One of the best moments in Game of Thrones season 7 hands-down was the sparring match between Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). Not only did it demonstrate Arya's tenacity and determination to become the best warrior she can be, but it also provided some levity in an otherwise intense seven-episode run.
The humour I'm referring to, of course, was how the show played up the major height difference between the Williams and Christie, who People reports are 5'1" and 6'3," respectively. As it turns out, that comical aspect wasn't lost on the Game of Thrones team, who in a recent edition of The Game Revealed explained what made shooting the scene so entertaining.
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"The fun thing about the Arya/Brienne thing was I don't think we had to do too much to it to make it really fun to watch because everybody's wanted to see these two together for a long time," director of photography Robert McLachlan said. "And if they didn't know they did, they certainly do the minute the two meet."
Christie echoed McLachlan's sentiments, saying that "it was so exciting to train for that fight" because she and Williams really put their trust in one another.
Though the shoot was fun, it wasn't without its difficulties.
"To be fighting Gwen who is far over a foot taller than me, and for her to be fighting someone who is far, far shorter than her, it's been a massive challenge," Williams said.
Luckily, each of the women had stunt doubles to help with some of the more advanced battle techniques, like the backflips and harder kicks.
Though the clip was primarily focused on the behind-the-scenes action, Christie revealed that the training helped both her and Williams connect with their characters on a deeper level.
"In a fight, it's so much more than just choreography," Christie said. "Every movement says something about the character. It tells the story of these two very different warriors."
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