Warning: contains spoilers forOur GirlandGame Of Thronesseason 4.
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To start withOur Girl, your character, Smurf, has such a sad story.
It is pretty dark isnt it?
Is that how you saw the character?
I suppose its realistic though, it can happen.
Hes kind of the tragedy of the whole story, I think.
Hes a character with ideals and beliefs though?
Yeah, he certainly is.
Whether theyre the right ones for a soldier out there though, I dont know!
Hes actually a sweet guy who just got a bit messed up.
Was that meant bitterly, ironically, or do you think he really believed it?
I dont think bitter.
I think its quite a pensive, retrospective comment on…
The way I tried to do it was, was it all worth it?
The sacrifice that wed made, was it worth it?
Thats what it was supposed to be.
I didnt want to play it like national pride or… theres a mixture of things in there.
Its almost like youre saying it in real life, what is it actually all for?
Would you say OurGirlinvestigates what heroism means?
Molly [Lacey Turner] turns out to be heroic.
I guess its part of it.
Hes not the same person.
It is a story about the soldiers, its not a political piece.
Its about the human toll of it, then.
By the end ofMisfits, your character went through a progression that turned him into a hero.
How was that progression for you?
I think he was just a really confused, fucked-up boy.
Hed been having a really bad time.
Hes kind of a poor lonely soul whos got nobody.
But the progression was really good.
Obviously certain characters are out-and-out psychos, but I think Simon was just quite messed up.
I dont think there was anything evil in him.
You always thought there was more for Simons character to do inMisfitsdidnt you?
That his story was a bit rushed in his final series?
I thought in series three it was really rushed.
The film did sort of help that along a little bit.
Youve read the script for it then?
Yeah, a draft of.
I thought it was really good.
Is it completely dead now, or is there still a chance for it?
Im not in the loop.
Though, interestingly, you describe Ramsay as a very happy, content character.
I think he is.
I think thats the key to him.
None of it is hurting him.
He just sees it all as being really fun.
Its like a fun game, hes basically Dennis the Menace.
Hes having a whale of a time, giggling like a mad thing whilst stabbing people in the head… Its all about power for him isnt it?
Theyre ruling the North.
How does Ramsay take to that?
He sort of embraces it in his own little way I think [laughs].
How did Ramsay learn to fight like that, do you think?
Do you consider biographical things like that for your character?
The fact that his father was a lord, hed have had pretty good training Id imagine.
Even though he was a bastard.
Hes very much like Jon Snow.
Hes like the evil Jon Snow, really.
Hes basically the antithesis of Jon Snow.
Hes a complete bastard, in more ways than one!
But that might be a lot to say about their fathers who brought them up andhowthey were brought up.
Obviously Ramsay had something in him anyway.
He would have been taught to fight by one of the big boys at home.
How far along are you in the season five filming now?
Were still in the middle of it now.
How did you go about developing Ramsays character with the showrunners and the directors?
We had a meeting and really discussed the character.
Chatting to them, it all started making sense.
They know exactly what they want.
Theyre all over it.
And they know where its all leading too for each character, of course.
I know you basedMisfits Simon, visually at least, on Ian Curtis from Joy Division.
Was there anyone in mind for Ramsay?
Probably some sort of combination between Heath Ledgers Joker inThe Dark Knight, and Dennis The Menace.
That sort of mischievousness.
Is it right that you havent read the books?
So how much do you know about your characters fate in the novels?
Talking about that, yours and Theons characters stories underwent a significant change from the books.
Were the reasons for why those changes were necessary explained to you?
From what I understand, it was just purely for dramatic television reasons.
From my understanding, thats what it is.
So, hats off to Alfie Allen.
For getting you the job two years earlier than it might have been.
Because I got the job, thats right!
[laughing]
One of the showrunners has said aboutseason fivewas that its time for negative population growth.
Because theyre introducing a whole load of new characters so they have to scrub the way with some others.
Its funny when youre chatting to actors on set and they go, I die in this one.
Its my last one which is a shame [laughs] and you think, oh man!
We all have a laugh about it, but theres nothing we can do.
The US remake ofMisfitswent quiet recently, we understand.
Had you heard anything on that?
No, I know nothing about it, no.
Your original series started airing on Hulu in the US a couple of years ago.
Did you notice a response from the States when it first came out?
People are catching on to it slowly.
Are you aware theres an Italian kind-of remake, calledFreaks!
Its not exactly the same by any means.
But Im not sure its that linear a translation.
Also I dont speak Italian.
Its not on your radar then?
No, I havent seen it.
Ill look it up.
He just came over with a pint of Guinness and said Hows it going?
I did your voice in the Italian dub ofMisfits.
I said I should be buying you that, mate.
[ITV sitcom]Viciousis coming back for a second series next year.
What co-stars youve got there!
You must have a good story or two about working with Sir Ian Mckellan and Sir Derek Jacobi?
Its hard to think of anything specific…
It was just one of those things where you think Oh God,on day one.
And your heart drops through your stomach…
Yeah, though he didnt mean it.
They were just testing me out I think.
Speaking of stages, congratulations on the Olivier award forSpring Awakening.Do you have plans for more musicals?
No, I dont think so.
Im not really equipped to do musicals.
That was a very different one in quite a specific style of singing and acting.
I dont think Ill probably do a musical again.
I dont know, I might.
You dont fancy a part inThe Lion King?
No, no, Im alright thanks.
Ill do a play, but I dont know about musicals.
You are a singer though.
Ive got an album coming out at the end of the year.
Its called Dinan, which is a place in France.
Hopefully thatll be out towards the beginning of next year.
It was a BBC production that got all the Welsh actors in to do a little bit each.
Thats been done as a straight movie, its not animated or…?
I have to ask, because its a tradition on our site.
Whats your favourite Jason Statham film?
Is he in that?
Yeah, hes in that.
Er, speaking of which, do you have a particularly memorable line fromMisfits?
And fromGame Of Thrones?
What have I said in that?
Well, I wont say any of them, but theres some beauties coming up in the next series.
Ill leave you with a bit of intrigue!
Iwan Rheon, thank you very much!
Iwan Rheon stars inOurGirl, onDVDon Monday the 3rd of November.
