HBO recently announced three casting decisions for the second season of Game of Thrones.
This season, based on Clash of Kings, the second novel in the series, will see some of the most important characters in the epic tale for the first time. We already heard who would be bringing us the Maid of Tarth, and now we’ve got news of the Onion Knight Davos Seaworth.
Davos was awarded a knighhood by Stannis Baratheon, the middle Baratheon brother, after he rescued Stannis’ castle from a siege by smuggling in a ship full of onions. As a perfect depiction of Stannis’ strict characterization, however, he also took off the first knuckle from a few of Davos’ fingers in punishment for smuggling.
The character is a favorite of fans of the Song of Ice and Fire series, as he is often witty, and usually seems to be the only person around Stannis who is not completely batty. The part will be played by Liam Cunningham, an Irish actor with a history of intense roles.
Meanwhile, Stanis will be played by Stephen Dillane, a talented Shakespearian actor. If he can play Hamlet, he can play Stannis, surely.
In this next season, Stannis starts to make moves to claim the throne, as his older brother’s legitimate successor.
Ironically, while the audience knows he has the most legitimate claim to Robert’s vacated throne, it’s pretty clear that he would make a terrible king, especially since he’s mostly controlled by a sorcerous advocate of the new religion, a seductress called Melisandre, who will be played by Carice van Houten of Valkyre.
The second season of Game of Thrones is in production now, and will premier on HBO in the spring.
