Young actor Matteo Elezi discusses his casting in Game of Thrones season 6 

in a new interview with BBC Radio Manchester. The ten-year old (accompanied by his mum, of course) pops in around the 2:51:00 mark in the program to talk about his audition for season 6, and his time filming

We do know which role Elezi will be playing but that could be considered a spoiler to those who are trying to remain completely free of info about the new season and Sunday’s episode, in which Matteo appears, so we’re going to be tuck that and some other spoiler info below a cut!

Elezi’s IMDB resume page reveals that he will be playing the role of Benjen Stark in

 season 6. We know from previous casting calls and spoiler rumors that the older Stark generation will be appearing in flashbacks, thanks to Bran Stark’s powers and visions.

As we reported last August, young Ned (Benjen’s brother) will be in the flashbacks as well, played by Sebastian Croft. Croft’s agency CV now confirms that he will be playing “Young Eddard Stark.”

In the BBC radio interview, Elezi talks about his experience and realizing that “literally the whole world is watching you” when he’ll be on the show. He confirms that they filmed his scenes in Northern Ireland, and that his audition involved fighting (the casting notices mentioned sparring with wooden swords).

Elezi also somewhat hilariously talks about showing up to have his hair cut for the role, and realizing he was sitting next to Jon Snow.

His mum won’t be letting him watch the entire episode, most likely- they’ll fast forward to his part in the show. She does say that Matteo has “lots of lines” and it sounds like they’re hopeful for the possibility of a return.

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I wonder if he told his nephew what he has been up to north of the Wall for the past five or so years.

Looking forward to this. I would love flashbacks at some point with a young Robert and Ned, too.

LOL, and he might actually be back as well. Not as a kid in a vision.

He is the hooded rider with the flaming ball on a chain. 🙂

Eddard, Brandon, Benjen, Lyanna, little Hodor, Rickard… the vision scene is going to be memorable.

Interesting to learn that young Benjen in the flashback had lots of lines. I believe we will see the young Starks flashback tomorrow!

Did we ever find out what role Michael Nevin is playing? When his casting was announced a few months back (article:

http://watchersonthewall.com/another-young-actor-is-cast-for-game-of-thrones-season-6/), it was said his role was substantial but that could have been hyperbole of course. Since the young/flashback Starks seem to have all been cast, do we know who he is? Do we know for a certainty Art Parkinson is back? He’s had a rather large growth spurt, so I wonder if we have a new Rickon. Thoughts?

Yes, we know Art is back. edit to say: at least, he was spotted with multiple cast members last August during filming. http://watchersonthewall.com/are-these-game-of-thrones-stars-spotted-in-belfast-returning-in-season-6/

I don’t know who Nevin is playing but he has Sackheim and Sapochnik listed for directors. http://www.universalartists.co.uk/Actor/CV/2208

Notice how it says “Michael has a good ear for accents” in that CV.

In Season 4 Episode 6 Oberyn says to Varys “I have an ear for accents.”

Could it be that Michael Nevin is playing Oberyn’s long lost son, who will step up as the rightful ruler of Dorne now that all the other Martells are dead????

If the episode start with a shot of Winterfell ol´ days an the theme just like Season 1 I´m gonna cry probably lol.

I wonder if he’s a fake Rickon lmao. Dare I hope?

Yes! please D&D let us hear this song this Sunday.

This actor looks so much younger than Art.

He (Art) sure has had a growth spurt. I just googled some images of him. It looks like he’d be eye-to-eye with Ramsay – not really someone who Ramsay would refer to as “little man.”

Ramsay doesn’t know this 😛 And Rickon is supposed to be younger than Art is on the show (like all the other Stark kids who grew quickly)….

I’m trying to be optimistic against all odds lmao

He’s so cute! But then they all are. Looking forward to seeing him in the show.

With this casting information, I’m now about 80% sure the mysterious man on horseback with a flame on chains is the return of Benjen Stark. (The other 20% is a new character we haven’t met yet.)

Sounds like a great kid. Hope he does a good job as Benjen! 🙂

Eh? Did he dye his hair? Why does Benjen look like Bran and Rickon instead of Jon as his older self did?

Since Benjen’s being featured in the flashbacks, do you think we’ll get the expected

This is the child’s headshot photo. I wouldn’t nitpick his current hairstyle at the time of his photograph-taking.

I think that means that he is good at affecting accents in his own speech. Oberyn meant that he could discern them. There is no correlation between these two things.

“Elezi also somewhat hilariously talks about showing up to have his hair cut for the role, and realizing he was sitting next to Jon Snow.”

Me too! The Winterfell theme always makes me tear up! 😢

I’m still not convinced Ramsay says that little man bit.

Iwan posted a tweet with that line.

It’s him. I wasn’t sure either at the begining but it is him.

