Curtain Call: Charles Dance 

Today we are doing things just a bit differently. Rather than do the usual Curtain Call where any one of us varied

writers eulogizes poetically about the actor in question (their character in memoriam), we’ve decided to let one of our readers hold the day. I give you thusly, Jared Kozal,

fan and Charles Dance enthusiast, ready and willing to say his peace. Jared inspired me with his thoughts in a previous Curtain Call, and I was moved to give him the platform to laud one of his favorites. Just so.

We’re here to celebrate a great actor in Charles Dance, and the indelible character that he portrayed for four seasons on Game of Thrones: Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, and the true power in Westeros.

television series was announced, Dance was a popular choice among fans for the role of Tywin Lannister. His casting was greeted with widespread acclaim from all corners, including this very website. The excitement was warranted, for Dance was already a well-known and extremely well-respected actor, as both his extensive résumé and anyone who had seen him on-screen previously could attest. Everyone assumed that he would do a marvelous job with a character as rich and complex as Tywin. But whatever expectations that we as audience members had for Charles Dance in this role, he exceeded them in spectacular fashion.

Acting is a craft that, at its peak, requires knowing how to employ silence and stillness every bit as much as speech and physicality. Dance is capable of smiling without allowing the light to reach his eyes, or conveying intense anger while barely moving a single muscle. He can imbue words with great meaning and menace by altering the timbre or inflection of his voice without ever raising the volume of his speech. Such restraint comes only with years of practice and a deep understanding of what the written material requires … and what it doesn’t. Dance scarcely needed to say a word to exert absolute command of any room that his character entered. When he did speak, however, he was spellbinding.

Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss describe Dance, quite rightly, as a “phenomenon”. In an interview with EW discussing the Season 4 finale, they expressed gratitude for the immense privilege of writing for his character.

“He brings such power and specificity to everything that he does”,

“so good that the dialogue writes itself”.

To see what they mean, we simply need to look at Tywin’s lecture to Tommen in “Breaker of Chains”, wherein he educates his young grandson about what it means to be a good king. It’s a stunning piece of oratory, specifically crafted to showcase Dance’s immense talents. The speech does not appear in George R.R. Martin’s novels, but it feels – and it is – quintessentially Tywin Lannister.

Across four seasons, we almost never saw Tywin wield a sword (though as he demonstrated in his first appearance, he could wield a flaying knife with an efficacy that would put any Bolton to shame). But from his seat behind a desk in his sun-dappled office, Tywin commanded the Seven Kingdoms with a will as cold, sharp, and rare as Valyrian steel.

With a few strokes of his quill, he orchestrated the Red Wedding – the single most horrific and memorable act in the entire series – and vanquished the Starks. Dance excelled at embodying Tywin when he was at his most ruthless, but if anything, he was even stronger during his character’s quieter moments. Tywin’s interactions with Arya Stark at Harrenhal afforded us a glimpse of the man as he was behind closed doors, capable of something resembling warmth and admiration for the smart, cheeky young girl who, unbeknownst to him, was kin to his greatest enemy. Charles Dance’s chemistry with Maisie Williams in those scenes was terrific (it was truly a great idea on the part of Benioff and Weiss to pair those two together). The screen absolutely crackled as they bantered with one another and danced along the sharp edges of the truth.

So it was that Tywin confessed to Ned Stark’s daughter the nature of his own upbringing and how it had shaped him, as well as his hopes and plans for the future.

“The War of Five Kings, they’re calling it,”

he told Arya, as Dance allowed the barest hint of a smile to touch Tywin’s lips.

Tywin ultimately did win the War of the Five Kings – something that he believed was crucial for his legacy. But the legacy we leave behind is not some static entity to be inscribed in ink or in blood and left undisturbed for our descendants to hold in reverence and fear. Legacy is a fluid concept, subject to interpretation, and authorial intent, while critical to our understanding of the work, can never tell the whole story. The only legacy that anyone can be certain of leaving in this world finds its roots within the people that they interact with along their journey, and in the relationships that they forge with them – or the lack thereof.

It was here that Tywin’s legacy would write its richest and most tragic chapter of all.

