speech condition. (See the full episode recap here.)
Hodor, a former stableboy for Ned Stark and loyal protector of Bran Stark, met his end while helping Bran and Meera escape the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead. Meera repeatedly instructs him to "Hold the door!" while Bran, in the midst of a time-traveling vision, sees young Hodor fall into a seizure where he continuously repeats her demand. In real life, Hodor is finally attacked by the wights who break through the door, while young Hodor is left only able to say "Hodor."
Kristian Nairn, the actor who plays Hodor (and is also a DJ), opened up to Entertainment Weekly about his final scene. Turns out, he thought his character ending was perfect.
"I love it. Funnily enough, I just saw [the scene] today for the first time. I couldn't be happier how he has gone out. The interesting thing is it's kinda left open. You don't actually see him [die]. It's implied. So who knows? He may come back as a White Walker, maybe he got away. But it's a really good way to do it. I couldn't have asked for a better goodbye to a character I love. My favorite part is it ties up the question of why is Hodor 'Hodor.' Why does he say the word 'Hodor'? Only George R.R. Martin or David and Dan could have come up with this. It's incredibly sad. The minute you finally learn something about Hodor, they kill him!" he said.
But Nairn also had an emotional reaction to his character's exit. "I had tears in my eyes," he said. "I don't see myself on screen, I see Hodor. I always talk about him in the third person. I just saw the character die and it was very sad. I think people are going to a) freak out, b) be very sad." Nairn's prediction proved true; even GoT actors themselves shared emotional reactions to Hodor's loss.
And although he only says one word on the show, he cherishes each utterance. "Each 'Hodor' is like one of my children. I love them all," he said.
Even Nairn's final day on set was sentimental, as his relationship with Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark) reflectS that of Hodor and Bran. "Isaac is no longer a little boy," Nairn said of his co-star. "He's massive, and he's a teenager now-a sweet teenager, but not the 9-year-old who used to follow me around. He still follows me around a little. Watching him develop as an actor, he's a superb actor."
Wright was actually the one who wrapped Nairn's final scene too. "It was an emotional moment," Nairn said.
Hodor, you will be missed.
