This Game Of Thrones Character Didn't Watch The Show For Years Before His Surprise Return

It wasn't a character coming back from the dead, but it might as well have been.

Last week's Game of Thrones featured the return of a beloved character, Hot Pie, giving everyone's favourite badass, Arya, a chance to let her guard down and catch up on the news in Westeros. Hot Pie's return may have surprised a few viewers, but actor Ben Hawkey says he also was surprised to be asked back to the show to reprise his role.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, he explained that while he loved his time on GoT, he didn't know what was even going on with it since he doesn't watch.

"I didn't know why they needed me, to be honest," Hawkey explained to EW. "I only recently just watched all the episodes. I hadn't seen any of it."

Arya's chance encounter with her old pal happened on her way to King's Landing to cross certain things off her to-do list. But thanks to Hot Pie's rundown of current events, she decided to make some changes to her itinerary.

For his part, fan-favourite Hawkey told EW that like many of the show's viewers, he doesn't actually have access to the network that it airs on. Looks like he needs a generous family member to share some login info. In the name of research, he did manage to catch up somehow.

"In England, it's on Sky Atlantic and I didn't have Sky," Hawkey said. "So, I actually never watched it. But I've caught up on it now."

He told the magazine that having the chance to get back into character was a real honor, especially since the show is bigger than ever.

As a character that's managed to cheat death for several seasons, Hot Pie is in rarified company. While there are no promises for a second appearance this season — or anytime before the series finale — Hawkey said that he'd be happy to return. Not only is Hot Pie pretty safe from the dangers of war and dragons in his happy little inn, Hawkey says it's important to have a respite from all the serious stuff that happens in Westeros.

"It's nice to be a lighter character in a really dark series," he said.