I’m Harry Lloyd (the Rightful King of the Andals and the First Men) from Game of Thrones and The Theory of Everything. AMA!

Do you think the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was spun off from your much more macho yet dangerous version, the Melted Gold Bucket Challenge? EDIT: My good ser, thank you for the gold, I can now buy a ship. I hope our Rightful King will see fit to reward you!

Yes, I do.

First of all, let me just say that you played a truly flawless Viserys in season one. Absolutely spot on. I know you're a fan of the books, so when you auditioned for Thrones, was Viserys the only role you tried out for or did you have your eye on any other characters?

Thank you so much for doing this AMA, by the way. I enjoyed Supreme Tweeter very much.

No, that was the only part I was asked to audition for.

I am a huge huge fan of Viserys, and because of that have a question. If a fan ever asked you to be rude/ insult them as Viserys could you do it? Conversely, would you be willing to insult me as Viserys

ponders

"You are a horse-lord's slut."

First of all, all hail the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.

Second, What inspired you to create the #supremetweeter series? It was HI-larious, BTW

HELL YEAH.

Ehm - well. So my co-creator of the show had a dream where Kim Jong Un liked the character of Viserys, and we went from there.

Harry first off, huge fan of your work as Viserys. I STILL miss seeing you in the show, and honestly thought that the character would go much farther than he actually did (a lot of that was hope, really! :P).

Viserys was a character I felt I REALLY connected to, despite his half-mad, abusive, but still somewhat child-like ways. Which is more than I can say for the craven from the books! :P That tearful and innocent "That's all I ever wanted" when Drogo says you'll have your crown still gets me to this day.

My question is, did you always intend to play him in this way, or was it something that evolved naturally?

When we first filmed the pilot, I was borrowing heavily from the book. But when we moved into shooting the series proper, I moved away from his sister's point of view. And that's when I started to realize the pity of the man. And the lost child.

Hi Harry! What was it like to film "the golden crown" scene from Game of Thrones? I imagine it was really messy.

It was pretty messy?

Mainly, freezing.

We were in a really cold Belfast set. And there was just... dust and gold paint everywhere. 'Cuz everyone else was in this big room, with fires, and I would always have to start the scene outside, so I'd have to go to my freezing little chair, off the main set, and then walk back in... but it was a great long day.

Was your Doctor Who reference in The Theory of Everything already in the script before you were cast? I realized that you had been in Doctor Who halfway through the movie and appreciated that reference.

Would you ever consider returning to Doctor Who? Your episode was my all-time favorite and I've watched it more times than I can count. I loved having a human Doctor.

What was your favorite part of filming The Theory of Everything? That was an incredible movie.

Thanks for doing this AMA!

I think I slipped that in. smiles

I would love to.

Which scene did I enjoy the most? Just all my scenes with Eddie. The scene where I'm carryin' him up the stairs was a lot of fun. Although after take 5 or 6, it got a bit silly.

Hi Harry, loved Supreme Tweeter, well done!

I have two questions,

Would you consider returning to Game of Thrones in the future, for flashbacks or dream sequences or the like?

Who do you think should sit on the Iron Throne?

Absolutely.

Hodor.

Hello,Viserys.

What's your favourite pizza topping?

Ten minutes ago, I had double pepperoni within an hour of landing in New York.

Do you like Viserys?

I do, actually.

When I stopped reading the book, and seeing him through his sister's eyes, I realized what a difficult life this kid must've had. And understood that even though he was fairly extreme, he had a lot to be grumpy about.

Who do you think will ride the dragon named after your character?

Have you read the books, and did you know of your character's demise?

Who do I think will ride my dragon?

Someone we haven't met yet, I think.

Had I read the books? I hadn't read the books beforehand. Before my first audition, I learned everything I knew from Wikipedia.

And thanks to Wikipedia, yes.

When playing characters that differ so vastly from your own, do you experience any emotional whiplash when acting out certain scenes? To name a few, the incestuous toned scenes as Viserys, or the sexual abuse scene in The Fear as Matty Beckett. Do these sorts of moments leave a lasting impression or affect you?

Not on the whole. But that scene on the beach in THE FEAR was very unpleasant to do, and I had quite a quiet afternoon after that.

RE: Viserys Targaryen and the whole brother-sister marriages. Is it weird to audition for a role where you have say to yourself, "Yeah, I look like I come from a long line of people whose parents were brother and sister"?

I did say that to myself in the mirror every morning!

Seriously - how did you film the scene where Drogo poured gold over your head? That is one of my favorite scenes of the series thus far, and it was so well done, I'm curious.

