14 DAY TRIAL // HBO has another ratings winner on its hands, with the second episode of season 4 of “Game of Thrones,” “The Lion and the Rose,” which saw King Joffrey marry Margaery in the Purple Wedding. Jack Gleeson, who plays Joffrey, is finally opening up about the shocking twist in the story in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly.
He’s also using the opportunity to announce officially once more that, when he’s done with the series, he will be retiring from the spotlight because he wants to keep acting “for fun,” not because his living depends on it.
*This article contains major spoilers. Fans who have not seen episode 2 from season 4 are encouraged not to read any further or, if they do, to bear in mind this stern warning.*
Speaking of retirement, he’s already done it. The Purple Wedding shocker is that Joffrey was killed by poison, which means that Gleeson is already done with the popular series. Below is a video shot right after the wedding scene, in which he delivers a heartfelt message for fans.
On the topic of Joffrey’s death, the actor, who is known for his refusal to do interviews (because he’s shy, not because he’s “too good” to talk to the press), says that he believes fans will have very mixed feelings about his villain.
On the one hand, they will undoubtedly be pleased to see him go because he’s one of the bad guys, and a most annoying one, while we’re at it. On the other, with Joffrey gone, they will lose their number one favorite character to hate, so they will probably miss him too.
“It’s relieving, in a way,” Gleeson says of shooting the death scene, his first ever in front of a camera. “It was tough. I suppose it’s one of those things that you have no prior experience in. I’ve never seen anyone die. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like. But Alex [Graves, the director] very kindly walked me through it. It was fun in the end, but kind of stressful to be so focused, but acting like you’re completely unfocused. Difficult, but exciting.”
Just yesterday, Graves said in an interview that Gleeson was a pleasure to work with because he was always open to suggestions and “willing to do anything.” Graves also stressed that Joffrey’s death was not an end even if it might seem that way at first: it’s a beginning because it will set a whole new series of things in motion.