A new Karstark cast for Game of Thrones season 6 

There are still a few mysteries remaining when it comes to season 6 casting for

One of the roles unaccounted for is- was- that of the new Lord Karstark. The batch of

casting notices released in June described a role that our sources confirmed to be Karstark, heir to the previous lord Rickard played by John Stahl. Lord Rickard was beheaded in season 3 by Robb Stark, leading the Karstarks to abandon the Stark cause.

Lord of Northern Stronghold: The show’s looking for an actor in his late thirties or forties to play another lord, one that’s ruthless and calculating. The frightening lord rules a vassal household with a castle stronghold.

According to the notice, the character will be in 3 episodes of season 6. We now know, based on information that has surfaced on the actor’s CV, that the role of Harald Karstark will be played by Paul Rattray .

novels, Rickard Karstark’s eldest son and heir was named “Harrion.”

Irish actor Ruairí Heading will be appearing in season 6, in the role of the Green Recruit. Jack Bender is listed as the director on his CV.

The Green Recruit also appeared on the June casting notice list; it appears to be a small role that was scheduled for one day of filming.

Our final piece of casting info today involves a younger actress, news that WotW reader John discovered.

According to the website of the Pauline Quirke Academy, one of their students Annette Hannah filmed a role on

for season 6. The Academy posted on their News page, “CONGRATULATIONS to Annette who recently landed the role of Frances in Game of Thrones!” and shared a photo of the girl on the throne.

The website quotes Annette as saying, “I had such an amazing time and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I especially loved working with Lena Headey, Anton Lesser and Julian Glover!”

Annette’s father says on the website, “I am so proud of the incredibly professional way she worked on her first ever role. Watching her was amazing and the whole process of filming was fascinating.”

In December, a scene was filmed at Shane’s Castle involving Anton Lesser (Qyburn) and some child performers. It’s possible but not confirmed that Hannah is connected to this scene.

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Interesting: but I’ve zero idea of what to make of these parts!

So weird that we’re still receiving casting news at this point, and still no trailer lol

As always Sue, great job on the search and report!! Can’t wait to see all of them in the new season, but especially Paul Rattray as the new Karstark! And he is cute, GoT never fails to cast good looking people!

Could Frances be one of Varys’ little birds? Watch your back, Grandmaester Pycelle!

The Karstark actor can be seen in the HBO 2015 year end review video next to Ramsay

I keep forgetting how well John Stahl played Rickard Karstark. GoT has some of the best minor characters, I’m sure this new Karstark will be great.

Is this the dude we see behind Ramsay in that end-of-year shot? A Karstark makes much more sense than an Umber.

Firannion: Watch your back, Grandmaester Pycelle!

Of course, there are a gazillion other possibilities. Maybe Cersei is trying to steal a page from Margaery’s book. Or maybe she decided to just go all-out Evil Queen and start eating children.

That was the first thing I saw too haha if you look at the clothes he is wearing it’s similar to what Lord Karstark wore in S2 and S3, which is cool

That looks like it could be Penny to me???

Working with Cersei, Qyburn, and Pycelle? I think not.

Sorry. Missed that part. On my phone and it is acting up. Thanks.

He also had the best beard on the show, right alongside the GreatJon. http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/hieloyfuego/images/6/6c/Rickard_Karstark.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20130429202723

A bit younger-looking than I had imagined for the part, not that that matters.

as soon as I saw him, i’m thinking to myself in the back of my head.

That’s the guy with ramsay in the year ender Hbo video.

of course someone already came to that conclusion on watchersonthewall, you guys never miss a beat. XD

Does the year ended picture help confirm that the small jon has not joined Ramsay and only sent a small force of umbers to play the Manderly role in winterfall. I cannot think the umbers will betray the Starks and turn over the heir to winterfell to Ramsay. I can’t stomach the thought the Rickon is on of the people on the burning crosses at the battle for the north.

Good eyes, you two! As I said in the Behind-the-Scenes thread, the sighting of the Umber sigil alongside what appeared to be Bolton and Karstark forces had me concerned that the man riding behind Ramsay in the Yearender video might be Dean S. Jagger as the Smalljon. It didn’t

look like him, but I had come close to convincing myself that it might be. Looking at it now, however, it’s pretty clear that the man in question is indeed this Paul Rattray as Harald Karstark. I feel slightly better now.

