GoT director defends 'bullied' Ed Sheeran's cameo
After Ed Sheeran made a cameo appearance in this week’s Season 7 premiere of Game of Thrones, not everyone was happy about it.
But Jeremy Podeswa, who directed the episode, has spoken out in defence of the UK singer in an interview with Newsweek, saying “I think Ed did a lovely job - he’s a lovely actor and a lovely person.”
With some GoT fans complaining that the scene featuring the global superstar was “not subtle” and that it removed them from the “escapism” of the show, Podeswa reckons the 26-year-old was “ appropriate for the part because he needed to sing.”
“If people didn’t know who Ed was, they wouldn’t have thought about it twice…I think people interrogated it too much, they're bringing so much of his [star] presence into the thing which is far beyond what anybody was thinking going into it.”
As soon as the episode aired, viewers made their feelings known.
Why was #EdSheeran in my @GameOfThrones ? Nothing against him, but it was super distracting. It was like @TheEllenShow superimposing herself
— Candace Smith (@CandaceLSmith) July 17, 2017
Welcome back #gameofthones but damn #EdSheeran was a bust. Love the escapism of #GameofThrones7 but ed took me out of it. No celebs needed!
— Jimmy Abraham Ambala (@JimmyFromMinny) July 17, 2017
Only way to justify Ed Sheeran's #GameOfThrones cameo is for him to greet Bran with: "When your legs don't work like they used to before..."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) July 17, 2017
Top Three Characters I've wanted to see murdered on Game of Thrones
3. Joffrey
2. Ramsey
1. Ed Sheeran— Ol' QWERTY Bastard (@TheDiLLon1) July 17, 2017
Arya: "That's a pretty song."
Ed Sheeran: "It's a new one... off my brand new album, 'Divide,' in stores now!!!!"#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/nsAumXug7K— Zach Goins (@zach_goins) July 17, 2017
game of thrones: we're a prestige show pls take us seriously
game of thrones: here's arya eating a squirrel next to ed sheeran— tori (2017) (@grinchhands) July 17, 2017
Arya's direwolf returning and eating Ed Sheeran is all I care about now.
— Michael D. Fuller (@michaeldfuller) July 17, 2017
The director, who has helmed six episodes of the show so far, told Newsweek he was “surprised about the reaction actually”.
RELATED: The most brutal reactions to Ed Sheeran's GoT cameo
RELATED: Did Ed quit Twitter over GoT backlash?
He went on the slam the bullying, which may have led to the singer deleting Twitter for 24 hours this week before it mysteriously came back to life, Jon Snow-style.
“The only thing I don't feel great about is that Ed is such a lovely guy and really genuine and down to earth,” Podeswa said.
"He came into this with only lovely intentions to come and do a good job and sing well. So I think that's the only drag.”
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