Daenerys is back with the Dothraki!
Daenerys is back with the Dothraki!
We were so distracted by Jon Snow's shocking resurrection on Game of Thrones last week, that we almost forgot all about Dany's heart-pounding khaleesi-napping in the season six premiere.
To help get you even more excited about reuniting with the Mother of Dragons, ET called up Westeros newcomer Joe Naufahu, who plays Dothraki leader Khal Moro, to get the exclusive scoop on what's coming next on our journey to Vaes Dothrak and what Emilia Clarke is really like on the GoT set!
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How would you describe Daenerys and Khal Moro's dynamic moving forward?
Joe Naufahu: It's strenuous, but at the same time I think there is a lot of respect there at the moment. I think there is going to be some fireworks coming up, but at the moment, it's all very respectful. There was a lot of natural attraction on Moro's part, anyway, but once he knew what the situation was, he's been nothing but a gentleman, and whether that carries on will remain to be seen…. I think his mentality is, 'Well, if I can't have you -- no one can.' And conveniently, as part of the Dothraki traditions, he's like, 'Since you are a wife of a Khal, and your Khal is dead, you're going to spend the rest of your time in Vaes Dothrak.' I think that's his little way of getting back at her for not giving it up for him.
What is the process like to learn Dothraki language?
JN: It's crazy, but they do a great job supporting you when learning. They set you up with audio, and I had a language expert skyping me twice a week from London and we just went hard at it for about a month before shooting. The language expert is always on set, but it's just one of those things where practice makes perfect with repetition. I learned the scenes really well in English, and then I focused on the Dothraki. But it's hard because you have to learn everyone's dialogue, you don’t just learn your own as you would with a normal script. You have to learn everyone's speaking roles so you can react and be alive in the scene, so for me, that was the biggest difference from learning just in English, is knowing everyone's dialogue.
How is Khal Moro different from Khal Drogo?
JN: He's very different. I mean he's a brute as Drogo was, but he sticks to the traditions more strictly than Drogo did. But [Moro] has got a sense of humor -- I think that's the biggest difference is that he's got a bit of a comedic side and he's a bit lighthearted. He sits into his power, he doesn’t really show his power a lot as much as his predecessors and he enjoys himself a little, but he laughs with his cronies. I think he's a little bit more relaxed maybe than his previous Khals.
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What can you tease about this week's episode? Will the Dothraki be back?
JN: You will see some Dothraki next week, definitely. The journey continues! You might see a little interaction with some of the other Dothraki next week as well.
Dany always finds a way to gets what she wants. Will she be able to charm her way away from Khal Moro?
JN: She's not too charming. She's got a big arsenal of weapons at her disposal and she's not the charming little girl you'd think. Everyone knows that she's got a big army and I don’t know whether these Dothraki can handle it, but we'll have to see what happened.
What were you most surprised to learn about Emilia?
JN: Just she's a bit of a tomboy. I think I learned that she's got a few brothers and when she was hanging out with the Dothraki, she was just like one of the boys and that was really cool. You always wonder what these people and these actors are like when you read about them in the papers and stuff, and it was cool to know that she's just a really cool chick. Really down to earth and really funny and goofy and not a prima donna at all.
How do you pass the time on set?
JN: We play cards, we sit and listen to music, we play some pretty hardcore Pictionary games -- there are some real artists in the Dothraki. And we play little pranks on each other like if you fell asleep on set, you can expect to get something done to you in your sleep.
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Did you ever prank Emilia?
JN: No, I didn’t, but I should have! She got me really good. I fell asleep and she decided to smother dessert all over my face and all over my Dothraki outfit and my beard, so I woke up to that one morning at 3 a.m. covered in caramel fudge! It's every guy's dream to be covered in caramel fudge by Emilia, right? I was living my fantasy. [Laughs] I shouldn't have woken up.
What do you want the audience to know about Khal Moro before we see him again?
JN: He's a badass with a sense of humor. He's not your average leader. He enjoys riding his horse and killing other warriors in battle, but he also enjoys having a laugh. He's a bit of a Casanova. I think he's a leader that's very comfortable with his own power.
So he's not that bad of a guy?
JN: He's a bad guy, but he's not a bad guy. He's off the Richter scale. He's a bad guy that you can still go out and have a drink with and have a good time with.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.