Thanks for being here!

Eh - mixture of... different special FX. So ingredients include a big bowl of gold-gelatinous-paint...a smoke machine, strapped to my chest... a nice gold cap molded to the shape of my head... gestures towards head... a bit of CGI, and some sound FX.

Why did you choose Kim Jong-un for Supreme tweeter? There's no offence by the way. I love your work!

Hahahaha!

Ehm - we thought he had a bit in common with Viserys.

We were really interested in the way North Korea had become part of the media landscape. And felt that that had come to represent - it raised the stakes of a story about seeking celebrity.

How was it to work with Richard Armitage?

On ROBIN HOOD? It was great. Richard is a really calm and jovial dude. We had lots of good times in Hungary when filming ROBIN HOOD.

Did you read the Game of Thrones books before you took the role of Viserys? Do people recognize you mostly for that role, or something else? What is something that fans often say to you when they see you in the street?

I 'spose Game of Thrones is the thing I'm recognized for most. But not as much as you'd think.

I don't think I've ever had a catchphrase thrown at me.

Hi Harry!

What was one of your most memorable experiences on set?

Pffffffbbbt.

Something very funny happened a few days into the "Supreme Tweeter" shoot actually, when I was stealing the bike off the lady in the street, a real pedestrian rushed up, grabbed the handlebars, and shouted in my face "STOP THERE! YOU DO NOT DO THAT!"

The whole crew ran to try and explain that we were filming a scene. It was very funny. But we were also very proud of that righteous citizen.

You're a pretty great actor, thanks for doing an AMA. As per Reddit tradition I must ask:

Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized Drogos or 1 Drogo-sized duck?

ponders

I'll take the little guy.

Yeah. I think I could stomp 'em.

Would you date a fan? ...just curious. This is for science.

chuckles

Eh - it's been scientifically proven that is NEVER a good idea.

Good luck with your science project.

Hi Harry! :)

You look really different without the silver hair. You were one of my favourite actors in the first season of game of thrones! That is, until that accident happened, of course.

Do you think Dany is going to sit on the iron throne in the end? :)

Love from the Netherlands!

I truly hope so.

Presuming he was not emgoldened anyway, do you think Viserys' madness would have waited until later in his life if he had not been under the stress of exile?

You know. Asking for a friend. No, I'm really asking for a friend.

Hahah!

I think he would've been... I probably think he would've gotten madder and more fun to play if he was allowed to continue.

Hi Harry! I'm a huge fan of Manhattan and I'm so happy it's coming back for a second season.

What do you think would be the best and worst aspects in living in a closed, secretive community like they do in the show?

Ehm - best... I think the best aspect of that would be just the energy and the excitement of something that contained and secret.

And the worst thing, I imagine, would be the food. During wartime, it would be... no, I think the food in Los Alamos during the war would be pretty bad.

Robin Hood is one of my favourite series, how do you remember making it?

Well, I sit back, and I close my eyes... no, I remember reading. I remember a lot of downtime in the forest of Dobogókő. And the strange games we invented to pass the time. And a lot of nice baths, and public baths in Budapest.

So what exactly was on your head when the golden crown started melting?

They just had this - they made a special mixture of paint and silicone, or something, and added the flames in aftereffects.

did you know that the Theory of Everything would be so successful ?

No.

I thought it would be a small, well-received independent British film. I'm thrilled for its success.

Is Supreme Tweeter based on your own experiences as an actor ????

Ehm - only to the extent that I used to be quite wary of social media.

It was more based on the pressure actors feel to be their own brand managers online.

And rather than fully engage with it, I co-wrote a story about it.

What did you like most about filming in Malta? I have Maltese origins :)

I enjoyed the day we shot the Dothraki wedding, on the island of Gozo. Best sunset of all time?

Hey Harry,

Have you ever had any odd fan encounters?

Ehm - not really, to be honest.

I think the silver wig protected my identity.

Is there an actor/actress you have wanted to meet and work with but haven't gotten to yet?

LOADS.

I'd like to work with... Anthony Hopkins, is today's choice.

Hey Harry, loved you (well, hated your character but you know...) in Game of Thrones! Was just wondering, if you could play any other character, in Game of Thrones and just in general, what would it be?

Thanks and hello from Cardiff ^{^}

Cool question!

Alright...

I would like to have played Syrio Forel. The water dancer.

Hi Harry! Why wasn't Viserys on the Valar Morghulis wall at the exhibition? Made me sad:(. Also, I loved Supreme Tweeter and I'm sorry about your dog!

