Game Of Thrones Found Richard Madden In A Contest That Had Nothing To Do With Acting
Richard Madden dazzled audiences as The Young Wolf Robb Stark on "Game of Thrones," which made his shocking death during the infamous Red Wedding one of the most earth-shattering moments in the series' history. Madden has been acting since childhood but was an absolute force on the stage, having studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Soon after, he toured with Shakespeare's globe company as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet," later reprising the role in the West End production in 2016 with his newfound "Game of Thrones" fame. However, as Bryan Cogman, who also served as a story editor on the TV series, discussed in "Inside HBO's Game of Thrones," Madden got the gig for reasons outside of his acting resume.
"At first we just liked Richard because he was the odds-on favorite for 2009's Best-Dressed Man in Scotland Award," said series co-creator D.B. Weiss. "He did indeed win – and in addition to his clothes, we got an amazing talent." Madden has always been fashionable, and even made GQ's list of the 50 Best Dressed Men in the World in 2020, over a decade after winning his Scottish title. As anyone with even a passing interest in fashion will tell you, it's not just about what you're wearing, but also how you wear it. Madden's fashion sense is only heightened by his unflinching confidence, a perfect character trait for the would-be king.
"He manages to be both period-appropriate and totally natural," said Weiss. "When you're standing in front of an army of armored men making grand post-battle speeches, hokeyness and stiltedness are definite dangers, but Richard is incapable of these things." This talent would prove beneficial in follow-up roles like Prince Kit in "Cinderella," Cosimo de' Medici in "Medici," and even Ikaris in Marvel's "Eternals."
Armor against all ponderousness
This effortless presence has led to Richard Madden playing similar characters on screen, having said, "I'm kind of used to playing lovers, often." I mean, the man has been playing Romeo for over a decade and a half, and if the character wasn't canonically supposed to be a teenager, I'm sure he would have continued to play him for many more years. Madden's combination of fashion, talent, and confidence is likely why he has been rumored as one of the many potential players to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond for five years, but at this point, it feels like every high-profile actor from the U.K. has been rumored to play 007 at least once.
Madden's performance as Robb Stark is often considered one of the best in all of "Game of Thrones," and as D.B. Weiss described, "There's an easygoing quality to the character that comes from Richard himself, and it acts like an armor against all ponderousness." There's certainly nothing boring about Madden as an actor, and brands like Hockerty Suits have even written tutorials to encourage more people to dress like him. Given his theatrical background, he likely would have been in the running to play the King in the North regardless, but it's fascinating to know that it was his natural presence and ability to wear the hell out of a well-tailored suit that gave him the edge.