It’s no coincidence that the majority of Charles Dance’s most memorable and celebrated scenes on Game of Thrones were the ones that he shared with members of his on-screen family. There was Jaime, the erstwhile golden child who never wanted the responsibility of following in Tywin’s footsteps. There was Cersei, who craved her father’s recognition but burned with barely-suppressed rage at the ways in which he used her as a political pawn. And there was Tyrion, the son who could have been his father’s true heir if Tywin had been able to overcome his hatred for what he perceived to be his youngest son’s oldest and most unforgivable sin. Whenever Dance shared the screen with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, or Jack Gleeson, it was my cue to motion for silence and lean forward in my chair. It’s widely known that Charles Dance shared an immense professional and personal respect with the actors who played his children. Once the cameras started rolling, that understanding allowed them to tear into one another with a cold and vicious zeal. The results were truly breathtaking.

Varys once told Tywin’s youngest son, in one of the series’ most celebrated passages.

“It’s a trick, a shadow on the wall. And a very small man can cast a very large shadow”.

Tywin Lannister and Charles Dance are many things, but they are not, and have never been, small. The shadow that they cast over their respective domains was immense. There can be no doubt that Tywin’s death leaves a substantial vacuum at the heart of the realm. Dance’s departure from

leaves an equally daunting void for the show to fill as it begins a new chapter and looks toward an uncertain future, one in which the fate and legacy for its many of its surviving characters remains unwritten. This is not to say that

will fall to pieces in Dance’s absence. The show’s cast and crew are far too talented and committed for that, and there is still a great deal of story left to tell before winter finally comes. But there is no question that Charles Dance’s presence will be missed, both on set and on our screens.

As “The Children” drew to a close, the bells tolled for the fallen Hand, signaling the end of both his life and his long reign as the most powerful and feared man in the Seven Kingdoms. When the camera finally cut away from King’s Landing, the first image that we saw was that of clear skies and a powerful river, cascading over a precipice in the form of a beautiful waterfall. It was an image that seemed to promise us that all of the ink, blood, and pain that Tywin Lannister had inflicted upon the world in his single-minded pursuit of immortality was being washed away, leaving the ledger clean for a new generation to make its own mark, for better or for worse. But while water can cleanse like no other force on earth, giving life or taking it away, it does not remain still once it reaches the sea. It rises from the waves, invisible to the naked eye, to begin the cycle again. Most rivers get their start miles away from the sea in the mountains that tower above the landscape. The water that gives them life falls from dark clouds in the form of rain.

Ah, “The Rains of Castamere”, known far and wide as the more somber, murderous selection between the only two songs available at karaoke bars and brothels across the Seven Kingdoms, the other being that ribald ballad about a bear and his lovely maiden (sidebar: if any solitary giants or wives of dangerous Dornishman would like to lend us their voices next season in order to remedy this shortage, I would be immensely grateful). The song, commemorating a young Tywin Lannister’s merciless triumph over the hubristic House Reyne, was written long before Tywin’s two eldest children pushed Bran Stark from a window in order to conceal their illicit love, and it will continue to be sung long afterwards.

Tywin Lannister may be gone, but he left an indelible mark upon the world – if not the one that he truly hoped to leave. Once a river is unleashed, it follows its own course, and while it may not flow in the direction that we always wish that it would, it shapes the land wherever it goes. True power can’t always be quantified, but it can be felt, and deeply at that, if you step into its current and allow it to carry you away.

Fortunately, the legacy that Charles Dance leaves behind is far easier to measure. His performance as Tywin was, in my opinion, the greatest of his accomplished career. It stands among the most brilliant performances that Game of Thrones, stocked to the brim as it is with exceptional actors, has given us.

I’m happy to say that Dance’s legacy, already immensely distinguished, is far from complete. He has a long list of projects in the works, the most imminent and high-profile of which should be The Imitation Game, a World War II espionage thriller that also stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. It will hit screens later this year, and I look forward to it, as I look forward to all of Dance’s future on-screen endeavors, with great anticipation.

The lion may not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep, but I sincerely hope that Charles Dance knows how much we, the

audience, love him and cherish everything that he has given us during his time on the show.

For me, and perhaps for some of you, Charles Dance’s portrayal of Tywin Lannister

Tywin Lannister. When the time comes for me to revisit the books, it will be his Tywin that I will see. My experience with this world of Ice and Fire is richer because of everything that Charles Dance has contributed to it, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Whatever Charles’s performance as Tywin meant to you, his legacy will endure. The great river will flow ever onwards, and across realms both real and imagined, the Rains of Castamere will continue to fall.

Thanks to Charles Dance, they will be heard by many more souls to come.

Fire And Blood: Thank you Jared, for your wonderful words. I’m very happy with how this turned out. You have acquitted yourself honorably, ser. We need to do this again!

