Birgitte Hjort Sørensen Hints That We May Not Have Seen the Last of Her Game of Thrones Character 

Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

“Being dead and being undead are two different things.”

With all due respect to the extras, stunt performers, and hundreds of behind-the-scenes people who worked to make “Hardhome” one of the best episodes in five seasons of

, Danish actress Birgitte Hjort Sørensen may have had the toughest job of all. With less than 30 minutes of screen time, the

star had to put a very human face on the Wildling forces pinned down by encroaching snow and (hey!) ice zombies. Without Sørensen’s Wildling chieftainess Karsi, the Northerners become an anonymous horde, plus one giant and one bloodthirsty Thenn. But Sørensen put heart into that conflict and sky-high stakes on Jon Snow’s doomed act of heroism. Viewers were crushed to see Karsi felled by episode’s end but, as Sørensen hinted to us via phone from Denmark this morning, we may not have seen the last of that wildly popular Wildling.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I’m absolutely crushed your character was one and done. How challenging is it to connect with an audience with so little screen time?

When I approach any script I always try to find what I would relate to most in it. I never thought of Karsi in terms of gender. She’s just a warrior defending her tribe as anyone would. Being a woman has nothing to do with that. But I think we can all relate to a mother saying good-bye to her kids, and I think that really helped me connect with her and hopefully connect with the audience.

What did you tap into in that final moment when those creepy zombie children took her down?

Well a lot of credit to the script there for planting the children theme earlier. I think it’s pretty clear that she could cut down any man but that she’s incapable of thinking of defending herself against those kids. I think it was pretty easy to tap into that.

Your name was on the IMDB list for the finale this year. Will we see Karsi again?

I was surprised to see that myself. I think it’s been removed. I’m not sure, what I’ve been told is that nobody knows what happens in the future on

so I’m just as excited as anyone else to see what that’s all about. But, you know, being dead and being undead are two different things.

Kit Harington said in an interview that the work on “Hardhome” was the hardest thing he’s ever done and that he only shot one minute of footage a day. Was that your experience as well?

Well, obviously Kit has all the other seasons, all the other episodes of

to compare it to. So I didn’t really think of it as shooting much less [per] day or anything. It was a massive battle sequence, no question about it. And it took a lot of combined effort from a lot of people. But I have nothing to compare it to. It is, by far, the biggest production I’ve ever been a part of. I was just constantly going “Wow! Wow! Wow!” The days went by very quickly for me, even though they were quite long. It’s very moving to see 600 people working towards the same goal at the same time. I don’t know if that happens anywhere else. I was humbled.

Do you have a martial-arts background or did you have to learn the basics of fight choreography from scratch?

I’ve done a little bit, but nothing at all to this extent. But luckily we had a week of preparation before shooting so I was given a lot of time with the stunt crew. That’s because on the day with four cameras, and wind machines, and snow, and 300 extras, you just gotta have the routine down. If anything, I have a bit of a dance background so that may have helped in the muscle-memory department. But of course the nature of it was far from dancing.

Your fellow countryman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, was very excited for your appearance on

We shot a movie together many years ago—one of my first jobs. I know him, he’s incredibly kind and sweet, so I called him up and asked for pointers. So, obviously, we’re at different parts of the story and weren’t going to meet each other; he said the production people were really great, but it will be very long days. [He said,] “Don’t expect to hang out in your trailer a lot. The days will be long, it will be cold, you will be tired at night.”

Was this the toughest non-disclosure agreement you’ve ever had to sign? Were you dying to tell everyone, “There’s a massive zombie battle coming!” 

It was pretty hard because it’s the kind of thing you want to shout from the rooftops. But I also know that you don’t want to spoil anything, and these days, with the Internet, things travel so fast. It’s better to just keep it really, really quiet until the time is right.

Obviously, you’re already well known in Europe, but have you seen a big difference in American audiences since appearing both as the Kommissar in

I can tell by my social-media accounts that this is something very different. After

premiered, I’ve got so many sweet expressions from people who enjoyed

. It’s definitely new territory for me which is fabulous and a bit overwhelming.

Next you’ll be starring in a new HBO drama from Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, and Terence Winter. What can you tell us about that?

It takes place in New York in the 70s around the music industry. I play Ingrid—a Danish woman who has traveled to New York as part of the group that centers on Andy Warhol. I think it’s an incredibly exciting project. I am beyond proud and thrilled to be a part of it.

I haven’t met him yet. Which is very much a shame!

For more high-profile interviews, stunning photography, and thought-provoking features, 

Cover Shoots - Caitlyn Jenner Is Finally “Free” on Vanity Fair’s Cover

Game of Thrones Recap, Episode 508: Zombie Avalanche!

Is the Game of Thrones Finale Title a Massive Spoiler or Just an Inside Joke?

Beyoncé Might Have To Remove All Her Songs From Tidal