‘Game Of Thrones’ Was A ‘Walk In The Park’ Compared To ‘Klondike,’ Says Richard Madden

Game of Thrones star Richard Madden openly admits that working on the critically-acclaimed HBO series wasn’t easy. However, nothing really prepared him for the experience of filming the gold rush miniseries Klondike.

The actor recently sat down with the folks over at the Today show to discuss his role in Discovery’s very first scripted series. While Game of Thrones was pretty difficult, he said the HBO show was “an absolute walk in the park” when compared to Klondike.

“At least in ‘Game of Thrones’ sometimes there was a tent to go back to with a heater in it. [But in ‘Klondike’] you’re up a mountain, you know, the tents would blow away. We didn’t have anything. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Madden said.

The Game of Thrones star added, “I slept in my clothes most nights. I’d get home and have my script in my hand and wake up and have to go back into work in the same clothes — kind of being disgusting.”

Although shooting Klondike was definitely a grueling experience for the Game of Thrones alum, Madden said he ultimately didn’t mind working under those conditions.

“I am drawn to things that challenge me as an actor. Pushing up the side of a mountain when it’s zero degrees does that. This is an extremely difficult world,” the 27-year-old actor recently told the New York Daily News.

The Game of Thrones star trades in the fantasy setting of HBO’s series for the wilds of 1897 Alaska. Madden stars as Bill, a rich guy from New York who joins his friend in their quest to find riches during the gold rush. What they encounter is a world full of sketchy characters and dangerous situations.

“I wanted it to be as real as possible — I wanted you to be able to see my face when I fall into the river rapids and not, ‘And cut to back of stunt guy.’ Or when I’m, like, on fire, I wanted to be set on fire,” he told Today.

He continued, “I just didn’t want anything to break the wall for people to remember that they’re watching a television show. I wanted them to be sucked in and be in it and be with us on that journey. I consider it part of my job.”

The Game of Thrones alum also signed on for Kenneth Branagh’s take on Cinderella. The film, which stars Cate Blancett and Helena Bonham Carter, hits theaters next year.