And thank you Charles, for taking this great role and for giving all that you had to give!

Brothers and sisters of House Wicnet! I call to you! Rise as one, lend us your voices in praise and song and show this tremendous man your love! Here you roar!

ART NOTE: The Tywin Lannister painting (second image from the top) was done by Jean Pascal, whose work can be found here. The Tywin Lannister bust (freaking awesome) was done by Adam Fisher, whose work can be found here.

Tagged Charles Dance, Curtain Call, Tywin

Look, mom, I made performance art! (I\'m kidding. Mom, please don\'t watch this one. There\'s cussing.)

Maisie Williams on how her life has changed since Game of Thrones, Arya’s popularity, and a great Season 5 45 Comments

Maisie Williams recently visited her home village of Clutton in Somerset to be a part of the neighborhood open day, and encourage interest in planning for the village’s future. While there, Maisie …

Have you already read all the books and/or don\'t care about spoilers? You can reveal all the spoilers in the comments with the click of a link below.

Hello, everyone! As Fire And Blood notes, my name is Jared, and I’ve been frequenting Winter Is Coming for about three years. While I use the screenname So Many Vows on other fan sites devoted to Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, I use my given name here. I do this in part because it’s the name I logged my first post under and I never bothered to switch handles, but also because I truly admire and feel comfortable with the vibrant and respectful community that has been cultivated here over the past several years. I truly believe that this is the best website devoted to Game of Thrones on the Internet, and you, my fellow commenters, are perhaps the single greatest reason why that’s the case. I’m privileged to count myself as one of you, and I look forward to many more thoughtful and passionate discussions about Game of Thrones as the series continues.

I’m extremely humbled and grateful that FaB was willing to consider me for the formidable task of guest-writing the Curtain Call for Charles Dance. I hope that I lived up to the standards that he has set with his past work and wrote a piece that most of you will consider to be a worthy tribute to the great actor and the great character that Game of Thrones has lost. Regardless of what you think of my efforts, I hope that you will all take this opportunity to honor Charles and his tremendous work in your own words. Cheers!

Hands down one of the best actors we’ve ever had or will have on GoT, he brilliantly portrayed one of my favourite characters, every time I read the books now I imagine Tywin as Charles Dance. Everything this man did turned to instant gold and its a damn shame that we have to see him leave the show. Will always be remembered.

Does anyone have any recommendations for another discussion forum for this series that isn’t westeros.org? The increased corporatization of this site and the intense vitriol as of late have turned one of my favorite places to visit for many years into a place I’ve been avoiding. Posting new content for the sake of posting new content, posting ads that are in no way tailored for this audience like other news items, comment sections that are becoming impossible to read, the handful of thoughtful and insightful comments buried under a steaming heap of hyperbolic assumption and rage. It is anti-inspirational and disheartening for me, but I love to discuss this series.

Is there anyplace to find this, still? Maybe some of us should just start a proper discussion forum? I don’t care if there are only 10 people there; if the discussion is good, I want in. Thanking you all.

Find us where they sell bowls of brown

OT: Charles Dance was the perfect Tywin. There isn’t much to add really.

OT: Charles Dance was the perfect Tywin. There isn’t much to add really.

Tyrion Pimpslap Posted June 26, 2014 at 8:27 pm

Emmy nomination for Charles Dance! It’s gonna happen. He’s never submitted himself before, he’s a respected thespian, and this was his swan song on the series.

A personal thank you to Mr. Dance for bringing Tywin to life. This is definitely a case of improving the character over the books – you will be missed.

This was a great CC btw, a bit longer than usual but really really enjoyable, Jared’s love for both Charles Dance and Tywin was clearly evident.

I loved the way he delivered that line…such subtle contempt.

Seriously, it was an honor to witness what Dance did with the character.

Sorry you feel that way, D. I, for one, respect your thoughts and hope you continue to post. Sift through the vitriol and true gems can still be found and further explored.

On the other hand, the Italian National Team really sucked at the WC. That’s probably what is getting you down. :)

Does anyone have any recommendations for another discussion forum for this series that isn’t westeros.org? The increased corporatization of this site and the intense vitriol as of late have turned one of my favorite places to visit for many years into a place I’ve been avoiding. Posting new content for the sake of posting new content, posting ads that are in no way tailored for this audience like other news items, comment sections that are becoming impossible to read, the handful of thoughtful and insightful comments buried under a steaming heap of hyperbolic assumption and rage. It is anti-inspirational and disheartening for me, but I love to discuss this series.

