In a new interview, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau discusses the success of Game of Thrones and his role as Jaime Lannister.

In the interview with Hey U Guys, Nikolaj is asked whether he thinks Jaime is a good or a bad guy, and he says:

It think he’s a bad guy [but] I don’t think he’s a bad person or a psychopath. I don’t think when he pushes that kid out the window, it would mean the death of his sister and her kids. He just weighed up the options. He’s a man of action so had to act. I think he despises that act and clearly it’s not something he’s proud of. I love playing Jamie Lannister because it’s so interesting to have that guy who really doesn’t want to be part of the Game of Thrones. When he was sixteen, in his mind he had his finest hour when he killed the mad king and it became the one thing that defined him but in a very negative way. Then of course he’s been living this secret life for 20 years with his sister. Yes it’s incestuous but for him it’s love.

On which scene in season 1 was the most demanding:

The fight with Ned Stark, with Sean Bean was great, it was very sweaty. We shot that in Malta for two days in this beautiful square in Medina, it was great. Emotionally, I don’t really think about it in those terms. You focus on the scenes and a lot of acting is about being so concentrated so you can ignore the fact you’re a 41 year old man all dressed up and be in the moment.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns in season 2, which premieres April 1!