Game of Thrones is one of the biggest shows on television, and with plans and preparation now being made for the sixth season, and filming already underway, it won't be long before next year comes around and ten all-new episodes are released for the millions of fans the franchise has garnered.
Jorah Mormont / Credit: HBO
Based on A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels written by George R.R. Martin, the books often exceed 1,000 pages and are a hard slog for anybody not engaged with the fantasy genre.
Despite that the show has remained loyal in many ways, but showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss haven't shyed away from straying from the source material when they think it needs it.
Actor Iain Glen who plays Jorah Mormont in the show spoke to Radio Times about his familiarity with the books, and noted that Benioff and Weiss prefer their cast not to read the source material.
"I don't read the books. I read the first one when they gave me the job, just to get a feel from it and a synopsis breakdown of what was going to happen to the character. But beyond that, the writers themselves, David and Dan, they didn't particularly want actors coming to the scripts from the book, always suggesting what the book did and how it was different... They were quite happy for us to move forward and treat them as screenplays with no history, so that's the reason why I only ever read the first novel."
Not everybody can be pleased with the show though, as with anything, the series comes with its fair share of complainers and those who would rather see it remain more loyal to Martin's creation.
Despite that Glen is happy with the success the series has seen, and told Radio Times that he was shooting for the Khal Drogo funeral scene when he realised how big the show could become.
Asked where he'd like to see the series and his character wind up, he replied: "I just want Jorah to be there when Daenerys finally succeeds in the end, and sits on the Iron Throne. I'd like to be beside her."
Game of Thrones season six will premiere on HBO in the US in Spring 2016.
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