Isaac Hempstead-Wright Finally Explains The ‘Creepy Bran Stare’

Warning: Contains Spoilers Up To Season 8 Episode 1

HBO

Bran Stark’s emo phase is dragging on and on, and his intensely creepy stare is getting more disquieting by the day.

Unrecognisable from the plucky little boy who once loved climbing walls and hearing bedtime tales from Old Nan, Bran is apparently now most content when freaking everyone at Winterfell out by creating the most awkward atmosphere imaginable.

Pity poor Jon Snow embracing his little brother at their childhood home for the first time in years, only to realise he’d felt more warmth and humour from some of the White Walkers he’s battled.

HBO

Now, Bran is of course not the same sweet kid we all rooted for in the early seasons. He is now the Three-Eyed Raven, capable of seeing things which as of yet remain mysterious for the rest of the surviving characters.

However, the soul-searing nature of his constant gaze isn’t just down to his wise, omniscient state of being.

Isaac Hempstead-Wright – who plays the most dysfunctional Stark sibling – explained the reason behind Bran’s starey-ness while appearing Jimmy Kimmel Live! And it’s all to do with his eyesight.

Watch some of the revealing interview below:

After Jimmy quizzed him about the – pretty understandable – death stare Bran shot Jaime Lannister across the Winterfell courtyard, Issac explained:

I’m kind of getting good at this kind of intense stare, but it’s actually aided by the fact that I’m completely blind when I’m on set.

I don’t have my glasses, and I don’t have contact lenses.

He added:

They’re not that thick, but I need them to see.

I remember I was doing one scene in season seven with Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa, and she said to me, ‘Issac, your stare is like you’re staring into my soul’ and I was like, ‘I can’t see, that’s why!’

Bran’s eerily penetrative stare has made for some of the most hilarious and creative memes of the season so far, with many people praising Issac’s weirdly memorable performance.

While everybody else was exchanging niceties and catching up with family, Bran just wasn’t having any of it. And with all the information in the seven kingdoms swirling around in his noggin, it’s perhaps understandable.

After the memorable scene with his old nemesis Jaime, who will Bran choose to fix his steely glare on next?

You can now – finally – watch the new season of Game of Thrones on HBO or Sky Atlantic.

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Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.