Richard Madden and the art of becoming an action hero (superhero?)

Ahead of the release of ‘Citadel,’ the ‘Game of Thrones’ star talks about his association with action-heavy roles, his bond with the likes of Sir Elton John and Sophie Turner, and growing up as a child actor

It’s inevitable that we begin with the mention of his most famous role; a character that not just endeared him to fans in India, but also across the globe. 

“Richard, do you feel Robb Stark died too young?”

He doesn’t think so. “I actually loved that. Not because I didn’t want to continue my time on Game of Thrones, but my storyline had a definite start, middle and end; so I could engage in the narrative and tell it the right way. Also as actors, we shouldn’t play the same role for too long; 10 years was a bit too much for me. So while I feel lucky to have been part of it, dying in season three did give me the opportunity to go play various other characters in different genres and mediums.”

Richard does have a point. While other iconic characters from HBO’s fantasy-drama faded away over the course of the eight season, Robb’s legacy remained untarnished; his killing off was as sudden as it gets, at the peak of his eminence. 

He followed that up with a series of more high-profile action-thrillers: Bastille Day, 1917, Marvel’s Eternals(he played the superhero Ikaris) and Bodyguard. This comes after him playing Romeo on stage (twice) for several years in Romeo and Juliet, before his breakout on-screen. Did Richard just want to finally move on from being cast in romances?

But the Scot (he was born just outside Glasgow) says that he never really intended to do so many action-based roles, “I’ve just chosen the stories that I’ve been drawn to. And they are quite contrasting from one another. In Citadelfor instance, the action element is so radically different from the sword duels in Game of Thrones. Every fight is fast-paced and every moment on screen is essential; we had to work out a method of storytelling within the action. What Priyanka and I managed to do together in the action scenes, is not just showcase how good we (our characters) are at combat, but also depict what kind of people we are, how we interact and pre-empt each others’ next moves.”

I point out that my favourite role (and probably his best yet) of his is not in this mould though; Richard steals the show playing John Reid, Sir Elton John’s former manager and lover in the biopic Rocketman. In fact, the actor developed a fast bond with the legendary musician while shooting for the film; a friendship that persists even today. “Thank you for saying that. I love Elton to pieces. I’m thrilled to have him in my life, go to his concerts and listen to his music often,” he tells us.