Conleth Hill took the news of his 'Game of Thrones' exit "very personally".
Conleth Hill
The 54-year-old actor bowed out of his role as Master of Whisperers Varys in this week's episode after he was executed by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) for betraying her and he admitted he couldn't help but think the character's end was a reflection on his own performance.
He admitted: "I took it very personally. I took it as a person, not as an actor or an artist.
"I understood the reactions of previous actors who had been in same position a lot more than I did at the time.
"You can't help feeling that you failed in some way, that you haven't lived up to some expectation that you didn't know about.
"The only thing that consoles you is people who worked a lot harder than you are in the same boat. So that helps.
"I don't think anybody who hasn't been through it can identify with it. They think, 'What's all the fuss about? You're all finishing anyway.' But you take it personally, you can't help it."
Conleth only read about his alter ego's death when he received his script and admitted it left him inconsolable.
Asked what he thought of the nature of Varys' death, he told Entertainment Weekly: "In retrospect, great. At the time, nothing could console me.
"I kept thinking: "What did I do wrong?" There wasn't any pre-warning. All these famous stories about [actors on 'Thrones'] being taken out for a meal or being phoned at the very least [to notify them that their character was being killed off].
"This was just reading cold hard copy. That's how they did it this year, because there are so many [deaths]. But still, it added to the personal temporary ill feeling."
Conleth - who now thinks his character received a "noble and good" end - also spoke of his "frustration" at being sidelines in recent series of the fantasy drama.
He said: "[It's] been my feeling the last couple seasons, that my character became more peripheral, that they concentrated on others more. That's fine. It's the nature of a multi-character show.
"It was kind of frustrating. As a whole it's been overwhelmingly positive and brilliant but I suppose the last couple seasons weren't my favourite...
"It just felt like after season 6, I kind of dropped off the edge. I can't complain because it's six great seasons and I had some great scenes these last two seasons. But that's when It changed for me a little...
"I'm not dissatisfied on the whole. It sounds like I am. But it's been brilliant.
"I'm perfectly willing to admit this is all personal and selfish. With hindsight you go, 'Of course it was a fantastic journey.' "