Ed Sheeran Reflects on the Game of Thrones Cameo and Its Backlash
Ed Sheeran has revisited the internet’s response to his surprise cameo on Game of Thrones, noting that the moment still feels like it ruffled feathers years later. The HBO hit drew countless celebrity cameos as its popularity surged, with musicians such as Coldplay, Of Monsters and Men, Snow Patrol, Mastodon, and Sigur Rós making appearances. But Sheeran’s cameo triggered a far more intense reaction than most.
The moment in question came early in Season 7, when Maisie Williams, a longtime fan, helped bring Sheeran into the world of Westeros. He appears as a Lannister soldier who performs a folk song before sharing a rabbit with Arya Stark. The online backlash was swift and brutal. Director Jeremy Podeswa later spoke to Newsweek, saying Sheeran entered with good intentions to sing well and do a solid job, and that the controversy largely sprang from outside the show’s universe. Within the fictional world, Podeswa noted, Sheeran “did a lovely job, and he looks like he belongs in that world.”
Even as some fans wondered if the character might survive, Sheeran himself offered a wry take in MTV interviews: “No one wants to see me come back.” The controversy lingered, and after the episode aired, he reflected on the moment with a bit more context. On the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, he admitted that he “ruffled some feathers” by appearing on the fantasy epic.
“I enjoyed shooting the scene,” he said, and he also offered a possible explanation for the intensity of the reaction. He suggested that his level of visibility at the time may have amplified the response: “At the time I was very omnipresent and just everywhere. So, I think it was quite jarring,” he explained. He acknowledged that this kind of scrutiny isn’t unusual for him, adding, “I just get sh*t on for things!”
The saga hasn’t stopped Sheeran from stepping into screen cameos. He later played a version of himself in Yesterday and Red Notice, and even made a nod to pop culture with a playful角色 spelling in Zootropolis 2 as “Ed Shearin.”
For fans craving more Westeros content, there’s ongoing interest in the show’s lore, including a tally of past Targaryen kings and updates on potential sequels like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Sworn Sword.