Jaime Lannister Actor Speaks Out About Fans Bashing The 'Game Of Thrones' Ending

Lynne Versluys

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau addressed the backlash against the final season of Game of Thrones while at Con of Thrones in Nashville.

A Controversial Final Season

After Game of Thrones eighth and final season wrapped, most fans were left more than a little disappointed. The fans were so angry over how the show panned out that many decided to throw a fit online and create a petition to remake the season. It received 1.6 million signatures.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Addresses The Backlash

While at the fan event Con of Thrones in Nashville this weekend, Jaime Lannister himself, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau discussed the backlash and how it felt quite unfair.

"We're so lucky to be part of a show where people love the show so much that they care so much about it that you also get upset it doesn't go the way you wanted it."

Remember That These Are Real People

Coster-Waldau cautioned fans about being too cruel, reminding them that the cast and crew worked extremely hard on the season and that they read the comments too.

"Know that they too read the comments, and it is — even though you're sitting on your own and going, 'F—ing stupid writers, assholes!' They really, like everyone on Game of Thrones — every single person, and there are thousands — we worked our asses off to make the best show we could for the ending."

And yes, there is even a group chat where some of the actors have discussed the backlash.

"Every season has been intense in terms of the attention and discussion, but it was extraordinarily intense for a final season. We have this WhatsApp group, the actors, and I saw some people getting a little upset because some of the stuff is vicious. [...] There was that kind of weird feeling of, 'What the hell? We worked so hard.'"

The Last Laugh

Ultimately, Coster-Waldau is proud of the work that they did. And he and the rest of the Game of Thrones team gets the last laugh: the HBO epic picked up a historic 32 Emmy nominations for the final season, including Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for Coster-Waldau.