Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the Game of Thrones season 7, episode 6 'Beyond the Wall'.
Last night's episode of Game of Thrones was a heartbreaking one, as Jon Snow and his men ventured beyond the wall to prove the existence of the White Walkers.
Astute fans knew that a battle of such epic proportions rarely ends with no casualties on a show like this, and they were right: Thoros of Myr, the red priest, came to his end when he was mauled by an undead bear.
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"I got the news last summer sometime," Paul Kaye, who has played Thoros since series three, told Entertainment Weekly. "I missed a couple calls from [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss], and that's the kiss of death."
Far from being upset that Thoros of Myr has fallen at the (almost) final hurdle, Paul is more impressed that his character lasted this long.
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"It looked like they weren't following Lady Stoneheart's storyline in the show, so I prepared myself not to re-emerge," he said, referring to the character that Thoros is most connected with in the book series, who does not appear in the HBO adaptation.
"So it was great to get back and have this adventure. Just staying alive for six seasons is an achievement in itself on this show."
One of the scenes in last night's episode 'Beyond the Wall' saw Thoros being burned by his companions after he died to prevent him from becoming a White Walker.
"It's glorious, really," Paul said of the scene. "And I like the fact I get [cremated] with my own booze as well —there's a message there somewhere."
Game of Thrones series seven finishes next Sunday (August 27) with a feature-length finale at 9pm on HBO in the US. It will be simulcast at 2am on Sky Atlantic on Monday (August 28) in the UK.
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