Tonight is the final episode of season 1 of Game of Thrones on HBO, then we’ll have to wait a year. In looking forward to the episode tonight (and on the side wondering if GRRM will even be able to watch it, in Poland, or will he have to wait until he gets back?), I find myself looking back on the series as a whole. After the final episode I fathom I’ll do an overall series review, but for now I want to talk about one man, Mark Addy.

Mark Addy was, outside of hair color questions, the one actor I was unsure of with the original casting. The child actors were largely unknown, but all looked right. I’d tune into see Sean Bean read the phone book. Peter Dinklage was an obvious choice. I liked Lena Headey in both Terminator and 300. But Mark Addy? I knew him well, there was a time when Still Standing was my favorite sitcom. But, this was the guy from Still Standing, A Knights Tale, The Full Monty, and Friar Tuck in the most recent Robin Hood movie. This was a comedic actor, and he wasn’t even tall.

Looking back though, I think he easily did the best acting of the entire cast for season 1, which is not to say the rest of the cast were slouches, they weren’t, but Addy nailed it.

His best scenes where when he talked about Lyanna. They’re some of my favorite scenes from the series. Mark had to portray bawdy drunk, raving mad, jovial, annoyed, lecherous, and tearfully sad – sometimes all in the same scene. He elevated the performance of the actors who worked with him. What was Lena Headey’s best scene as Cersei? The one where she shares a private moment with Addy’s Robert. What was Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s best scene as Jaime Lannister? The one where he tells Addy’s Robert about Mad King Aerys. What was Sean Bean’s best scene as Ned Stark? Probably one of the scenes with Robert, perhaps a tie between when they visit the crypt in Winterfell together, when they talk of Jon’s mother, and when they talk of Daenerys’s assassination.

It is telling that every actor that had a scene with Mark Addy performed best in that scene. They were feeding off the powerful performance Addy was putting on. The only sad thing is that we never had scenes of Robert going one on one against people like Littlefinger or Tyrion, those would have been great scenes too. If the definition of a supporting actor is one who helps the lead elevate their work, Mark Addy is the paragon of best supporting actor.

Supposedly GRRM jumped on the Addy bandwagon during casting when he saw him read the scene about Lyanna in the crypt, and that scene was so powerful, so adeptly done, it remains one of my favorite scenes from the series to date, and definitely my favorite from the premier. My other favorites would be the assassination attempt in Bran’s bedchamber, for the directing of it (which was awesome), the scene where Robert tells Cersei they never had a chance, again for the acting. Then probably the Baelor scene, for the writing. I find that the scenes where I have most appreciated the acting, all involved Mark Addy.

I know much of the buzz has been about Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion, but I am going to disagree with that. Dinklage was a critical darling prior to Game of Thrones, the one member of the cast really who was, so it would make sense that he remains so, but his performance was not nearly as strong as Addy’s. Not that Dinklage is any less of an actor, but the material simply is not there for Tyrion this season. Tyrion was largely a one dimensional character this season, he required far less range to pull off.

People of course like Tyrion, as they’re supposed to. Likewise, people dislike (or feel indifferent to) Robert Baratheon, as they’re supposed to. But it should not be a character popularity contest. You may rather hang out with Tyrion than Robert if you had the choice, but that shouldn’t matter is a discussion of the actor’s performance.

In anycase, Tyrion’s best material comes in later seasons, Robert has no more material. I wouldn’t want to see Mark Addy miss out on recognition because Peter Dinklage gets the critical attention, when I know Peter Dinklage will be getting the attention next year, and the year after. There is no doubt in my mind the Mark Addy’s performance was the best of all the actors this season, and he deserves recognition for it.

When Addy’s Robert Baratheon talks of Lyanna and his voice breaks as his eyes well up, there is magic.

I leave you with this scene, as exhibit B. I couldn’t find a clip of the scene from Winterfell’s crypt online, that scene is exhibit A.

8 Thoughts on “An Emmy for Mark Addy

  1. Dustin on June 21, 2011 at 12:02 am said:

    I have to agree with you about Mark Addy. Hope to see him play more roles of this caliber.

  2. Kelly on June 23, 2011 at 12:49 pm said:

    I also agree with you about Mark Addy. Inspired casting…a shame he leaves us so early.

  3. Nathaniel on June 25, 2011 at 9:11 am said:

    I wholeheartedly agree with you here valyrian. When I saw that Addy was playing Robert I was thrilled. I knew he would be perfect for the part. I really felt like he was channeling the character straight from my perception of him in the books.

  4. Jake on June 26, 2011 at 8:43 am said:

    I agree that Mark Addy did a great job, but I think the writers sold the character short. Robert was a drunken lout, but not an out and out A-hole like he was portrayed in the series.

  5. Nancy Cozzi on June 27, 2011 at 4:53 pm said:

    I absolutely agree with your assessment. Addy is the best supporting actor of the cast this season. The material just wasn’t there to back Dinklage up for Tyrion, in all honesty. I really hope Addy breaks through what will be a crowded field.

  6. OMG I am with you on this. Thank you for sharing what exactly convinced you to go with Team Addy (am surprised no one beat me to this). I wish he is mentioned as a contender at least!

  7. Jim King on July 20, 2011 at 7:36 pm said:

    Mark Addy was miscast. How could anyone really buy this guy as King Robert? Robert is supposed to be tall and powerful, even if he’s gone to seed. This dude is a midget, and gives no indication of ever having been anything other than a lardo. I like him as an actor, but he’s miscast here.

  8. I am so glad i saw this post. His scene with Ned about killing Danaerys, the opening shot “Thw WHORE is pregnant” is so good and funny in a way. He is an angry older but still strong man, fat of food and wine and sitting on the but, but commands respect thanks to his explosive agressive attitude and “Iron fist” Rule. But i cracked out laughing when i first saw it

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