Is there anyplace to find this, still? Maybe some of us should just start a proper discussion forum? I don’t care if there are only 10 people there; if the discussion is good, I want in. Thanking you all.

Although the main site of Reddit has a reputation, I would highly suggest Reddit.com/r/asoiaf and Reddit.com/r/gameofthrones.

Particularly the first, which has much great in-depth discussions about the books first, the show second. The second link is nice as well, but it’s better when the show is airing.

Charles Dance had a near perfect performance on a near perfect show. Doesn’t get much better then that.

Thank You, Charles Dance, for the unsurprisingly masterful performance. Your gravitas will be sorely missed on the show. Pour moi, the cross bolt in the W.C. was more painful than the RW. Tywin was my favorite character on the show, and, you Mr. Dance, undoubtedly one of my favorite actors. Looking forward to watching your future performances. From across the pond in DC, Hear Me Roar in your honor!

This is an example of casting gone very, very WRONG. TYWIN LANNISTER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BALD HEAD WITH THICK SIDEBURNS!!! AND GREEN EYES FLECKED WITH GOLD!!! FLECKED!!! #NOONEUNDERSTAAANDS

Seriously though, Charles Dance was, in my opinion, consistently the single best actor on the show. Peter Dinklage, Alfie Allen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, and all the other brilliant actors that regularly (and rightfully) receive praise, have all had at least one moment where I have thought something has been a little bit off about their acting. But not Charles Dance. He WAS Tywin Lannister, and he nailed the part in every single moment that he was on screen. Although he has been around for a while, this will surely be one the defining roles of his career, and it has definitely been one of the defining performances of the show. Although I knew it was coming, the show just won’t be the same without him. He will be missed.

The king shits, and the Hand wipes. But no king’s shit was ever too foul for this Hand to get dirty.

This was the big one. All week and more I’ve been waiting for Mr. Dance’s Curtain Call, and Jared, this was superb!

That first shot in Season One when Tywin proceeded to skin the stag, I jumped up from my chair. I knew this actor! Before then, I had seen him play bits in American movies — the token British Bad Guy. His early Hollywood roles were campy slop, unfit for his talents — the most atrocious being his role as sex cyborg in trashy B-movie “Space Truckers.”

Game of Thrones has always been able to cast actors whose talents would be well-served by the story, and next to Peter Dinklage, Dance is its crowning achievement.

The finest and most understated reason for this? Dance deploying his gravelly register to serve as narrator for HBO’s brief, cheeky video of the series’ history.

AWESOME actor and character. Now he is dead, I worry for house of Lannister.

Charles Dance was absolutely perfect as Tywin. My favorite scene was his discussion with Joffrey in the throne room in S3. Masterful! GOT is blessed with many talented actors but there will be a void now that Dance is gone.

Alien: Although the main site of Reddit has a reputation, I would highly suggest Reddit.com/r/asoiaf and Reddit.com/r/gameofthrones.

Particularly the first, which has much great in-depth discussions about the books first, the show second. The second link is nice as well, but it’s better when the show is airing.

I agree about the sub-reddits mentioned above. Although I have yet to comment there, I regularly read the discussions and they seem to avoid the anger and negativity that has been prevalent here lately. I also agree about the changes to this site…not good.

Very well written and passionately penned, Jared. Excellent job!

As for Dance, I feel it redundant and in my case lacking to repeat praise for such a spot on performance. And we all know how I feel about dead horses…or as the case has been since the finale

undead horses. (seriously feeling you on that one, Daniellica, I absolutely can NOT with that conversation, but I have had a crush on the Greatjon of Slumber since he first told me to fuck off so I stick around…jk, but stick around, people aren’t allowed to be mean in curtain calls!) So I will simply say PERFECTION. Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister was perfection to the point I’m not mad that horrible man is gone!

In the end, Tywin Lannister did not shit gold…but Charles Dance pissed it all over that stage. Bravo!

Morna the Witch Posted June 26, 2014 at 11:04 pm

One of my favourite actors on the show. He was magnificent and will be sorely missed.

The Emmys better shit out a gold one for Charles Dance. My favorite actor on the show, ever since his most epic of introductions- skinning the stag.

Truly incredible work he gave to this show.

his daughter will become queen regent, bring Westeros to ruin and alienate everyone who is trying to help her.

I’d really like to see some of the paintings/artwork credited to the rightful creators. Particularly that painting and the sculpted model.

