Who could forget Game of Thrones’ great sword fighting master from the isles of Braavos, Syrio Forel? Despite meeting his end at the hands of Ser Meryn Trant in season 1, Syrio was the first person to teach Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) to use her sword, Needle.
Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel
The legendary swordsman was one of the few wholesome characters in the entire series and played a huge role in helping Arya become the bad-ass assassin she is today.
Miltos Yerolemou, who played Syrio Forel, spoke exclusively to #ThroneWatch recently about his experience on the show and his journey into the spotlight.
After his stint on Game of Thrones, he returned to Belfast in 2015 to attend the Titancon convention, and again in June this year to host a sword-fighting workshop with NI’s Brutal Ballet company.
Miltos told #ThroneWatch: “The first convention I ever did was in Belfast. I do enjoy them, they’re kind of exhausting but they’re great. I’m a bit of a nerd, a geek at heart…science fiction is my thing.”
Since discovering acting in primary school, Miltos has starred in numerous plays, musicals and television series, as well as bagging roles in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, “The Danish Girl”, and new romantic drama “Tulip Fever” (released 1 September 2017).
He said: “I didn’t really have a fantastic time at school. I always felt a little bit like I didn’t fit in, for lots of reasons, but interestingly I realised that doing drama was the thing that made me feel like I fitted in.
Miltos Yerolemou and #ThroneWatch columnist Abby Williams
“I wasn’t very academic, I kind of lived in fear for most of my schooling, but when I did acting it I felt like, “Ah, yeah I get this”, you know? Or maybe its just because I’m an innate show off!”
Miltos also discovered a natural creative ability when it came to special effects make-up and admitted: “I was really into horror films inappropriately when I was far too young to watch them. Even though they scared me, I was detached enough to realise that it was special effects and I became obsessed with special effects make up.
“I used to spend all my pocket money on buying liquid latex and blood and putty and books. I taught myself how to do special effects make up, for a long time I wanted to be a special effects make up artist. But I just kind of followed my nose and ended up being an actor.”
Despite acting at school and writing and directing plays, Miltos never imagined he would become a career path.
“I didn’t know any actors, it just wasn’t a part of my world. It was just a hobby, I didn’t even know you could be an actor.” he said.
Nonetheless, he completed a performing arts degree in Leicester which propelled him into the world of acting.
Miltos said: “It was really the best thing I’d ever done because up until then I only did musicals. Then I went to Leicester and I did this really experimental 3 year degree course and it was all in eastern European techniques and theatre. We studied Grotowski and Artaud and Brecht, and I remember the very first show I ever saw was in the Station House Opera and it was it like performance art.
“It was people sawing furniture in half and yelling into microphones and it was like, what the fuck is this?! It blew my mind and I never looked back. Most of the stuff I’ve done in theatre has kind of pursued that kind of level of experimenting.”
Miltos with co-star Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones
Miltos gained his acting experience first-hand and believes the industry should be open to everyone, although he doesn’t discount the advantages of young actors attending drama school if they are able to afford it:
“The only thing that’s very very useful if you are lucky enough to be able to get into places like RADA (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) is that they are very well connected. The money you spend doing those courses invariably means that you will end up with a good agent, because people will go in there and they will see you.”
Unfortunately, for most aspiring actors, this isn’t an option.
“It’s a great launch pad for any young actor but we’re talking about thirty people a year, and I know I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. A lot of very respected and well known actors went to RADA and many of those London drama schools, but I don’t believe that it is a necessity.” Miltos said.
As Syrio Forel in Game of Thrones
According to the Game of Thrones star, passion and drive are most important when it comes to a career in acting: “When people ask me ‘Do you have any advice about being an actor?’, I always say ‘Don’t do it’. And then if they listen to me that’s fine, but if they don’t listen and they keep being told the same thing and they still want to be an actor, then they’re probably 50 percent there already. You need that tenacity.”