VERY good question.

Eh - hahaha - we went to the exhibition. Maybe it's a Baratheon conspiracy.

If you could ask the real Kim Jong Un one question, what would it be?

Ehm - "Will you watch my web series?"

Huge fan of yours. When it first dawned on my that your were Baines from Doctor Who (those were my Fav Dr episodes with Martha as the companion, and you were super memorable), Viserys from GoT, Will from Robin Hood, and then I watched Manhatten and you were there too, it was crazy and awesome they were all the same actor! I never get to go to movies these days thanks to kids, but I can't wait till I finally manage to see Theory of Everything.

In Manhattan, I know the characters are all fictional, but are somewhat inspired by various scientists from the day. I saw a behind the scenes video where they interviewed some people who had actually lived at the compound at the time. Did you and the other actors get to meet / talk with any people with personal experience of Los Alamos?

When I arrived to film in Santa Fe last year, I had broken a wrist. And the physiotherapist I visited knew a woman whose father was one of the atomic scientists during the war. So I started talking to her, and through her, we met those people you saw interviewed on the compound.

To see these women visiting the houses on our set, and commenting how close the paint color was to their childhood memories, was something extraordinary.

Loved you as Henry V in Supreme Tweeter. Have you actually ever played him? What would be your ultimate Shakespeare role to play?

I've never played Henry V.

I played Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT at school. Which was pretty terrifying, playing a girl, who was pretending to be a man.

But that has been my favourite Shakespeare to date. Of course, I'd love to play some of the biggies, like Hamlet.

Although I feel "Notes from Underground" scratched that itch a little bit.

I loved Viserys in GOT and Brian in Theory Of Everything. Looking forward to Wolf Hall. Do you prefer "conflicted bad guy" roles or typical "good guy" ones and why?

I love being able to play both. I think having to choose one or the other would be... impossible.

I'm so excited you are doing this! Do you still keep in touch with any GoT cast members?

Yeah. I'm seeing Gethin Anthony on Monday.

Hey Harry! Saw you at the Coronet for Notes, and absolutely loved it! I'm glad it had a great run. Tried to think of a good challenging question for you in the theme of Supreme Tweeter, which was also excellent! If any entertainer or public figure could follow you - alive or dead - who would you wish it was?

Hmmm.

I think I'd be a bit upset if Dickens were on Twitter and didn't follow me. So I would say Dickens.

But I would love to be followed by... Jack Nicholson.

We know you do snowboard, do you play other sports? Have often funny t shirts. You have many? Your favorite?

I do like funny T-shirts.

And I do like to snowboard.

I broke my wrist boarding in the Alps, just over a year ago, days before starting rehearsals for "Notes from Underground," which is why the character in the London one had his arm in a sling.

Hi, Harry! You've had two recent projects where you were involved from conceptualization through to performance and presentation (Notes from Underground and Supreme Tweeter...very different, but absolutely LOVED both!). Is that level of involvement something you find exhilarating or exhausting (or both!)? Is that a direction you'd like to explore more in the future, or do you see yourself continuing to focus primarily on performance? Thx for doing this. :) (P.S. Tweet more!)

raises eyebrows

Exhilarating and exhausting sums it up nicely.

Last year I made a deliberate choice that I wanted to take control of it more. And do things that scared me.

Ehm - and I'm very Interested in developing more in the future. Though right now, I'd love to just do some acting.

Who was your favorite person to work with on Supreme Tweeter?

Alexander Hong. Who played the creepy Asian man.

Granted you have (I assume) 31 other great-great-great grandparents aside from Charles Dickens including Dickens' mistreated wife Catherine, but still wondering do you have a favourite story or favourite character from his work?

From Dickens' work?

I love the story that Alfred Jingle tells in PICKWICK PAPERS, about a woman eating a sandwich, sitting on top of a coach, who goes under a bridge and when she comes out the other side, there's a... sandwich but no mouth to put it in.

"Terrible place – dangerous work – other day – five children – mother – tall lady, eating sandwiches – forgot the arch – crash – knock – children look round – mother's head off – sandwich in her hand – no mouth to put it in – head of family off – shocking, shocking. Looking at Whitehall Sir, – fine place – little window – somebody else's head off there, eh, Sir? – he didn't keep a sharp look-out either – eh, sir, eh?"

hi Harry, how are you? I am very happy, thank you for this opportunity. It was a shock to see you on twitter :D It was difficult to realize the web series? Will there be a sequel? In real life it was really hard after Viserys ? Keeps you on twitter?

I'm very well, thank you.

