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EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Lewis Admits He’s Asked Emilia Clarke For Game Of Thrones Role

It seems Matthew Lewis is one of the only young British actors not yet in Game of Thrones—but it’s not for a lack of trying.

The Harry Potter veteran stars alongside Bronn himself, Jerome Flynn, in the new season of Ripper Street, so we couldn’t help but ask if he tried to angle for a part.

As it turns out, however, he’s already tried to work his way into the smash hit fantasy HBO drama by buttering up the Mother of Dragons, Emilia Clarke!

Speaking exclusively to Yahoo Celebrity, Matthew revealed: “I just worked with Emilia Clarke, she was like, ‘They’re going to be doing some new casting.’ I was like, ‘Right, well, why don’t you tell them I’m free and I can come and do it.’

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[Photo: WENN]

“I’ve seen a bit of the first season and a bit of the second, and I’ve read all the books, so I’m a big fan of the story. I’d definitely jump at a chance to be involved in that.

“I’d get to do my own accent, which is always nice, and it’s fun. I know a few people on it and it sounds like the most amazing fun—swords, shields, riding on horseback. What an era to throw yourself into!”

As a fan of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels, who could Matthew, 26, see himself playing? “The series is now ahead of the books so everyone’s been cast,” he says.

“My favourite character actually was Bronn when I read the books. I said that to Jerome when we first started shooting [Ripper Street], ‘Before we start, Ripper Street’s great, mate, but the way you play Bronn is absolutely identical to how I imagined it.’ “

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[Photo: Amazon]

As the new kid on the block in Ripper Street season four—which begins streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video tomorrow—Matthew plays Desk Sergeant Samuel Drummond and has ditched his natural northern accent for a cockney one. A big change from Neville Longbottom then.

Matthew says, “It’s weird. I went in for the meeting and he’s a Whitechapel lad, so they said, ‘Can you do it in a cockney accent?’ I go, ‘I dunno, I can give it a go, I’ve got enough black cabs in my time.’ Then I got the part and was like, ‘So the accent was fine?’ And they said, ‘Yeah.’

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[Photo: Amazon]

“On set I told the director, ‘If it goes all Dick Van Dyke you’re going to have to tell me’, because I just don’t know. The worst thing would be to watch it on Amazon and it be dreadful.”

So has it been nerve-racking joining a cast that already knows each other so well? “There’s always a worry when you join a cast that’s pre-established, especially one that’s been going for three seasons,” he said of co-stars Jerome, Matthew Macfayden and MyAnna Buring.

“There’s always going to be nerves but the guys have really taken us all under their wing. There’s a few new cast members this year, I’m not the only one.“

Ripper Street Season 4 streams exclusively for Amazon Prime members from Friday 15 January