Spring may finally be here, but don't let the blooms deceive you. Until season eight of Game of Thrones premieres in 2019, these words will ring true: Winter is (still) coming.
To drum up excitement (and prevent an onslaught of spoilers), HBO has kept the cast on a pretty tight leash by preventing them from using social media on set and monitoring what information they share about what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest finales in television history. So, when a cast member dishes even the tiniest smidgen of intel, we consider it to be big and newsworthy, especially if it's coming from a Lannister. Just as you can count on them to always pay their debts, you can guarantee that they don't say anything without intention. Enter Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), who recently told the Short List that his character will be sporting some serious facial hair the next time we see him.
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"I'm shooting the last season of Thrones. Generally speaking, I'm not crazy hairy, but I have a full beard," he said. "Call me Hairy Styles."
Jaime's got jokes, y'all.
Coster-Waldau, who's currently the face of L'Oreal, has shown off his hairier side in the series before when Jaime embarked on a rugged journey with Brienne of Tarth after losing one of his hands. As much as some fans enjoyed seeing Jaime let his hair down (literally), Coster-Waldau said the fresh chop he received after returning home was important to his overall story.
"He was due for a haircut," the actor said. "Especially after spending two seasons dragged through the mud. There was a big change in the character, so a haircut is a way to signal that."
If something as simple as a trim could indicate a substantial change in Jaime's life, then surely growing back his beard will be just as significant. This would make sense, as he and his sister/on-again, off-again lover, Cersei, went through a rough patch at the end of season seven that nearly got him killed (she threatened to sic the Mountain on him — not cool). Jaime then set off to the North to join the others in fighting the wights, leaving his sister behind to potentially become dragon bait. Considering all of this, it's probably safe to assume that he won't have much time or desire to devote to personal grooming in the weeks ahead of him.
We, for one, are excited about this change. The last time Jaime grew out his beard, he became a nicer, more compassionate person. Maybe now that he'll be a little less recognizable, he'll be able to finally help right some of the wrongs carried out on his family's behalf.