One of the stars of the popular HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones has come forward with accounts of being sexually assaulted by fans. Actor Daniel Portman, who plays Podrick Payne on the show, explained to Esquire that he’s dealt with such interactions over the last few years.
Portman’s character has become more popular over recent years, aiding fan favorites like Tyrion Lannister and Brienne Of Tarth in their adventures across Westeros. His character has also earned a reputation as a ladies’ man, which seems to have impacted his presence among his fan base.
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“I’ve been grabbed by so many [people],” Portman revealed to Esquire, adding that most of the people are “older women.”
“What can you do? You know? Obviously tell them not to do it,” Portman explained. “It hasn’t happened for a while. In this day and age you’d think that people would be able to separate reality from fiction. I don’t want to say it comes with the territory, but, you know, people are crazy about it. It’s certainly not cool.”
The actor did say added that he doesn’t hate the stigma that’s come with his character, who is known for being popular among the women of Westeros. “It’s really not a bad thing, to be tied to your character,” he added.
“When you tell a 20-year-old actor, who’s sort of stumbled onto this big TV show, that all of a sudden you’re meant to be Casanova, people all over the world wonder whether or not it’s true,” Portman said to Esquire. “I would be lying if I said that that hadn’t been fun.”
Portman’s character saw a resurgence in popularity after the latest episode in which his character sings a heartbreaking ballad called “Jenny of Oldstones,” showing off his singing voice. But that popularity might be cut short in this week’s episode, which will see a lot of series mainstays fighting for their lives in a battle against the Night King’s Army of the Dead.
We’ll see if Podrick survives when Game of Thrones airs on HBO this Sunday.
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