Jim Broadbent Reveals Who He’s Playing in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7
Back in August it was confirmed that British actor Jim Broadbent was named as a major addition to the cast of Game of Thrones Season 7. He was said to be joining the production in a “significant” role, but this being the most top secret TV show of all, we of course learned nothing else about his character, until today. The beloved British character actor, best known for his roles in everything from the Harry Potter films to Moulin Rouge! and Bridget Jones, has revealed to ScreenCrush who he’s playing with some new details.
While chatting with the actor about his upcoming drama The Sense of an Ending, in which he plays a divorced man whose past resurfaces when he receives a letter, I asked Broadbent about his upcoming role in the HBO series. After joking that he couldn’t tell me anything he flat out revealed:
I’m a maester, an archmaester. I’m an old professor character.
The actor went on to say that he appears in five of the seven episodes in the upcoming season. “I did five episodes. I did sort of one major scene in each episode.” Broadbent shared even more details that will add fire to fan theories about who exactly this archmaester is. The actor told me that he shares his scenes with John Bradley’s Sam Tarley. To the average reader this might mean nothing, but to a Game of Thrones fan one thing comes to mind: Maester Marwyn.
Though Broadbent didn’t confirm his character’s actual name, it seems likely Broadbent’s character is either Maester Marwyn, or a maester of another name who will fill the role of the character from George R.R. Martin’s book series. The last time we saw Sam in Season 6 of the series – you’ve been warned for show and book spoilers from here on – he, Gilly, and baby Sam arrived at the Citadel in Oldtown. After passing on a letter from Jon Snow about Sam learning to become a maester, Sam is sent to the library and told to wait to speak to the archmaester.
Season 7 will likely pick up from there where Broadbent’s archmaester will meet with Sam, but here’s why that meeting is so important. In Martin’s A Feast for Crows, Sam tells Marwyn about everything he’s seen beyond the Wall with the White Walkers, and he’s come to the right guy about it. Marwyn is a man who’s spent years traveling across the Seven Kingdoms and studying magic. Learning about Daenerys and her dragons, Marwyn then sets off to go find the Mother of Dragons for unknown reasons. The rest from there is a mystery until The Winds of Winter finally comes out, but one can only guess that Marwyn will play a role in Dany’s future on the series.
It also seems unlikely Season 7 of Game of Thrones will find Broadbent’s character meeting up with Daenerys just yet. Broadbent told me that he shot all of his scenes in the studio in Belfast. “I didn’t get to go out on location,” he said, adding that he also isn’t involved in any action sequences involving CGI. So it’s safe to assume most of Broadbent’s moments this season will be with Sam at the Citadel, and perhaps his final scene will find him setting sail towards Dany. The rest from there is pure speculation.
Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham recently let slip that the shortened Season 7 will likely premiere on HBO sometime this July. A list of directors for the season has been announced, a New York Mets pitcher will make a cameo, a handful of actors have been confirmed to return, and one role has been recast. Keep your eye out for more Game of Thrones news in the coming months.
The Sense of an Ending opens this Friday.