A Game of Thrones Star Passed on the Series Until One Scene Changed Their Mind

The original Small Council almost looked completely different on Game of Thrones, as actor Conleth Hill says he tried his best to turn down the role of Lord Varys, Master of Whispers. In a actor recently spoke to The Irish Times about his acting career, in which Game of Thrones is actually an outlier among more grounded dramas, sitcoms, and a lot of musical theater. Still, Thrones is undoubtedly the work Hill is best known for around the world, and he revealed that he tried to turn it down because of how different it is from his usual work. He said that learning more about Varys’ background and true motivation finally sold him on the project.

“I was resistant for a long time. I’m not into wizards,” Hill said. He explained that now, he likes the way Game of Thrones stands out among his other credits. “I don’t think it was a typical casting call. They wanted people who could handle the language, who had done Shakespeare.”

As for the insight that finally endeared Varys to Hill, it came from a scene that didn’t make it to the show until Season 3, Episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended.” Here, Varys seems to explain his real backstory to Tyrion Lannister — he was kidnapped and castrated as a child by a sorcerer in the city of Myr, so that the sorcerer could use this “sacrifice” to enact some kind of magic.

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To Varys’ horror, it actually worked, putting the sorcerer in contact with an otherworldly voice that terrified Varys as much as the abuse he had suffered. This instilled Varys with a hatred of all magic and purported sorcerers — something he and Hill apparently have in common — while also putting him on the path to becoming a spy. After sharing all this, Varys opens a wooden crate to reveal that he has tracked down the sorcerer who maimed him, and has just received him as a prisoner.

Varys shares all this with Tyrion because it relates to Tyrion’s own quest for political power and revenge. He counsels the Lannister heir to be patient and build influence slowly over time, assuring him that “The revenge you want will be yours in time — if you have the stomach for it.”

This revelation comes in the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Clash of Kings, but it is played different there. Most importantly, there is no imprisoned sorcerer present, and no indication that Varys has ever sought revenge on his abuser. Instead, Varys shares the story to explain his hatred of magical practitioners, because he believes that Stannis used magic to kill his brother Renly — which is true. With magical power growing in Westeros, it’s not clear yet how Varys’ ant-magic philosophy will impact the story to come.

Game of Thrones is streaming now on HBO and Max, while A Song of Ice and Fire is available in print, digital, and audiobook formats. A new spinoff series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premieres sometime this year, and another season of House of the Dragon is filming now for release in 2026.