Executive privilege has its perks.
According to “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, President Obama requested and will receive episodes of the hugely popular HBO series before season six premieres on April 24.
“I think, for both of us, finding out the president wanted advanced copies of the episodes was an ‘ah-ha’ moment,” Weiss said at a “Thrones” premiere event in Hollywood Sunday. “That was a very strange moment.”
“When the commander in chief says, ‘I want to see advanced episodes,’ what are you gonna do?” Benioff added.
Liam Cunningham, who plays Ser Davos Seaworth, said in a March Vulture interview that Obama will get to watch the new episodes before anyone in the cast.
“Did you know he gets advance copies? POTUS,” Cunningham said. “He gets DVD copies before we do. And we’re in it!”
Obama has openly expressed his admiration for the epic fantasy series in the past, though when GQ’s Bill Simmons asked him who his favorite character was, Obama responded, “The dwarf … What’s his name?” He was referring to Tyrion Lannister, portrayed by Peter Dinklage.
If Obama is indeed receiving advanced copies of “Thrones” episodes, he will be the only person outside the show’s production staff to see them before they air.
HBO declined to hand out screeners to the press, presumably to maintain the shroud of secrecy surrounding this season. Not only have fans been debating the fate of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) since his apparent death in the season five finale, season six is the first one that has surpassed the story of George R.R. Martin’s five books and will be venturing into uncharted storytelling territory.
Obama was particularly upset about Snow’s supposed murder, according to “Thrones” director David Nutter.
“Three weeks ago, I was the in the company of the president of the United States,” Nutter told Entertainment Weekly in July. “He turned to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, ‘You didn’t kill Jon Snow did you?'”
“I said, ‘Jon Snow is deader than dead.’ “I thought I was going to be sent to Guantanamo or something, but fortunately I’m here — but he’s dead.”
Nutter also said that Obama had one major complaint about the show: “You keep killing off my favorite characters.”
While Weiss was amenable to Obama’s request, he probably wouldn’t be quite as friendly if a President Donald Trump were to ask him for advanced “Thrones” episodes.” Weiss once compared the GOP front-runner to the character of Hodor, a large, objectively stupid man who, as of this point in the show and books, has only shown the ability to converse by saying his own name.