Granted, we’re not out of the woods yet regarding where the Umbers’ loyalty will ultimately fall. Not by a long shot. But I’ll take what I can get.

E5 – Qyburn’s laboratory – Cersei, Qyburn, Pycelle, some others in minor parts, child (Frances).

Stewbie: a small force of umbers to play the Manderly role in winterfall.

I can’t stomach the thought the Rickon is on of the people on the burning crosses

Jared: Looking at it now, however, it’s pretty clear that the man in question is indeed this Paul Rattray as Harald Karstark. I feel slightly better now.

I remember your concerns and others’ skeptical thoughts from that thread quite well. You have incredible instincts, ser!

for the show runners to use actual book names? I understand the need to change Asha into Yara, but this one? There’s no difference between Harrion and Harald Karstark (and yes, I know Harrion isn’t in a fit condition to be lord in the books).

It’s Stannis winning the support lf Frey bannerman House Haigh all over again. Why not actually use the vast lore they have at their disposal instead of making things up for no reason at all?

I realize this sounds a lot purist and it probably is, but it’s very annoying. No, the show isn’t ruined, but seriously? Why?

I love that line. Karstark’s final words were so bad-ass, especially compared to that blubbering fool Slynt.

Stewbie: I can’t stomach the thought the Rickon is on of the people on the burning crosses at the battle for the north.

The Umbers siding with the Boltons against the Wildlings would not mean that they are siding with the Boltons against the Starks. Look at it from the Umbers point of view: you have a better chance of defeating both the Wildlings and the Boltons if you unite with the Boltons against the Wildlings, hope that the Boltons take more casualties, and then work to defeat the Boltons later.

Historically, civil conflicts almost always get put on hold when a common enemy attacks. GRRM is quite the student of history, and he might well be emulating this.

Jared: Granted, we’re not out of the woods yet regarding where the Umbers’ loyalty will ultimately fall. Not by a long shot. But I’ll take what I can get.

Along these lines, this is not an “either/or” situation. The Umbers will be opposed to the Wildlings, at least initially. As Jon stresses in Season 3, every boy in the north grows up learning about the 6 Wildling invasions. However, the Umbers also will be opposed to the Boltons. Of course, that opposition probably will have to get put on hold initially: but just because Churchill and Stalin united against Hitler, it was not as if either intended to remain allies with the other after Hitler was defeated. Look for it to be the same thing here.

Aleph: There’s no difference between Harrion and Harald Karstark

Sure there is. Harald sounds like a real name. Harrion does not.

As interesting that may be, isn’t here anyone who wants to know something about the “Griffs” (*Bookcharacters which aren’t introduced till now*!!!)? As a bookreader I can only say, I want that they appear!

By that logic Ned Stark should have been called Edward, not Eddard, though.

Yeah but Harrion sounds like carrion. It’s not one of Martin’s better names.

The Mormonts and other Stark supporters fighting alongside the Wildlings. I just wonder how the Umbers are going to deal with having to fight fellow northern houses, if the Stark bannermen and Wildlings are in the same army that is.

They only change it if it sounds similar to another characters name. Harrion and Arianne could sound similar. Maybe she gets mentioned in the show.

Oh crud, these look like they’re making some composite characters with this “Harold Karstark”:

In the novels, Rickard had three sons: Harrion, Torrhen, and Eddard. Harrion was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Green Fork, while Torrhen and Eddard Karstark were killed by Jaime at the Battle of the Whispering Wood.

The TV version moved this around slightly to have Jaime kill one Karstark son in an escape attempt (the novels do have Jaime kill guards in escape attempts, so fine, condense that together because otherwise it would have been off-screen due to budget limitations).

The problem is that the TV show is shy about introducing characters with the same name, particularly “Eddard Karstark” — even though it’s kind of a point that Ned Stark wasn’t the ONLY person named “Eddard” *in an entire continent*. But whatever, fine, rename him in the TV version, purely a cosmetic change.

….but “Kissed by Fire” switched this around; not just our guess but mentioning the sons by name in dialogue. In that episode they stated that Torrhen was killed by Jaime in an escape attempt (fine), and that *Harrion* was killed, off-screen, on the battlefield….presumably leaving Eddard alive. Either that or they didn’t want to use the son named “Eddard” so they killed the other one (didn’t it occur to them to just rename the Eddard son to something else? — then again they may have been looking ahead in Season 3 to the later Northern subplots.