Parkinson lives in Belfast to begin with, right? It’s possible he was just having lunch with former castmates. I dunno. For several reasons, I can see D&D keeping Rickon a child rather than a teenager. The directors make sense for a late-season reveal… Hmmm, I wonder if Nevin IS Rickon. Would be sad for Art, but he’s been doing okay for himself with movie roles. We’ll just have to see.

Also: children’s hair color does change. Some kids are born platinum blonde and turn brunettes. My niece was born with frosted tips! It was pretty hilarious and now her hair is dark.

And this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svUHcWvG4R0 I love them both!

Parkinson, last info publicly available, lives in Ireland- not

Ireland. He’s not a Belfast local. It’s always possible he drove there to visit, I suppose. But we could say that of a lot of sightings.

“Also: children’s hair color does change. Some kids are born platinum blonde and turn brunettes. My niece was born with frosted tips! It was pretty hilarious and now her hair is dark.”

Yeah, when I was a kid I had white-blonde hair, by the time I was a teen it had turned very dark.

Did we ever find out what role Michael Nevin is playing? When his casting was announced a few months back (article: http://watchersonthewall.com/another-young-actor-is-cast-for-game-of-thrones-season-6/), it was said his role was substantial but that could have been hyperbole of course.Since the young/flashback Starks seem to have all been cast, do we know who he is?Do we know for a certainty Art Parkinson is back? He’s had a rather large growth spurt, so I wonder if we have a new Rickon. Thoughts?

I really hope they didn’t recast Rickon.

My guess is that Michael Nevin has something to do with the Riverlands/Freys.

If Jon is floating around in ghostworld right now, I wonder if Bran can talk to him, and show Jon what goes down at Harrenhal or TOJ.

With this casting information, I’m now about 80% sure the mysterious man on horseback with a flame on chains is the return of Benjen Stark. (The other 20% is a new character we haven’t met yet.)

I agree. And Benjen was part of Jon’s death scene in E10 last year.

Now the real question here is what will benjen bring to the series at this point.

Benjen can bring confirmation of Jon’s parentage and be the new Lord Commander of the NW, plus…he’s been doing recon on the WW, so he’ll have some good info for the upcoming battle.

I think he is going to escort Bran and co. back South of the Wall.

Bran and Rickon should look like their Uncle Benjen as a child. And compliments to Jon Snow having some sort of family resemblance, even if its as a teenager.

Ohh boy, flashbacks are going to be amazing. I am really pumped to see a White Walker flashback, to learn more about them, and to hopefully hear them speak for the first time, would be freaking awesome!!!

When we first see Winterfell in season 1, they play an extremely short upbeat version of the theme and it sounds like they have someone humming it too. A continuation of that would be pretty great. Maybe it should be a bit slowed down though, considering what happened to Winterfell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBRH5s2lsxc

Their language sound like the cracking of ice? Alright then…

Anyone think rickon will be handed over the ghost of winterfell plot. That would be massive hype.

I don’t understand when seeing a young Benjen sword playing with a young Ned relates to what storyline?????? So what! Now if it’s Lyanna that may be different

Is it a possible spoiler that he was getting hair and make up next to Kit?

Are the Winterfell and Wall sets close together? Is it possible they were filming different scenes on the Winterfell set on the same day?

I don’t understand when seeing a young Benjen sword playing with a young Ned relates to what storyline?????? So what!Now if it’s Lyanna that may be different

Set up and insight into the Stark’s story. Guess we will find out tomorrow?

On a side note… one of my favorite things about the ASOIAF/GOT community is that no one can ever say “Hey, no need for that language, this is a family show!”

I hope so too. Maybe the child actor is a fake Rickon. /tinfoil

Fancy word for a sellsword: Set up and insight into the Stark’s story. Guess we will find out tomorrow?

That and to see the power of the visions that Bran and 3-Eyed Raven have.

Are we ignoring that the kid was sitting next to Jon Snow at something? ((I didn’t listen to the interview but he was around Kit at some point I guess))

It’s a good spot to reintroduce Benjen and the discussion of Jon’s parents and tie it all to the storyline of Bran

It’s possible, but it’s more likely they were just at the same studio filming separately, whether it was Titanic Studios or the one in Banbridge- both of them can handle multiple scenes being set up/going on at once.

That’ s what I thought too. IIRC, this kid filmed his scenes in Oct during which time riverlands filming was.also going on. The only problem is it’s more likely we will see the riverlands only in the second half of the season.

yeah I am pretty sure thats a spoiler……. 😀

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03qpnk5, if you want to listen. I was surprised at being able to listen in, even in the US.

I loved the end: “Thanks for having me: you’ve all been goooooooorgeous!” And then dude says, “cracking.” They were both cracking me up. Do normal Brits really talk like that or only the poshest of posh?

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