Dame Angela Lansbury is currently circling King’s Landing. The beloved screen icon, widely known for her role on Murder She Wrote, is reportedly lining up a spot in Season 7 of Game of Thrones. Coming just a week after Jim Broadbent joined the cast, HBO seems to be playing it old. This isn’t Lansbury’s first time playing in the world of fantasy. For in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, she used the power of witchcraft to fight the Nazis during World War II. There are no Nazis in Game of Thrones, so I’m not sure how useful that will be in Westeros.
Honestly, it would be amazing if it was a Mrs. Iselin-style role and she was programming sleeper agents for Cersei. For all anyone knows she’s a talking dog that continues to eat people that Sansa doesn’t like. My personal favorite theory since this casting announcement popped up is that she’s playing Grandma Hodor. The fans will love it and George R.R. Martin might write a whole page out of glee!
As a cinema fan, this writer appreciates how this series is becoming the British acting showcase for talents that didn’t quite latch onto the Harry Potter train. Sure, you have crossover with Tonks and Filch… but, you know what’s going on. Furthermore, barring any great fantasy epics returning to the United Kingdom, this is it. Game of Thrones might be the last major acting showcase for these talents. Well, at lease for the foreseeable future. Appreciate what you have now, Thrones fans.
This is the part where you’d normally get more information about the upcoming production. Well, the shoot just started and there is precious little to go around. Therefore, here’s a fun fact instead: Angela Lansbury used to be Ally Sheedy‘s mother-in-law. Life is weird.