So is this “Harold Karstark” a renamed third son? Or, is he a condensed version of Rickard’s younger brother Arnolf from the novels?

huh? can’t think of any possibilities of what this little girl could be doing with pycelle, cersei and qyburn. the only think that makes sense is her being one of varys’ little birds

Could Frances be one of Varys’ little birds? Watch your back, Grandmaester Pycelle!

that is the guy riding behind ramsay in that short sequence from the hbo trailer.

I, too, felt a sense of relief the guy riding behind Ramsay was not an Umber. As you said, we aren’t out of the woods, yet, but I still think if the Umbers do appear to side with the Boltons, it is just that…they’re only appearing to, and will turn on them.

I think many of the names from casting may not make it to the screen…we’ve seen them throw out names in the past.

huh? can’t think of any possibilities of what this little girl could be doing with pycelle, cersei and qyburn. the only think that makes sense is her being one of varys’ little birds

I’m pretty sure that’s the show’s incarnation of Penny…remember that they killed a dwarf last season and she could possibly have some scene of her protesting her brother’s murder or maybe even something more sinister (Sir Robert Dwarfhead Strong?) Actually seeing the murder or her crying to Cercei about her murdered brother makes for better TV than her explaining the details to Tyrion.

Robb mentioned that Harrion was killed in season 3.

Does the year ended picture help confirm that the small jon has not joined Ramsay and only sent a small force of umbers to play the Manderly role in winterfall.I cannot think the umbers will betray the Starks and turn over the heir to winterfell to Ramsay.I can’t stomach the thought the Rickon is on of the people on the burning crosses at the battle for the north.

Nope. It just proves that at some point in S6 Harald Karstark rides behind Ramsay on a horse. But Karstarks with Boltons and Umbers eventually ending up opposing them makes sense.

As interesting that may be, isn’t here anyone who wants to know something about the “Griffs” (*Bookcharacters which aren’t introduced till now*!!!)? As a bookreader I can only say, I want that they appear!

I still am frivolously holding a barely smoldering torch for a scene at the end of S6E10

in which Varys, after secretly arriving back in Westeros, introduces his refugee friends from Volantis,

, to Kevan and Pycelle, with a Sand Snake or two providing support. As Kevan’s eyes widen with recognition, someone gives an adapted version of the

speech before daggers go stabby-stabby and jaws drop around the globe.

i doubt it tbh. and i dont think she’s the only child that’s interacting with cersei, qyburn and pycelle in this scene

Ned still sounds like a name; harrion sounds like a thing,

I’m not looking forward to it if true, but just mentioning Qyburn and children together gives off some serious Mengele vibes.

And just because the Umbers are willing to side with the Boltons against the Wildlings, it does not mean that they intend to remain chummy with the Boltons after the Wildling threat is eliminated. One constant theme in these stories that is very true-to-life is that sometimes you have to put aside lesser enmities in the face of greater enmities: and that way you can survive to kill your lesser enemies later! 😀

for the show runners to use actual book names? I understand the need to change Asha into Yara, but this one? There’s no difference between Harrion and Harald Karstark (and yes, I know Harrion isn’t in a fit condition to be lord in the books).

It’s Stannis winning the support lf Frey bannerman House Haigh all over again. Why not actually use the vast lore they have at their disposal instead of making things up for no reason at all?

I realize this sounds a lot purist and it probably is, but it’s very annoying. No, the show isn’t ruined, but seriously? Why?

She is playing a child, not a dwarf, so that idea is pretty much out. (Dwarfs do not look like children: in many ways, they look the opposite of children, particularly in limb:torso ratios and head:body size ratios.)

Heh, given that approximately zero percent of the audience knows that, and given that two people can have the same first name, I really doubt that is the reason!

(I just watched seadon 3 and I have zero memory of that: but I am no better at retaining names of unshown characters than are most people.)

At this point, I think that it is too late for YG. My bet now is that this is just going to be a plot-for-the-sake-of-plot digression and/or that GRRM is doing something that on which the general audience will call BS (e.g., the Darkflame conjecture).

