… (but certainly not the least) was our intrepid horselord, Khal Drogo of the Dothraki.

The search for the right khal was exhaustive, and included auditions on four separate continents (maybe five, not sure if those Brazilian readings ever took place). As with several other parts, there were a lot of great readings, and the producers had several interesting choices.

The final nod went to Jason Momoa, who is best known to American television viewers for his role on STARGATE: ATLANTIS.

I blush to confess that I have never seen any STARGATE but the movie… but Jason’s auditions were terrific, displaying all the fierceness that our khal requires, but showing warmth and tenderness in the softer scenes as well. And yes, his haka was terrific.

Khal Drogo was the last of the speaking roles to be filled, so the cast is now complete… until and unless the show gets picked up to series, when we’ll start the process all over again to find Littlefinger, Varys, Ser Barristan, Renly, Loras, Hodor, Lord Tywin, and all the rest of our merry company.

But I’ll worry about that later. Tomorrow we’re off to the UK.

See ya.

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I said that the big man could tell you the latest casting news. That’s because the big guy is Ian McNeice, a veteran British character actor most recently seen on HBO as the newsreader in ROME. He’s done a million other parts as well, of course. In A GAME OF THRONES, he’ll be playing Illyrio Mopatis, Magister of the Free City of Pentos, merchant prince, and arch- conspirator.

There is one character with a speaking part in the HBO pilot who did not appear in my novel. In the early drafts of the script she was known only as Red-Headed Whore, but she has since been christened “Ros.” Playing Ros will be the lovely Esme Bianco, an actress, model, and burlesque performer whose website can be found at http://www.esmeforever.com/

Her previous credits include CHEMICAL WEDDING, BURLESQUE FAIRYTALES, and DEAD MAN RUNNING, which is where those clues about chemicals, fairies, and dead men came from. Tyrion will be very pleased to make her acquaintance.

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I’m off tomorrow for the UK and the pilot shoot, so it stands to reason that I won’t be at MileHiCon in Denver this weekend. I haven’t yet figured out how to be in two places at one time.

However, there will be some cool news announced for the first time at MileHiCon, so if you should happen to be in Denver, keep your ears peeled, and you can be one of the first to know.

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