All grown up and READY TO RULE

PERHAPS BOSSES all over Southeast Asia should expect their staff to arrive a little late on Monday morning, as fans of HBO’s cult phenomenon “Game of Thrones” decide they can’t wait for the re-run of the first episode in season six on Monday night.
There’s plenty to look forward to as well after the shocking developments that rocked the end of season five, including Jon Snow’s bloody fate, Daenerys’ near-demise at the fighting pit of Meereen and Cersei’s epic humiliation on the streets of King’s Landing.
In this, the first to largely consist of original content not found in George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, familiar faces will forge new alliances, while new characters will emerge to challenge the balance of power in the realm.
In Singapore earlier this month to promote the new season, 17-year-old Isaac Hempstead Wright, talked to XP about his character Bran Stark, last seen at the end of season four, when he reached where he was destined to be, ready to learn more about his dormant supernatural powers.

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO BRAN STARK THIS SEASON?
All I can say is that you can expect more from Bran’s magical powers. They’re really coming into their own this season, which is fascinating to act and will be great to watch.

DID YOU CHECK THE SCRIPT TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE STILL IN IT?
It’s the first thing everyone does! But people tend to know before they die because they get sent a bouquet of flowers and bottle of Champagne, and then they get the dreaded phone call. Luckily for me, they said it would just be a break.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU LAST SEASON WHEN YOU WERE PRESUMED DEAD AND NOT IN THE SHOW AT ALL?
It was strange. I’ve been doing “Game of Thrones” every year since I was 10 so missing out a season felt odd, like taking a year off of school almost. But it also came at a convenient time, as I had my exams and needed to get them out of the way. I used to see everyone going off to shoot and all the fun they were having, and it was sad not to be part of it. That made it all the more special to be coming back for season six.

HOW DOES BRAN’S CHARACTER INFLUENCE YOU IN LIFE?
Luckily Bran’s experiences are very far from my own. I haven’t had my family murdered or been turned into a tree wizard. Bran has gone through extreme hardships but has continued to follow his destiny. He’s had many opportunities to give up, to stop with Jon at Craster’s Keep and be taken care of or go back and join what’s left of his family, but he’s stayed on course and gone through every hardship you can imagine. What I’ve taken from him is that you should follow what you want to do and stick with it.
IF YOU COULD SET THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CHARACTER, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST?
Given the way Bran’s powers are going. I would like him to be a mystical tree sage who controls the nature of Westeros and keeps everything in balance, which is the really cool thing about his power. He has a vision and green sight through which he can see the past, present and future, and it’s almost like he’s watching the series as we are; he knows everything that’s going on and has gone on and will happen. I think Bran can do some really cool things with that power.

“GAME OF THRONES” HAS TAKEN ON A HUGE LIFE OF ITS OWN. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE INVEST SO MUCH IN THIS SERIES?
It’s a really great story; that’s one of the key reasons. It’s not a wishy-washy plot peppered with novelty characters. It’s a genuinely solid and complex storyline. With a lot of series you can see where they’re going, whereas with Game of Thrones you really can’t work out what’s going to happen. Nobody saw Jon Snow’s death coming, and nobody saw Ned Stark’s death coming. When you watch it you subscribe to it knowing you’re in for a shock every now and then. I think that’s what makes you really invest in the characters, because there’s a likelihood hat they might not make it. I think that’s one of the key factors in getting people immersed in the show. And of course the fantastic art direction and scenery makes it easy to become immersed in the experience.

YOU’RE BETTER KNOWN FOR “GAME OF THRONES” THAN ANYTHING ELSE YOU’VE DONE IN YOUR CAREER. HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN PEOPLE REFER TO YOU AS BRAN INSTEAD OF ISAAC?
It’s fine. People will often see you as your character rather than the actor you are. It’s a privilege for an actor to play a character that people love so much that they don’t separate the two. It’s a great vote of confidence in your acting ability.

YOU STARTED THE SHOW WHEN YOU WERE VERY YOUNG. HOW BIG AN IMPACT HAS IT HAD ON YOUR LIFE?
When I started, I was at the age when you just take everything on and nothing’s really a shock to you. It was just another thing that I was going to be doing, and I had no grasp of what an extraordinary and unique experience it would be. I don’t think anyone had an idea that it would become as massive as it has. “Game of Thrones” clearly had and has what it takes to become a major phenomenon. We really struck lucky, I suppose.

HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING PART OF SUCH A HUGE INTERNATIONAL HIT?
It’s such a privilege to have people communicate with you from all parts of the world. It’s nice to think you’ve helped breathe life into something that’s given other people joy and they’ve immersed themselves in. The notes I receive drive home how special it is to be part of something like “Game of Thrones”.

FANTASY TIME
Season six of “Game of Thrones” premieres at 8am on Monday on HBO, in simulcast with the US broadcast. An encore airing will be that night at 8.
The show will also be available on HBO GO, HBO On Demand and TrueVisions channels 133 and 223.
For more details, www.HBOAsia.com.