‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 Video: Intensity of Iceland

Jon Snow played by Kit Harington in 'Game of Thrones'
Jon Snow played by Kit Harington in ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo by Oliver Upton/HBO)

Executive producer/writer/director D.B. Weiss says it was important to shoot in Iceland to get the authenticity of the weather, and in this behind-the-scenes video Game of Thrones season 3 cast members say it’s the perfect place to stand in for “Beyond the Wall.” GoT newbie Ciaran Hinds (‘Mance Rayder’) said they shot a scene and couldn’t see anything because of a blizzard, and it wasn’t until the weather cleared up a bit that he could actually see just how beautiful Iceland is.

And Mackenzie Crook (‘Orell’) believes the area feels otherworldly, as though they were shooting on a different planet.

So, just how authentic will the Beyond the Wall scenes look? Director Daniel Minahan says that when the viewers see people’s breath on screen, that really is the actors’ breath. Also, those icicles hanging from mustaches and beards are real and actually formed during filming.

Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, summed the experience up by saying, “It’s harsh weather conditions. It’s not easy to shoot here, but the country’s so beautiful that it makes it such a pleasure to come to.”