I think she’s going to go mad and try to get Qyburn to try bring her daughter back by replacing her blood with that of other young girls. Hey he made one zombie…

I resemble these callous remarks about Harrion sounding like carrion or like a thing rather than a name. Marion is my middle name, and not once in my 62 years has it occurred to me to associate it with carrion. Not only does Harrion rhyme with at least one ‘real’ name, but it’s also only one letter off from Harrison, of which my autocorrect is reminding me even now as I type!

What Harrion evoked for me was a harrier: a kind of hawk, which seems like a perfectly reasonable sort of thing for a medieval warrior to want to name a son if he wants him to grow up fierce. I would add that in an alternate world, a real name is anything that the author so designates. There are plenty of odder-sounding names in Planetos – some with more Qs, Xs, Ys and Zs in them than the back pages of the phone book.

Because is Harrion Karstark is all ready in the show. He died off screan in the whispering Wood. Robb to lord rickard: I saw Harrion die on the battlefield, and torren…’

The wildlings dont fight for every lord but Jon Snow.I belive they fight because he talked with them..this means he is alive and well

The wildlings dont fight others war only if is Jon Snow who calls for they’r help.This means he is alive and well

Agree with Sue and Wimsey Harrion is quite a bad name. Harald is a good name. Sounds more northerner.

Also this. Now the complains are even more ridiculous.

Boy,at this pace will be getting TWOW before the 6th season trailer

Intrigued by the green recruit and what army he’s a part of.

Can we all agree with everyone on the show that Jon Snow is dead?

Hodors Bastard: Is this the dude we see behind Ramsay in that end-of-year shot? A Karstark makes much more sense than an Umber.

And yet, the Umbers are fighting for the Boltons… Which you should really have accepted by now, since Umber mounted men can be seen alongside Boltons and Karstarks in the recent “Inside GoT” feature. In the Bolton army tracking shot, you can spot the Umber sigil on a horse just behind the camera.

Luka Nieto, Just remember that there is a ‘lord who changes his allegiance’. It does not have to be a Manderly. Could be some Umber. GreatJon’s brother, or something, while SmallJon works for Ramsay, or the other way round.

Just a touch of family drama to showcase the effect of the civil war.

I just thought of a much darker theory with the new young actress.

She said she enjoyed working with Lena Heady and also that she’s only in one scene. If she is only in one scene and Cersei is involved it probably won’t be one of the little birds.

She does look like Myrcella however, and Cersei has just learned what Qyburn can do with reanimation. What if myrcella’s death is cersei’s breaking point and she starts giving Qyburn test subjects in an attempt to bring back her daughter. This would completely tie back in to her delusional Feast for Crows storyline

Just remember that there is a ‘lord who changes his allegiance’. It does not have to be a Manderly. Could be some Umber. GreatJon’s brother, or something, while SmallJon works for Ramsay, or the other way round.

I’d say that’s quite possible! That doesn’t change the fact that the new Lord Umber and at least some of his men are possitively fighting for the Boltons in the Battle of the Bastards, even if he has a relative who takes Lord Manderly’s role and changes allegiance. The only thing that makes it unlikely is that the person who surprisingly changes sides is described as a Lord in his own right, which Lord Umber’s relative wouldn’t be. Even if he was, even if this fake-named “Fletcher” is an Umber instead of a Manderly, the fact remains that Lord Umber and Umber men are fighting for the Boltons in season six. The Umbers may be Stark supporters, but I’m pretty sure that, especially considering they live so far up North, they aren’t happy that an army of wildlings is coming their way.

The lord who changes his allegiance is almost certainly this new Karstark. How better a way to dramatically give hope to the northern story after 6 seasons of suffering than to not only find out that the Starks still have loyal support but that even those families that have seemingly been wronged by the Starks will rally to their name against a blatant evil. Really what reason could any remaining Stark supporter have to go to the Boltons, and at the same time how many Bolton supporters would have reason to defect back to the Kings of Winter

Jfrinkr: The lord who changes his allegiance is almost certainly this new Karstark

That makes no sense. They can’t be the same person. Different casting calls for different roles. The new Lord Karstark had the casting call you can see quoted above, in the news report; the “Fletcher” character who changes sides had his own casting call, and a completely different description.

