Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance has said that his marriage of over 30 years ended because he “succumbed to some temptations”.
Dance, 77, who played Tywin Lannister in the HBO series, married Joanna Haythorn in 1970 and the couple had two children together before divorcing in 2004.
In a new interview with Gyles Brandreth on the Rosebud podcast, Dance, who also played Lord Mountbatten in Netflix’s The Crown, has spoken about how the marriage came to an end.
“For the most part, it was a wonderful marriage, but then, unfortunately, I succumbed to some temptations along the way and the marriage ended because of my behaviour really,” he said. “I eventually had to come clean.”
“Because we were living in Somerset, in this enormous place, and Jo had her study at one end and I had mine at the other end, and we became a bit like George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
“Eventually I came back and I thought, ‘really, we have to have (a) very serious conversation’. And I had to come clean and it came as a shock to Jo, bless her.
“I don’t want to be seen to be scrabbling around for excuses,” he added.
“But there is no justification for it, you know. In our business, Gyles, temptation is often presented and you have to be pretty together and balanced, and have not a particularly powerful libido to not succumb to that.
“So, the marriage came to an end – huge regret. But after about 18 months, Jo and I, thankfully, became the best of friends, and we remain so, thank God.”
Last year, Dance said that he was talked out of auditioning for the role of James Bond in the 1980s. He had considered going for the part after Roger Moore stepped aside after 1985’s A View to a Kill, but his agent convinced him otherwise.
Asked about the rumour that he turned down the role of 007, Dance said: “No, of course I didn’t turn down James Bond! What happened was, my agent called and said: ‘I urge you not to do it. Just think how you’ll feel if you don’t get it. It will kill your career stone-dead.’”
“She was probably right. If I’d got it, I would have probably fucked it up.”
Meanwhile, Dance is reportedly the bookies’ frontrunner to take on the role of Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, with 2/1 odds. Bill Nighy is the favourite to play Lord Voldemort, with Nick Frost tipped to be the new Rubeus Hagrid.
HBO announced in April last year a “faithful” TV series based on J.K. Rowling’s books was in development. Rowling is attached as an executive producer.
In a press release, the show was described as a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for”. The show is expected to air in 2025 or 2026.
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