Joe Dempsie’s character on Game of Thrones has taken a more central role this season, and in a new interview he talks about Gendry and his relationship with Arya. Beware of mild spoilers.

Speaking to TV Guide, Dempsie talks about Gendry and how he’s interpreting the character:

I saw him as someone who hasn’t had a very easy start in life. He has no idea who his father was and has no idea where his mother is either — is she dead? Is she away? So I think he’s had to be quite tough and grow up a bit early on. It’s implied in the books that he’s not too bright, which is something I’ve tried to change quite a bit with my portrayal. He’s not sophisticated and isn’t particularly educated either but he’s certainly got street smarts about him and has got a determination. I also think he’s a man of principle. He’s probably seen a lot of horrible things, seen people treated pretty badly and he’s quite a fair person.

He also discusses the nature of Gendry and Arya’s relationship, and his answer should be of particular interest to book fans:

From what I gather in the books, there’s kind of an implied potential romance there for further down the line. But the way the casting is on the show, that’s not going to happen. […] Now she’s shared her secret with him and he’s promised to keep it safe. I don’t think Gendry has ever been given that level of responsibility before or ever felt like people trusted him enough to do that. I think he looks upon her as a little sister now. That’s something he’s never really experienced before. The other way around, he kind of reminds Arya of her older brothers.

Arya and Gendry’s relationship is certainly a big part of future books, but do you agree with Dempsie’s interpretation?

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