Sorry I didn’t realize that the Fletcher character is actually described as that. I thought there was just a confirmed rumour that a lord does switch allegiances. I still do think the Karstarks will defect from the Boltons back to the Starks though

Sorry I didn’t realize that the Fletcher character is actually described as that. I thought there was just a confirmed rumour that a lord does switch allegiances.

I still do think the Karstarks will defect from the Boltons back to the Starks though

I think the survivors will be pardoned and allowed to switch sides, when the battle is inevitably lost for the Boltons, but not before. If that’s not the case, if the Karstarks and Umbers switch sides before the battle… Well, the battle will be finished before it even starts!

Also, we’ve already seen the Boltons, Karstarks and Umbers together, in the same army, mixed in, in the field of battle; if they were going to switch sides, they would do it before the armies are actually prepared for battle.

I must say I really liked “Arnolf Karstark” as a name. Same with “Cregan”.

Sue the Fury, Actually, now that you’ve pointed that out, I think it’s one of his best

Speaking of “Gryffs”, I wonder if the Whitehills will get any mention, or if Harald will be based on Gryff or Ludd (Telltale Game reference).

It’s kinda funny that sticklers for the books and for its canon are arguing they should’ve used Harrion instead of inventing Harald Karstark. What about the canon of the show? Shouldn’t it supersede that of the books, when using the latter creates continuity issues? Harrion is dead in the show! One resurrection per season is already more than enough; Harrion should stay dead. That said, yeah, they could’ve used the Arnolf name. Usually they change names when they are going another way with a character; they probably don’t want people to compare ADWD’s Arnolf Karstark to the show’s new Lord Karstark, which is a wise decision in my book.

Tywin of the Hill: Speaking of “Gryffs”, I wonder if the Whitehills will get any mention, or if Harald will be based on Gryff or Ludd (Telltale Game reference).

The game takes from the show, yet I very much doubt the writers of the show will ever use any lore that Telltale has developed on its own.

That’s an interesting idea. A variant on it could fit with Varys’ purported S6 departure from Mereen. But, there’s a long road ahead and it may fit D&D’s purposes better to (as I suspect they will) cut the Griff’s out of GoT completely and do this scene with just Varys, Pycelle and the little birds. Qyburn, I suspect will last at least as long as Sir Robert Strong does.

Luka Nieto, I’m horrible with visuals. Have we seen any banners apart from Stark, Umber, Karstark and Bolton?

My spoiler file tells me there was some speculation about the Mormonts and the Hornwoods during the initial batch of spoilers: http://watchersonthewall.com/exclusive-exciting-news-about-northern-ireland-filming/ (there was also some speculation about a weird banner that looked a bit like the Payne’s). Would it be possible for you knowledgeable folk to go back to that report and maybe compare the banners? (there was also a casting call for a young lord that could be the one whose dad Ramsay flayed in s5).

I’m also thinking that Wilding, Umber-Stark, Umber-Bolton, Karstark, Bolton and Vale – is – already Six Armies.

– Jon convinces the Wildings to fight against the Boltons

– except one of the Umbers defects to the Boltons, grabbing Rickon on the way as a hostage (Umbers hate Wildings)

– and so we have Wilding and Umber-Stark vs. Umber-Bolton, Karstark and Bolton

This sounds actually pretty reasonable for me for a season-long plot.

Honestly, I think the show will be doubling down on Cersei’s AFFC arc and

. Like a maid Cersei sends to him, or something.

(After having a frustrating 10 minutes with my iPhone in my local coffee shop, I’ve now managed to place my reply to Hodor’s Bastard, rather than quoting you, which is what I did initially. Please ignore the identical post later in this thread!!)

That’s an interesting idea. A variant on it could fit with Varys’ purported S6 departure from Mereen. But, there’s a long road ahead and it may fit D&D’s purposes better to (as I suspect they will) cut the Griff’s out of GoT completely and do this scene with just Varys, Pycelle and the little birds. Qyburn, I suspect will last at least as long as Sir Robert Strong does.

Luka Nieto: Which you should really have accepted by now, since Umber mounted men can be seen alongside Boltons and Karstarks in the recent “Inside GoT” feature

I’ve also accepted the fact that I live in denial. My eyes deceive me often these days.

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