This is what the actor who played the Night King on "Game of Thrones" looks like in real life
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
While many characters were killed during Sunday's episode of "Game of Thrones," the demise of the Night King at the hand of Arya Stark, and the disintegration of his army of wights and White Walkers, were likely the only ones met with thunderous cheers from fans. While the Night King may be dead after the battle of Winterfell, the actor who played him is still very much alive.
The Night King has been played by 48-year-old actor and stunt man Vladimír Furdík since season six of the show, taking over for actor Richard Brake, reports Entertainment Weekly (EW). The Slovakian performer may have blue eyes, but the rest of his look is all prosthetics, makeup and television magic.
The actor regularly posts photos and videos of himself, his fellow actors and his everyday life on Instagram, revealing the man beneath the mask.
View this post on InstagramI wish all the people in the world the best
A post shared by Vladimír Furdík (@vladimir_furdik_) on
View this post on InstagramWith Kristofer Hivju a big man with a big heart
A post shared by Vladimír Furdík (@vladimir_furdik_) on
He even posts behind-the-scenes images and videos from the show. He shared an image in March that showed the process of becoming the Night King, with his neck fully covered in prosthetics and his face in makeup.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Vladimír Furdík (@vladimir_furdik_) on
The actor said he was a part of the hit drama before he got the Night King role but made a star turn after his performance as the White Walker who battled — and was killed by — Jon Snow in season five's "Hardhome." Afterward, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss asked if he would take over the role of the Night king for seasons six through eight, he told EW in March. "I never asked why," Furdík said. "Maybe they were happy with what I did in season five."
He also explained what his character wanted to get out of all of the destruction and death. "He never wanted to be the Night King,"said Furdík."I think he wants revenge. Everybody in this story has two sides — a bad side and a good side. The Night King only has one side, a bad side."
In addition to "Game of Thrones," Furdík has worked on stunts for a number of high profile projects including "Thor: The Dark World," the James Bond film "Skyfall" and as Channing Tatum's stunt double in "The Eagle," according to his IMDb page.