Malta, one of the filming locations for “Game of Thrones”. Image from Bobu, Wikimedia Commons.
Lately, I’ve gotten into watching “Game of Thrones” videos on YouTube. I haven’t seen most of this series about a group of feuding medieval families that’s appeared on HBO for the last six years, because it’s a bit too explicit for me.
But I have to admit that the story’s good and the acting, music, costumes, special effects, locations and sets are first-rate. They’re filming in location such as Croatia and Malta, which have some stunning scenery.
I find myself rooting for some of the better characters — Danerys, Tyrion, Arya, Sansa, Jon Snow and Brienne. I also like the opening credits (see below) and how they suggest the machinations of the various families in the show.
The final episode of season 6 is impressive. I love the build-up of the dramatic music, how it starts with a choral theme and how it ends right before the Sept incident.
I recognized some faces. Often, the cast list reads like a Who’s Who of British actors, with a smattering of actors from other countries. I recognized Harry Lloyd (Viserys) from his memorable performance as Baines in “The Family of Blood” episode of Dr. Who. So I looked him up on the Internet Movie Database and came up with a little surprise — he’s a descendant of Charles Dickens.
I started thinking: who else? Are there more well-known writers with famous descendants out there? So I made a little list to entertain you today.
Herman Melville: Liza Klausman (writer)
J.R.R. Tolkien: Michael Tolkien (writer)
Ernest Hemingway: Mariel Hemingway (actor and author) and Margaux Hemingway (model)
Jane Austen: Anna Chancellor (actress who would play Miss Bingley in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice)
Harriet Beecher Stowe: Patricia Cornwell (writer)
There’s a kind of comfort in knowing that a family keeps going through the years and the centuries. Sometimes the descendants even bear a strong resemblance to their famous ancestor or take up the same profession to become well-known in their own right.
I wonder about that sometimes. Is the ability to write or act well something that travels from generation to generation? Does a smidgen of that spark pass from one DNA cell to another? It’s interesting to speculate.
Video credit: Shadowmeme, YouTube.
Eagle-Eyed Editor 