'Game of Thrones' Has a Surprising Safe Word for Intense Fight Scenes
Dating back to its first season, Game of Thrones has delivered audiences intense combat, the scale [...]
Dating back to its first season, Game of Thrones has delivered audiences intense combat, the scale of which got bigger and deadlier as each season went by. To pull off the impressive sequences, immensely talented stunt performers were enlisted to ensure that the action was not only convincing, but also that all of the performers followed safety protocols to avoid accidental injuries. Stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam recently revealed that one part of his team's protocol is to implement a safe word that, when uttered, would let everyone know that someone was overwhelmed or suffered an actual injury. Understandably, the word isn't a regular utterance in Westeros.
"When we're doing these battles and people are screaming and crying and dying, you might not know if anyone's in trouble," Irlam shared with Entertainment Weekly. "So our safe word was always 'banana.' If someone started shouting 'banana!' at the top of their voice, you'd know they're in trouble."
Whether it be Hardhome, the Battle of the Bastards, or Blackwater, Game of Thrones has set the standard for chaotic carnage in a TV series, though Irlam pointed out it only looks chaotic on the screen while the logistics of such sequences are meticulously planned as to ensure everyone's safety.
"It needs to look like a complete maniacal riot, but you have to make sure that no one gets so much as a chipped tooth or a sprained ankle," the stunt coordinator explained. "We're trying to make it look as dangerous as possible, but we also try to keep it as safe as possible."
Throughout the course of the series, audiences have seen both intimate duels and entire battlefields full of blood. Irlam noted that, to help create a convincing sequence, many of the actors participate in their own fight scenes, which presents unexpected challenges when they get too ambitious about their abilities.
"Sometimes you have to hold them back a little," Irlam admitted. "Kristofer [Hivju, who plays Tormund] is very full-on, but in a very positive way. He'll go, 'Hey, Rowley, I've got this great idea. I think I'm gonna jump on this guy and kick this guy in the head!' And you have to go, 'No, no, Kristofer, we can't do that.'"
With the upcoming season of Game of Thrones being teased as having the most massive episodes yet, we're sure to see plenty of exciting combat that exceeds our expectations.
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 14th.
What has been your favorite fight scene in the series? Let us know in the comments below!
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