A Hilarious Tormund Scene In Game Of Thrones Was Improvised By Kristofer Hivju
One of the best things about the sprawling HBO fantasy series "Game of Thrones" is that there are an incredible number of wonderful characters with great moments of interaction between them. Sometimes these little moments could be more fun and thrilling than the big battles between zombies and dragons or even the political scheming of wannabe kings and queens, and in the case of one of these moments, it was entirely an improvised moment between some very talented actors. There's a very meme-able moment in the season 7 episode "Beyond the Wall" that features Kristofer Hivju's wildling character Tormund Giantsbane shooting his shot with the woman of his dreams, bringing a great bit of levity to the rather dire circumstances of those later seasons. According to series co-creator and showrunner Dan Weiss, that moment was entirely because of Hivju, which absolutely rules.
There's something really lovable about Tormund despite his being a slightly terrifying, violent barbarian, and while some of that is on the page in George R. R. Martin's books and the show's scripts, a lot of it also comes from Hivju's way of embodying the character. Like Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), he's a dire wolf, though he frequently acts like more of a big goofy puppy.
The eyebrow wiggle heard 'round Westeros
In the episode, Tormund decides to try and flirt with Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) just a bit, as he's been in love/lust with her ever since he first saw her from afar. He wiggles his brows and leers at her and she looks away unimpressed, and it's absolutely hilarious. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, series co-creator and showrunner Dan Weiss explained that the moment was completely organic and happened when Hivju simply improvised:
"It's not something you could ever write. It's just this moment where this guy is creeping out on her and he smiles in a way that makes her very uncomfortable and she just looks away. I saw it 150 times and every time it made me laugh; it's purely the two of them."
There's something relatable to both of their positions, as almost every woman on this planet has dealt with overbearing advances and almost every person has awkwardly shot their shot. Sure, we're not all fighting White Walkers or wrestling bears, but we can relate to them on a very human level at least. Here's hoping that Tormund returns for the forthcoming Jon Snow series, because he's a source of true joy in this otherwise rather dour franchise. Bringing Brienne back could make it even better, because who doesn't love an odd couple?
One weird will-they won't-they
While Brienne might have been totally disgusted by Tormund initially, maybe he finally learned a bit of propriety being around all of those lords and ladies and he could finally try to woo her in a way she would appreciate, which would make for some stellar television. A "will-they-won't-they" with Tormund and Brienne is pretty unconventional as far as TV romances go and would be a lot of fun, plus there's always a love triangle potential with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), whom Tormund is also pretty clearly in love with.
Hivju most recently appeared as a bear-attack victim in "Cocaine Bear" and will provide the voice of the shapeshifting dwarf Andvari in the upcoming Zack Snyder animated series "Twilight of the Gods," so even if he doesn't get to return as Tormund, there's still plenty of Hivju-goodness to go around. Some of us just want to see that beautiful fire-touched giant-killer try to flirt one more time.