In addition to revealing whether or not Jon Snow [1] is actually dead, the sixth season premiere [2] of Game of Thrones [3] delivers a major twist in the last few minutes of the episode: Melisandre is ancient [4]. The redheaded priestess, played by the gorgeous Carice van Houten, strips out of her robe and takes off her glowing ruby necklace, transforming into a very, VERY old woman. "I was really happy when I read that we were going to reveal that this year. . . . It makes her immediately more vulnerable but also more wise and even more mysterious," van Houten told Entertainment Weekly [5]. "That's why she was able to say, 'This is just a small war, it's all relative compared to the big war we're going to face.' [Her age] makes everything even more meta."
The whole reveal is shocking, to say the least, and fans aren't the only ones who thought so. Keep reading to find out how the cast of Game of Thrones reacted to seeing van Houten's intense old lady makeup and prosthetics and what they think this development will mean for the series as a whole.
Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Brandon Stark): In an interview with Vulture, Hempstead-Wright recounted the hilarious moment [6] he unexpectedly ran into van Houten in full makeup. "I was hanging out in my trailer, and I could hear Carice's voice outside, so I said through the door, 'Oh, hi Carice!'" When she opened the door, however, he lost it. "I was like, 'Who's that?!' And she was like, 'It's just me!'"
Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar): "I was really surprised by how touching the moment was, because you have this character you didn't really like and then all of a sudden she turns into this old woman," he told TVLine [7]. "There's something so human and touching about it. Your entire perception of the character changed in that one moment. It's magical. It's also this moment of weakness."
Iwan Rheon (Ramsay): As the person who plays the brutal, sadistic Ramsay Bolton, Rheon is no stranger to witnessing all the horrors that appear on GOT, and yet he was totally thrown off guard by Melisandre. "I thought it was shot immensely well. I knew what was coming, but it still shocked me," he said to TVLine [8]. "That's something that Game of Thrones does fantastically well, even with things like the Red Wedding. You know it's coming but when it happens it's still horrible."
![Maisie Williams (Arya Stark): In an interview with TVLine, Williams said she definitely had a funny way of looking at the Melisandre storyline. "I know it's a massive story point and a lot of people are going to be very, very confused by it . . . but honestly, all I kept thinking was, 'Whoa, I wonder how long Carice had to sit in hair and makeup.' I was also thinking, 'Oh, that looks incredible. Emmys, Emmys everywhere!'"
Jeremy Podeswa (the director of the season premiere episode): Since Podeswa directed the scene, he has an interesting perspective on what drove Melisandre to remove her necklace and show her authentic self, which he shared with EW. "At the moment [she takes off her necklace], it's a telling gestural thing to do. She's questioning her power and ability to proselytize. She's at her lowest point, looking at the mirror and her true self. It's a sign of her frailty. You're seeing her at her most vulnerable moment."
Hannah Murray (Gilly): "I didn't read it in the script, so I didn't know it was going to happen. So it was a real moment," she told TVLine. "You could've heard a pin drop [in the theater at the Hollywood premiere]. I think it was one of the best things [the show] has ever done. And it's only the first episode."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/gm8FUvGkhq7c1KNNs1ctoEIcc0I/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2016/04/25/826/n/1922283/9b2d6c5e5fdda8a8_mel2/i/Maisie-Williams-Arya-Stark-interview-TVLine-Williams.jpg "Maisie Williams (Arya Stark): In an interview with TVLine, Williams said she definitely had a funny way of looking at the Melisandre storyline. \"I know it's a massive story point and a lot of people are going to be very, very confused by it . . . but honestly, all I kept thinking was, 'Whoa, I wonder how long Carice had to sit in hair and makeup.' I was also thinking, 'Oh, that looks incredible. Emmys, Emmys everywhere!'\"
Jeremy Podeswa (the director of the season premiere episode): Since Podeswa directed the scene, he has an interesting perspective on what drove Melisandre to remove her necklace and show her authentic self, which he shared with EW. \"At the moment [she takes off her necklace], it's a telling gestural thing to do. She's questioning her power and ability to proselytize. She's at her lowest point, looking at the mirror and her true self. It's a sign of her frailty. You're seeing her at her most vulnerable moment.\"
Hannah Murray (Gilly): \"I didn't read it in the script, so I didn't know it was going to happen. So it was a real moment,\" she told TVLine. \"You could've heard a pin drop [in the theater at the Hollywood premiere]. I think it was one of the best things [the show] has ever done. And it's only the first episode.\"")
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark): In an interview with TVLine, Williams said she definitely had a funny way of looking at the Melisandre storyline [9]. "I know it's a massive story point and a lot of people are going to be very, very confused by it . . . but honestly, all I kept thinking was, 'Whoa, I wonder how long Carice had to sit in hair and makeup.' I was also thinking, 'Oh, that looks incredible. Emmys, Emmys everywhere!'"
Jeremy Podeswa (the director of the season premiere episode): Since Podeswa directed the scene, he has an interesting perspective on what drove Melisandre to remove her necklace and show her authentic self, which he shared with EW [10]. "At the moment [she takes off her necklace], it's a telling gestural thing to do. She's questioning her power and ability to proselytize. She's at her lowest point, looking at the mirror and her true self. It's a sign of her frailty. You're seeing her at her most vulnerable moment."
Hannah Murray (Gilly): "I didn't read it in the script, so I didn't know it was going to happen. So it was a real moment," she told TVLine [11]. "You could've heard a pin drop [in the theater at the Hollywood premiere]. I think it was one of the best things [the show] has ever done. And it's only the first episode."