Joe Dempsie Wasn't Sure How 'Game of Thrones' Finale Would Be Received After Reading Script

While most of the cast members from Game of Thrones are supporting the show's shocking ending, one actor predicted the divisive opinions after he first read the script. Joe Dempsie just revealed he didn't know how the final season would go over with fans, and it turns out he was right to be concerned.

Dempsie, who played Gendry, predicted fans' reactions to the eighth season, about two years ago when he first got his script. He recently told Nihal Arthanayake on BBC Radio 5 Live, "Personally, when I read the finale, I remember saying at the time, 'I don't know how well this is going to go down.'"

"It might be the kind of ending that might need to percolate and maybe with the passing of time, people might appreciate [it]," he continued.

Well, almost two weeks have past and many don't seem to be anywhere near appreciating it. Fans have still been writing fan theories, creating their own endings, and have even resorted to flying banners calling for the redo of the season in the sky. Plus, we've all seen the petition that has reached 1.6 million signatures, calling for Season 8 to be remade with "competent writers."

Dempsie went on to say that the group of main actors have been under a lot of pressure, and that he was glad not to be part of that. Kit Harington recently checked into rehab to focus on working on his mental health, and Sophie Turner has also revealed she's struggled with depression stemming from Thrones.

"One of the things that struck me when I returned in season seven, was how life had profoundly changed for quite a few people in that cast, in terms of fame and recognition," Joe explained.

"And it made me really thankful that I wasn't one of the core group of actors, that really has to carry the weight of this show on their shoulders, and whose faces sell it because it is a hell of a lot of pressure," the actor continued. "For a lot of the others, for whom it's all they've known for the best part of a decade, it's a really hard thing to deal with – that being taken away all of a sudden."

[h/t: DigitalSpy]