The Game of Thrones fandom goes pretty hard, especially those who have read George R. R. Martin’s novels before and during the HBO series' creation. The series did not follow the books exactly, especially since the show concluded before all the novels have even been released, and Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage explained how it felt when “offended” fans would criticize the show’s adaptation of the beloved fantasy novels.
The fanbase’s love for the books apparently had some heavy weight on Game of Thrones’ cast members, given how many viewers apparently couldn’t escape the mental image of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy world they already had in their brains solely from reading the novels. In an interview with The Sunday Times (via Insider), star Peter Dinklage explains how “impossible” it was to avoid fan opinion and criticism, however hard he did try to do so. Here’s what he said:
That was impossible. You're reminded of it on a daily basis by the fans. They had deep knowledge, but if somebody loves something they have their version of it in their head, so we got criticism early.
Peter Dinklage previously stated that he had misgivings about taking up a part in the Game of Thrones HBO adaptation for a completely different reason, but the pressure of such an opinionated fan base may have been the source of some discomfort once he did sign on for the series. Fantasy fans can have zero chill sometimes, even with someone as fabulous as Dinklage.
Once fans saw the cast in action, though, there were obviously very positive reactions, especially during the early seasons. Peter Dinklage in particular is a fan favorite as Tyrion Lannister, as his brooding nature mixed with his genius (and drunkenness) proving to be a pretty lovable combination. Despite such Emmy-winning talents though, the actor wasn't free from negative comments.
In the same interview, Dinklage revealed that even more criticism was targeted at him and his fellow cast members at the end of the series when it was time for their characters to depart, saying:
Then, when we were leaving, they criticized again because they didn't want us to go. Some got angry. But if you appeal to everyone you're doing something wrong. And we offended a lot of people.
You can’t make everyone happy, and when it comes to something from George R. R. Martin, you can’t really expect to be fulfilled 100% when he kills off basically all the fan-favorite characters anyway. It’s no secret that many fans were overwhelmingly let down during the last season of Game of Thrones, but perhaps those who were left disappointed may see some rectification when Martin releases the heavily anticipated Winds of Winter (assuming it ever happens) or when the upcoming prequel series debuts.
George R. R. Martin has given fans some major hope that House of the Dragon will be something to enjoy just as much as the earlier Game of Thrones seasons. The prequel does not yet have a release date, but we can expect the series to drop sometime this year.
As for Peter Dinklage, you can check him out in his recently released musical drama Cyrano. If that’s not your style, though, he is also playing the over-the-top role of the titular unlikely superhero in Troma’s The Toxic Avenger revival. While it’s almost impossible to escape criticism, it sounds like being a part of Game of Thrones has prepared him well to handle any strong opinions thrown his way.
