George R.R. Martin, author of the popular book series HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is based on, turned down an opportunity to cameo in the upcoming final season.
Why would he do that? Well, it’s his new book’s fault.
Flying from his native Santa Fe, NM, to Belfast in Northern Ireland for the location shoot would take too much time away from working on his penultimate novel, “The Winds of Winter,” EW reports.
He’s been working on hotly anticipated title for a whopping eight years, and the deadline keeps getting pushed back. (In 2011, he said he thought it would take him three to four years.)
“[Showrunners] David and Dan invited me to cameo in one of the final episodes, which I was tempted to do,” Martin told EW. “But I didn’t think just for the sake of a cameo I could take the time to return to Belfast.”
So, don’t go looking for his face when the camera pans to random crowds of Northern men. You won’t find him bowing to either Jon or Daenerys.
The eighth and final season premieres April 14th on HBO.