No one can ever truly tell from the very beginning how something like HBO’s "Game of Thrones" is going to land. Looking back, the eight-season run that eventually birthed "House of the Dragon’s" return on the 2024 TV schedule is something to behold. But for actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, it all sounded rather absurd at the time he was about to step into the role of Jaime Lannister.

The actor admitted as much to Deadline, while promoting his latest series: "Optimist’s Guide To The Planet" with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. When it came to his first impression of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels being adapted for television, the absurdity came out in comparing its unassuming beginnings.