Game of Thrones' John Bradley has discussed his role in The Railway Children Return and how it connects to an original character.
The sequel chronicles the lives of a new generation of railway children – a group of evacuees relocating to Yorkshire during World War II – four decades after the events of the beloved 1970 original movie, an adaptation of the book by E Nesbit.
Bradley, known for playing Samwell Tarly on GoT, stars as Richard, the grandson of Bernard Cribbins' character Albert Perks, the station porter in the first film.
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"There was that balance of making him believable as a descendant of that character, but also finding new motivations and new flavours that you can bring to that character," Bradley told Digital Spy.
"It was just about working out what are the most valid traits of Albert Perks that can be passed on through the generations. And it was about diligence and attitude to his work and a great pride in himself, and a sort of spikiness when he thinks people are making a fool of him."
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Though Albert won't appear in the sequel, Bradley was able to model his Richard after him, helping the audience to create the connection between the two different generations.
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"As soon as I identified those, I accentuated those and it became a relationship between two people that don't appear on screen at the same time, but you can sort of fill in the gaps and imagine Richard growing up with Albert and learning a few things about the station, but also a few things about life as well from him," the actor explained.
"It was a privilege. Intimidating and big shoes to fill, but a pleasure to step into those shoes, definitely."
Alongside Bradley, The Railway Children Return also stars Sheridan Smith, Tom Courtenay, Jessica Baglow and Call the Midwife's Jenny Agutter, who reprises the role of Bobbie from The Railway Children.
The Railway Children Return is released in UK cinemas on July 15. Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray. Spin-off House of the Dragon is now filming and will premiere on August 21, 2022 in the UK.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
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Critic and writer Jo Berry has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, Radio Times, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including Chick Flicks and The Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Movies.
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