“Actors aren’t the most secure people. We do a very weird job where we expose ourselves in front of people and then ask for their judgement. And yet we all have enough confidence to carry on doing it even though we go to auditions and they say ‘no, no, no’. Maybe we’re just adrenaline junkies, maybe we just live on anxiety!”
So how does Miltos remember his Game of Thrones experience? “It was an amazing experience,” he told Throne Watch. “Even though it feels like a long time ago, I do conventions all the time and I still see people from the cast. They’re getting fewer and fewer, of course but they are still in the show.
“It was a dream part. It is very rare for any actor to get to play such a brilliant bad ass who is loyal and noble. I love a challenge. I think if the job is too easy I don’t trust it, I need to feel like I have work to do. I was asked at the audition (if I could) sword fight and I said yes. For the first time there was something on my CV that I didn’t have to lie about!”
Miltos as Lester Billings in ‘The Boogeyman’
Miltos’ sword fighting skills were honed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and having a background in dance and choreography made him a natural candidate for the role.
Speaking about his co-star Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark, he said: “Maisie was an excellent dancer at school, she was always doing street dancing. So the two of us, we just took to it like a duck to water.”
“I haven’t spoke to her for a while but I often send her Happy Birthday wishes and I didn’t this year which was very bad, but I think I was in Australia. That’s my excuse, Maisie!”
Miltos admits he is still a big fan of the show although he’s unsure who – if anyone – will eventually take the Iron Throne:
“I just don’t know if its about the Iron Throne. It’s like…will there be a throne? They might have to melt it down because all those weapons on it are made out of Valyrian steel and they’re the only things that will defeat the White Walkers.” he said.
Miltos leading a sword fighting workshop with dancers from NI’s Brutal Ballet company
But he believes Bran could hold the secret to the series’ season 8 conclusion: “I’m really hoping that there’s going to be some big. I think with the little tease they did with Hodor’s death last year and realising that Bran has this power to be able to effect the past, I’ve got a feeling they might go down that avenue. Bran is going to play a big part in the way this story finishes, he has to doesn’t he?”
Miltos has taken a lot from his Game of Thrones experience and now teaches sword fighting classes and workshops both here and across the pond.
He said: “Syrio was fantastic because I got to harness my sword fighting training and I really appreciated that. I carry it on now to this day because I teach sword fighting. There’s loads of techniques – German, French styles, British styles – I kind of approach it like a martial art, learning about your physical presence and space and being aware of how you move. Like a dance.”
“I get people who maybe have never done it before. I’ve taught blind people, I’ve taught people in wheelchairs. I believe you can make anything inclusive, you just have to have the imagination to be able to make it work.”
As Syrio Forel
Speaking about the lack of diverse roles in UK film and TV, the actor commented on the gradual changes happening in the industry.
“It’s changing all the time, there’s no doubt about it, but I don’t think it’s changing enough. In Britain I find it very difficult to get any decent acting jobs apart from playing taxi drivers or terrorists or dodgy Greek landlords.
“I understand why British actors go to America and establish their careers out there because they see us in a completely different way. In the UK you only have to look at what the BBC mainly produces, not just the BBC, but they are big culprits. I just look at some the stuff that’s on television and I don’t recognise any of this, this is like fetish TV.
“I think not only does America do it better but I think the new services that Amazon, Netflix and now YouTube are doing where they’re creating content is the future. That’s going to be really diverse.” he said.
He also didn’t hide his feelings about the BBC and their corporate influence on the industry.
“It’s controversial to say as an actor but you know, f**k it, I don’t get my casting from the BBC anyway. The thing is that the BBC doesn’t feel like it’s run by creative people, it’s run by a board of directors and people haggle to try to get stuff made and sometimes they’re successful and sometimes their not, but the people who really make the decisions are white middle aged men and they have to go.”
And what would Miltos’ ideal role be?
“On screen I’d quite like to play a deviant, evil, bad guy in some science fiction, X-Men spin off series. I wanna play a baddie with some superpowers, a meaty psycho!” he said.
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