Excellent curtain call for a most excellent actor! Charles Dance was THE perfect Tywin Lannister, I cannot imagine anyone else in the role. He will be missed on the show but I will picture him and hear his voice as I do every time I re-read the books…..

You’ll have to ask Fire And Blood to get that information. I chose some of the pictures for this Curtain Call, but ones featuring the stylized painting of Tywin and the sculpted model were his selections.

I agree. Since the moment we saw him skinning the stag, he owned that role. There was never an off moment. Without him, the Lannisters have lost their pole star.

Charles Dance, thanks for bringing it! We want an Emmy for your bookshelf.

Bravo to the great Charles Dance, who probably improved on his book character in a way no others did. What a great part, a great role, and fantastic acting. His scene admonishing Cersei and Tyrion that closes “Kissed by Fire” is one of my favorite, and the clever way they had him match wits with Arya was an inspired idea as well. And bravo to this excellent curtain call, which also flags his terrific dialogue with Dean-Charles Chapman in “Breaker of Chains,” one of the highlights of that episode.

He was a weekly highlight on the show, with nary a false moment.

Randa: Daniellica, I absolutely can NOT with that conversation, but I have had a crush on the Greatjon of Slumber since he first told me to fuck off so I stick around…jk, but stick around, people aren’t allowed to be mean in curtain calls!)

I told you to fuck off? Or something resembling that? My goodness…I should be a bit more mannered in my disagreements. I’m sorry, though I’m flattered by your crush on me… :)

But per Daniellica, I’ve been very dispirited of late in the way the conversations readily break down into a whole load of suppositions based on lack of information that then turns into vitroil, or, the other kind, which is “This is a change from the books and it makes me mad!” type stuff…

Fire And Blood Posted June 27, 2014 at 12:10 am

I’d really like to see some of the paintings/artwork credited to the rightful creators. Particularly that painting and the sculpted model.

That’s a really good idea, as I originally meant to, but things went wonky! I will footnote it above. Check back in about 15 minutes.

Omar Brown Posted June 27, 2014 at 1:07 am

Yes! Great curtain call, to an amazing actor. Easily equal or even superior to his book couterpart. Charles never read a page of the books, shows to prove that a good script, direction and talent is all you need to excel on the show!

My very favorite character, played by the actor so amazing I almost couldn’t believe it right up to his very final scene.

Well written, Jared, thanks. Chares Dance’s presence will be missed.

Incredible actor who brought so much to the show, he will be missed.

It says something for CD that he could still exude gravitas while acting out a loo scene. Excellent portrayal of the character by CD over seasons 1-4 and excellent curtain call by Jared.

Great curtain call. Charles Dance was the definitive Tywin!

Farewell, Lord Tywin. You, my good sir, were a giant amongst men. You were the only one who truly understood how the Game of Thrones is played.

And though many Northeners and Dornishmen might disagree with me: You will be missed.

Mr Dance, thank you for bringing an already great character alive, truly above and beyond even my wildest expectations. All the best for you in your future endeavours. If you ever come to my part of Austria, a cup of wine is the least I can give.

I loved the job Charles Dance did as Tywin so much I went out and bought the Blueray Box Sets just to see the deleted and expanded scenes of him.

Pure class, from start to finish. He made Tywin so commanding and regal, you couldn’t help but respect him in some ways. Also love the way he pronounces the word “Whore”.

I’ve just remembered, Charles Dance is the only person to appear in the Alien series and actually got to talk about their past, or have something resembling a back story…just before he has his skull smashed in.

Charles was indeed spellbinding as Tywin for those entire 4 seasons, I think he might’ve produced the best acting performance as a whole on the show so far. I’m really rooting for him to get that Emmy nom.

Charles Dance inhabited the role of Tywin Lannister brilliantly, he was one of the best actors in the entire show imo, and he will be missed. I loved the way he brought Tywins strength and cunning to life particularly. Great actor, and hope he knows just how much all the fans appreciate his work on GoT.

I really hope Charles Dance wins an Emmy this year

Goddamn it. I actually feel like crying. Thanks, Jared.

Amused me to think that so many criticised Arya for not putting Tywin on her death list – what and deny us so much more of the man we love to hate?! GRRM knew what he was doing :)

Chalres Dance was an awesome presence and the show will be a little diminished by his absence, what a consummate actor and a very nice fella in interviews :)

All good things come to an end and now his watch is over…someone else better step up to the plate…

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