I joined Twitter towards the end of last year. Which coincided with the development of "Supreme Tweeter." I always used to be terrified of it. It's really not so bad.

Let's see how the series is received.

Eh - no. Viceroys was... looks like he's having a miserable time. But I had a ball doing it - before, during, and after.

Hi, Harry :) What is your dream role, if you have one?

Ehm - I don't have one dream role.

I think I'm lucky that the stuff that comes along is more exciting than the things I can imagine for myself.

Hi Harry (et al.), you guys did an amazing job on Supreme Tweeter and I hope you have the time/ inclination to do more episodes. If you don’t mind, I have a few remarks and questions. I couldn’t help but notice similarities between the version of yourself that you played in the series and Dan Ashcroft, which is quite fitting considering how prophetic Nathan Barley was.

I was wondering how much of an impact other films/ television shows (e.g., Frank, Birdman, Maps To The Stars, Party Down, etc.) featuring tech-oriented diegesis and/ or a less glamorous look at the entertainment industry, had on your own script, whether in terms of inspiration or avoiding repetition.

I’m also curious as to what your thoughts on this growing trend in elucidating the daily struggles of a given performer for a broader audience means on the whole for the industry. Is it merely a means of exorcising demons or do you believe that the increased attention will perhaps change the industry for the better such that a more stable, ‘meaningful’ career can be had by more than a very select fortunate few?

And lastly, would you and your collaborators consider crowdfunding if you felt demand for an extended Supreme Tweeter series were there?

Thanks and stay classy, San Diego.

Okay.

We live in a society that I think is becoming more and more self-concious. We have behind-the-scenes shows about behind-the-scenes. In "Supreme Tweeter," we wanted to tap into that whole meta-thing.

Even though it's a slightly uncomfortable topic. Especially when it's you, yourself.

I think something like BIRDMAN did a masterful job in exploring that aspect of today's culture. And I think it can be handled very well. But can sometimes be used as a cheap trick.

And no. I think it's very dangerous and almost impossible to ask an audience to feel sympathy for the struggles of an actor. Bearing in mind it's a job where you are playing make-believe. I don't think that toils and struggles of people in the entertainment industry need to be addressed any more than the toils and struggles of the rest of society.

Hi dude. Just laughed out loud watching Supreme Tweeter on the train. Loved it! Is that the real Harry Lloyd we're seeing?

Hahaha!

That Harry Lloyd is... I like to think, is very much an exaggerated version of myself. But I'm not anything like the mini-Harry, I don't think??

If you could be a part of any book adaptation to film/tv/stage, which book would you choose and why? I heard "Notes From Underground" was marvelous!

Ehm - well, I mean... I think there should be a massive series based on TALES OF THE OTORI. "Across the Nightingale Floor," which is the first book, is a modern children's classic. It's all about... it's set in ancient Japan, with a little bit of magic. It is great.

Do you have any idea when "Big Significant Things" might pick up distribution? I saw it at the Philadelphia Film Festival and loved it. It's honestly way up there on my list of favorite performances by you, and I'm eager for everyone to see it!

Ehm - we have recently GOT distribution! Hopefully, you will be hearing about it very soon.

Was there a lot of competition for Viserys role? How did the audition go? What was your reaction when you found out you got the part?

I have no idea how... competitive it was. I had two quite straightforward meetings. I was very lucky to be cast early. I think because I happened to have blond hair at the time for a play I was doing. It was pretty blond, but not as blond as Viserys.

So what would you have named the dragons that your sister received? Surely you can come up with better names

Ehm - Grumpy, Sneezy, and...

What would I name the three dragons? That's a very good question.

Trent.

Damien.

And Earl.

Watched the first part of Supreme Tweeter, it's great! Will there be a reddit episode too?

A reddit episode?

Eh - we are filming right now. #UBERMETA

What was your favorite part of the Supreme Tweeter process?

Ehm - I really enjoyed playing with the sound FX when the music started coming in, which was the first time I really felt we had a show.

At what place in the world would you most like to visit?

Mmmm... I would love to visit Korea.

Maybe pop over to the DMZ. If I was allowed to.

Harry, are you a Fantasy junkie like i am? (LOTR, GOT, pagan lore in general)

I wouldn't say I'm a junkie. But I have certainly dabbled.

wiggles fingers

Did you hurt yourself when you fell off the Boris bike in episode 2 of Supreme Tweeter?

No, not really. I was a bit embarrassed, as I was trying to skid 'round the corner like a pro, and hit the wrong brake.

What's the most played song on your phone?

"Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac.

This is a VERY important question. My husband had to correctly answer it before I agreed to date him. Who would win in a fight: Spiderman or Batman? Also, explain your answer.

Spiderman.

Speed. Web.

What's your favourite cheese?

Cheddar.

Boringly.

Or buffalo mozzarella.

Did you get pranked yesterday on April Fools' day? Can you be more specific?

raises eyebrows

I got zero pranks, actually.

We were very busy launching the show.

Grilled Cheese: Cut diagonally or into squares?

Diagonally. You get THREE good opening bites, rather than two.

Is there any roles/characters that you based your performance of Viserys from?

No. I didn't base that character on anything but the book...

The main inspiration was just the book. But when playing someone that bratty on the page, you are concentrating very much on all the non-bratty elements.

No homo but your hair from Theory of Everything looks soooo good. How'd you cut or style it?

That is ridiculous!

That my - hahaha- Harry's look in "Supreme Tweeter" was a combination of a grown-out Medieval bob that I had from WOLF HALL, and a scraggly beard that i was growing for "Notes from Underground." I don't think I ever looked more stupid. And because of pickup days, I had to look like that for months.

For THEORY OF EVERYTHING? Oh, cancel that.

Luckily, they had a lot to work with, 'cuz my hair was pretty long. It was a very pain-free makeup process. I can't even remember if we used products. I felt like one of the Monkees.

Hello Harry, take your pick OR answer both!

First, in your opinion, had Viserys managed to make it out that tent alive, do you think he would have ever been humbled by anyone? Or was he destined for an early death?

Second, Daenery's has a feverish episode later in the story of ASOIAF where she hallucinates vividly about Viserys. If Dan and Dave included that in the show, would you be open to a cameo given there were no scheduling conflicts?

Thanks!

Ehm - I think he always had it coming, frankly.

The way he carried - I don't think could have been lifted by anyone or anything.

And of course!

Hi Harry! I love all your work, I recently hear you as Pollution for the Good Omens adaptation, I loved your performance there and would've love to hear more form you :D How was for you working on a radio adaptation?

That was really fun.

And it's where I met the actor Andy Secombe, whom I cast in "Supreme Tweeter." Doing radio plays are often lovely long days sitting in the green room, chatting with other actors between scenes. The ones I've done have always felt very British, and part of a longstanding tradition I'm proud to be a part of.

What was your most difficult role and why?

I think the one I just did. I just did a one-man play adapted from "Notes from Underground" which is a book by Dostoyevsky about a guy who had locked himself away from the world for 10 years, and spoke to the audience for an hour and ten minutes, which I did twice a night for a month last year.

Yeah. That was pretty brutal, haha! But worthwhile.

I set the time wrong, fuck.

Well, here it goes. What would you say was the biggest difference between working in Doctor Who and in GoT?

raises eyebrows

The weather.

Doctor Who was filmed - I remember freezing windy rainy nights in Wales.

And Game of Thrones, with warm, long afternoons in Malta.

It was boring, but that's the first thing that came to mind.

Hello Harry, out of everything you have been in, which movie have you enjoyed being in the most and why?

Pffffft.

Depends which day you ask me.

Today... I will say... THE IRON LADY. For some reason.

Hi, Harry! I really enjoyed watching Supreme Tweeter yesterday; it looked like a lot of fun to make. My question for you is: Do you have a favorite book or author?

Quite simply, no.

But I have a whole host of contenders.

I read "The Giving Tree" for the first time recently. How did I miss that??

What was it about Notes From The Underground that inspired you to adapt it to the stage? Did you enjoy the writing process?

I did.

Ehm - reading the book, I'd read the book that year. And was put on the spot by the director to find a one-man show. And as soon as I mentioned this book - snaps fingers - he told me to write it straightaway.

Reading it - I'd never read anything else like it. And the writing process was SUCH a whirlwind.

I was still - to this day- not quite sure what we did or how we did.

Is the Kim Jong Un's twitter account in the Supreme Tweeter a real deal or a parody account?

That is the creation of our PR guru, Martin Forsyth.

Thanks for doing this! Huge GoT fan, and how you played Viserys. Which fictional universe do you think Viserys would actually succeed in?

Also, if you could play any character from any book (not just ASOIAF), who would it be?

Ehm - I can imagine him mellowed in middle age, working with clay down in Hobbiton.

How many episodes of Supreme Tweeter do you plan on doing?

Honestly, I've no idea.

I'm very curious to hear peoples' thoughts.

How many languages can you speak?

English, pretty well. French, fairly well.