The director for my final [ Game of Thrones ] episode is Jack Bender. As soon as I find out, I Google him. We’ve not met, but I try to second-guess how he’ll work.
If this is to be an epic scene, I need to get it spot-on. His past accolades tell me what I need to know: He’s an old hand, a longtime director on the 1980s hit TV series Falcon Crest . The Sopranos is also in his back catalog.
My hope is that he’ll draw out the best in me. When our first day of filming rolls around, Helen [Hempstead Wright, Isaac's mother] greets me with a warm hug. “Great to see you, Kristian!” she says.
But I also sense her hesitation. Neither of us want to acknowledge that our time together is drawing to a close. “Kristian!” Isaac also rushes up to say hello, but I notice that he doesn’t run to hug me.
Immediately, sadness surges through me. I haven’t seen him for months, but what’s obvious is just how much Isaac has grown. He’s 15 now.
Fifteen! He’s also nearly 6 foot tall. My rational brain kicks in. Would I have wanted to bear-hug anyone at that age? Categorically no.
But it’s also weird to think of our first day together when Isaac used me as a human climbing frame and smashed my iPhone in the Paint Hall. What a journey we’ve been on since then ..
. “I still can’t believe the script!” Isaac tells me. “It’s going to be really tough,” I gulp.
Already I can feel the emotion rising. How I’m going to survive the next few days will be anyone’s guess. �.