‘Game of Thrones’ Star Talks Disappointment Over Being Killed Off

All men must die, particularly when it comes to TV, though more often the star in question expresses only gratitude for their time in front of the camera. Not so with a certain Game of Thrones alum, who recently voiced disappointment over his beautiful death, claiming the ordeal with producers left him “truthfully, miffed.”

You’re warned of spoilers through Game of Thrones Season 5 from here on out, but where many characters have ended up meeting the Seven before their literary counterparts, at least one actor wasn’t particularly enamored of the surprise. Ian McElhinney, silver knight behind the heroic Ser Barristan Selmy, spoke out at London Comic-Con with his disappointing realization of the role’s end, as well as frustration with creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff for blindsiding him (via Digital Spy):

Truthfully, [I was] miffed. But I knew before I even saw the script because I got the schedule. Unfortunately I’d read the books, so I had expectations for season five. As soon as I got the schedule I thought, ‘There’s something not here’, because I thought I’d be doing more scenes. In fact I was doing less. So immediately I thought, ‘They must be writing me out’.

If I’m honest, I was a bit disappointed [not hearing from Weiss and Benioff]. I felt I should have known, it wouldn’t have made any difference but I felt that as a matter of just courtesy, I should have known. I was disappointed because I had enjoyed playing the part and I was looking forward to getting more meat in the part and I had dared to presume that I would at least go into season six. I obviously shouldn’t have dared to presume. So be it. The deed is done and I’m on to other things and that’s that. But I do miss it. I would have happily stayed on.

McElhinney at least went out in a blaze of glory, taking on multiple Sons of the Harpy, and likely saving Grey Worm’s life in the process, though he’d only recently begun sharing with Daenerys details of her brother Rhaegar. For the moment at least, Ser Barristan Selmy remains alive thrrough George R.R. Martin’s fifth novel in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance With Dragons.

Granted, Game of Thrones characters at least have a few built-in avenues with which to return, it doesn’t seem as if Ser Barristan ranks among those in line for resurrection, particularly now. In the meantime, we’ll see who does return, die, and/or bemoan losing their jobs when Game of Thrones returns for Season 6 in 2016.