How Bella Ramsey Prepared for Her Last Scene as Lyanna Mormont
Warning: Contains spoilers.
Last night was one of Game of Thrones’ biggest (and longest) episodes yet-and fans painstakingly said goodbye to some of their favorite characters. One of the most heroic deaths belonged to the youngest and (physically) smallest character on the show, Lyanna Mormont, the young Lady of Bear Island, who took down one of the largest monsters in the Night King’s army, a wight giant. Played by 15-year old Bella Ramsey, Lyanna became a fan favorite in season six for her savage on-screen takedowns, and for standing up to men who belittled and patronized the Lady due to her age and gender.
ELLE spoke to Ramsey this morning about last night’s episode, the power of youth, and reflecting on her time as Lyanna Mormont. Oh, and memes, obviously.
What a show last night!
I’m still here really. I didn’t really get killed by a giant.
Thank god! Before you read the scripts for season 8, what did you think was going to happen? Were you like, “oh no, everyone’s going to die?”
Well that’s always going to be a possibility. I didn’t really know what to expect to be honest. I expected there to be some mass battle.
How did you shoot your death scene? I’m assuming there was a lot of CG and green screen and special effects-was it hard filling in those blanks?
We did the first lot of shooting at night in real life and then I had to keep going back to do green screen bits and bobs, which was great. The dragonglass dagger that I was sticking into the giant’s eye-that was actually just a green ball on green screen. There was so much discussion happening, so I always had a clear picture of what was going on.
How did you prepare for that scene?
Well, I had the armor on, which is very helpful. I kind of flashed the armor and repeated almost a mantra, which is like a Lyanna Mormont thing. So it was, “I am Lyanna Mormont. I am powerful and I defeat giants.” That sort of thing. It just gets me into it.
I feel like you and Maisie Williams had the biggest, most badass scenes in “The Long Night”-What did you think of the women on the show last night? Or just the women on Game of Thrones in general?
I really respect Arya as a character. She’s amazing. I think Lyanna Mormont is inspired by Arya. But all the women-like when Brienne got knighted, that was a really great moment. I just like the strength that they’re given, especially in last night’s episode. Women can fight just as well as men can.
Is there any one actress on set that you really looked up to?
I mean quite literally, Gwendoline Christie because she’s very tall! But I really respect what she does and she’s a very, very nice person as well.
What’s it like working with Maisie and Sophie? They seem like a blast.
Yes, they’re great. They bounce off each other really well. They’re great friends and that makes things on set nice because you’ve got good relationships rather than there being any sort of tension. It makes it a comfortable environment.
Who is your favorite character on the show? Besides Lyanna, of course.
Samwell Tarly. I love him! He’s the underdog, isn’t he? He almost proves that you don’t have to be fit and stereotypically manly to fight either, which I really, really, really like.
Who do you want to see take the Throne? Although, I’m sure you already know who does.
I actually don’t know the answer! I’ve only been given the bit of scripts that I was in. They’re very secretive about it all. So I have no idea. I think after all Arya’s done and been through, I think she deserves it. But I don’t know. I can see Daenerys turning against Jon. I don’t know, she just seems really evil now.
Lyanna has so many of the best quotes and one-liners on Game of Thrones. What’s your favorite Lyanna moment?
The line last year in season seven: “I don’t plan on knitting by the fire while men fight for me.” I love that one. I really enjoyed saying that.
I heard you were only supposed to be on the show on season six and then they extended it for you because you just killed it as Lyanna Mormont.
Yeah, I’m really grateful. The fans played a massive part in that as well. If they hadn’t got behind Lyanna, it probably would’ve been unlikely that I’d be back. So yeah, massive thank you to them. And also to Dan [D.B. Weiss] and David [Benioff] for bringing me back, because it’s been such a great experience.
It must be a crazy experience to be just 15-years-old and on the biggest show in the world. How has Game of Thrones affected your life? Do you get recognized a lot by like, weird men in their twenties?
Everyone who’s recognized me has been very nice, which I’m very grateful for. It’s kind of thrust me into this world of being known, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because it’s a great platform and I want to use it for good. I want to make the most of it, to inspire and encourage. But also, it does come with its negative sides. Everything does. I’d like to keep a bit of my life my own, so I’m not publicizing my whole life on social media and stuff.
Speaking of social media, did you see all the great Lyanna memes from last night?
I have, yeah! It’s on my mom’s phone actually, my official Instagram and Twitter. So, I looked at it on hers. But yeah, I’ve seen the memes. They’re great. Anyone who’s thought of them, they’re geniuses.
What do you think you’ve learned from Lyanna Mormont? Are you like her?
I’m like her in the fact that I stick up for what I believe in. But I really admire her sheer confidence and also knowledge of how powerful she is. She really owns her status and she uses it for a very good reason. And that’s what I’m trying to do.
What are you going to miss most about the show?
All the people and the inside jokes-there’s so many inside jokes on Game of Thrones just between everyone-the crew, the cast. So, I’ll miss that. And I’ll miss my costume as well. I do love my costume. Yeah, all the people, all the crew-they’re so lovely, considering that they’re up at the crack of dawn and finish when it’s dark. They’re all so positive and enthusiastic all the time, which I really admire and they’re very kind, always.
What’s next for you? What does your dream career look like after this?
I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens basically. I’m quite laidback about that. I’m not really striving for a particular thing. I’ll just see where life takes me. But I’m always up for a challenge. I like a challenge-I’ve had lots of challenges already. I just want to keep getting roles that challenge me to be the best actor and the best person I can be.
What’s scarier, facing off with a giant and a bunch of dead guys, or men in real life?
Ha! I’m going to have to say the giants and the big scary guys. But actually, I was talking to the director Miguel [Sapochnik] about this, whether Lyanna would be scared of him, or whether she’d be just wanting to attack him. And the bit of direction that he gave me, which I’ll never forget, is: “It’s like someone removed her fear gene.” That’s what he said. And that’s so true.
Why do you think that we need someone like Lyanna Mormont? Do you think it’s important for young girls to see a character like this?
Yes, it is. I think girls and boys, to be honest, just to show that age doesn’t matter. Don’t let people look down on you because you’re young. I think adults can learn a lot from kids, just like kids learn a lot from adults. It’s vice versa. So, yeah, I think it’s important for them to see a character who stands up for herself and who keeps fighting, is persistent, and doesn’t give up.
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