So the whole Alexander Siddig quote for context:
It’s funny, I’m not really sure what happened there. I was contracted to do at least four episodes this season, but then I was in L.A. doing publicity for something else, and I got a call at the Chateau Marmont and there were familiar voices on the other end of the phone. It was one of those guys, and because they didn’t introduce themselves it was like, “Hi, it’s me.” I was like, “Is that David or Daniel?” Anyway, they said, “You know what this phone call is about.” I was like, “Yeah, well, I guess I do.” “So we were going to kill you off at the end of last season, but we decided that we’re going to have to kill you off at the beginning of next season.” I was like, “Okay, life goes on.” But there was something wrong about that because I had been contracted for four episodes in the following season, so if they were going to kill me off at the end of the last season why would they contract me for those four episodes? Because it costs them money whether I do them or not, so it’s not great business sense to do it just in case.
So something happened; I have no idea what. There was an enormous amount of fan excitement when I got named to be on the show, and everyone was like, “Oh my god, yes, Doran Martell. He’s going to be great as Doran Martell.” That might have been the kiss of death. Maybe they didn’t want quite that much attention on that character. Maybe they thought, “Well, let’s prove that we’re going to stray from the books. We’re going to do something else, and he will be our first example of that.” So maybe that could have been the case. Or maybe I just screwed up. Maybe I said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
Like… just… if Pettiness were a link on a Maester’s chain, D&D have more than earned theirs by now. Wow.
Even that self-deprecating last bit, there is some tinge of truth to that, no? It’s not like we haven’t seen that sort of thing happen before.
Also I love that he couldn’t tell them apart over the phone, LOL… or that they’re both so arrogant that they should just expect him to automatically know it’s them when they call without introducing themselves.
Other interesting tidbits:
They misinform the crowd and they give them tidbits to send them in wrong directions. So, for example, last season, I believe that the first few episodes were stolen and downloaded online, and everybody got to see them before the show actually aired, and everybody was furious at HBO and whatnot. I don’t know if you remember. I am almost positive that those four episodes were leaked by HBO themselves. So there is an enormous amount of spin going on. I can’t tell you that for sure; that’s just my opinion, but it’s games; everybody’s playing these games.
The only thing that was impossible and difficult was last season when I did it, I knew Jon Snow was dying because I got the scripts. I couldn’t even tell my wife, so it was infuriating. I don’t like walking around with secrets. I can’t stand it. You just make a deal with the devil.
And going on to the show was really quite exciting because it was such a huge thing, and there was so much publicity money. People were saying, “Right, we’re all going to go to South America next week and talk to — let’s get the airline sorted out.” And I’m like, “My goodness, you’re just throwing this dough around, this cash.”
But but but…. BUDGET RESTRAINTS™ YOU GUYSSSSS!!!
…professionally you don’t want to be on a show like that for too long, unless you are one of the top leads who originated the show, because your schedule gets kind of messed up. You don’t earn as much as you would if you were doing another show, because they’re Game of Thrones, and they don’t have to pay anyone.
Hmph.