Singer Ed Sheeran has had his fair share of guest appearances on television shows and films over the years, such as Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016),The Simpsons, Yesterday, and Amazon’s Modern Love series. However, his most controversial appearance happened in 2017, when he took on a small role in HBO’s lauded fantasy series Games Of Thrones.
Sheeran accepted the guest role as a Lannister soldier in the premiere of the seventh season; the episode was called “Dragonstone.”
During an interview on Armchair Experthosted byDax Shepard and Monica Padman, Sheeran reminisced about the positive filming experience and how much public opinion singed afterward.
“It was great,” he said about the cameo, but added, “I feel like people’s reaction to it sort of muddied my joy to it.”
People were indeed miffed about Sheeran’s appearance in the fictional world of Westeros. The backlash was so severe Sheeran deactivated his Twitter account for a brief moment.
“I feel like I pissed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like, ‘Oh you cameoed on that show,’ I’m like, ‘What would you say?’” he said.
“Everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show; they asked me to be in it. I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely more careful when I am offered cameos now,” Sheeran added.
While his appearance in the series may seem a bit random, it was actually a surprise planned for GOT actor Maisie Williams. At the time her character, Arya Stark, was not expected to make it to the end of the season, most likely set to be killed off in some battle or by a dragon or something. As a gift to the actor, they brought Sheeran on for a cameo.
“She’s always been awesome,” Sheeran says of Williams. “I don’t think they had written the ending yet. It was meant to be her last season but it wasn’t. And as a surprise for her, [they got] me on. So, she was meant to turn up on set. and I was by the fire.”
In “Dragonstone,” the two share a short scene around a fireplace. Sheeran even sings a little moral booster about the warmth of a woman’s hands. To satiate the jeering public, Sheeran wished for the brutal death of his character in the impending battle. However, it was later confirmed the ginger-haired soldier named Eddie endured an injury during battle, resulting in his eyelids burning off, which may be a fate worse than death.
(Source and courtesy: https://www.avclub.com/news)