exclusive interview with the Mother of Wolves
Michelle Fairley plays Catelyn Stark, the matriarch of Winterfell and mother of “The Young Wolf” Robb Stark, King of the North. She shares with us the intimate, enthralling, and dark details of what it’s like to step into her character in Season 3 and into the magic that is Game of Thrones®.
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“First of all, the fans of the book are already aware of the world that George Martin has created. And then, due to the passion and drive and the commitment of David Benioff, Dan Weiss, and Bryan Cogman, who worked for years to create this series, with HBO® they were able to bring that world to life and put it on television, not in movie form, but in a 10-part drama.”
On real-life issues in a fantasy world…“Even with the fantasy element that is growing within the series, and irrespective of where it is placed in time, in a world that doesn’t really exist, what the families and characters are going through is timeless. It’s about love, survival, and grief. How you get on in the world, and a lot of those issues, are what people struggle with on a daily basis to survive within this 21st century world.”
“All of my scenes for Game of Thrones® are shot in Ireland, either on studio sets in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast or on location around the north. It’s the most amazing, beautiful, unspoiled countryside. It’s like it’s been untouched since time began.”
About the world on the set…“All these amazing sets are built on-site at the studio. The incredible designer and her team — they’re craftsmen. They create a complete world, and once you’re on the set, you get completely immersed in it. The attention to detail is something I’ve never come across before and it’s a delight. They thought of absolutely everything. The cutlery is handcrafted for the Tully family or for Winterfell — you’re not going to find that cutlery in King’s Landing. Even the flowers on the table are specific to that region.”
On taking up the mantle…“The last bit of the puzzle is the actors as they walk onto that set. The costumes by Michele Clapton are amazing — the weight of the fabrics, the colors…hair by Kevin Alexander and makeup by Paul [Engelen] are amazing as well. Once you get all the effects on you, you inhabit a different person. You’re involved in something that is so special, and so many people love and adore it. It’s an absolute feast for the eyes in terms of its filming and its locations, the costumes, the set design, the hair, the makeup. It’s sumptuous.”
“Catelyn has changed so much since the first season. I imagine her wearing a cloak of grief around. The loss of her husband, the upheaval of her home, losing contact with her children, these things all weigh heavily on her. She is a religious and superstitious woman, and she has a lot of time for reflection in Season 3. It gets darker and deeper with Catelyn, and she goes into a very lonely place. She feels her family’s destruction is retribution for her lack of humanity.”
About what Catelyn did…“She’s grappling with her actions as a mother and a human being. Catelyn released Jaime Lannister, hoping she could get her daughters back and resolve the conflict between the two families, but it was a deception that undermined Robb’s authority, putting him in a very awkward place that he has to be seen to punish his mother. The way she treated Jon Snow features heavily in her mind as well, and she realizes her anger at Ned’s infidelity was misdirected at the wrong person, at a child.”
“Ultimately it’s a drama, and what people watch in drama is the story — what happens to these people. It’s working out how to keep the energy up and keep the story moving — that’s the genius of the script. The script is your bible. It’s what you go back to constantly as an actor, and every year they just get better. The characters take on more weight and you form more of an attachment to these people and become emotionally embroiled in what they are going through.”
About the characters we love to hate…“Personally, I love the Lannisters. They are so well-written, and the actors who play them are fantastic. I love the intrigue and deception. Human life is cheap in this world; people are prepared to do anything in order to survive. I find it fantastically wonderful to watch the levels of plotting and scheming that they will go to. They all try so hard to be clever and to stay ahead of the game. Their scenes are wonderful and full of humor, too.”
On who deserves the Iron Throne…“Oh, definitely the Starks, of course! Even though I love watching the Lannisters, and their machinations and their evilness, I’m a good person. I believe the goodies should win! The honorable family, trying to do the good thing — they suffered tremendously, and they should win the war.”