Thomas Brodie-Sangster has been one of our favorite actors since his epic debut role in Love Actually in 2003 when he was just 13. In honor of his birthday on May 16th,we’re celebrating some of his greatest roles and his super-talented performances. Many may not know this but the Brit, born in 1990, is the second cousin once removed of Hugh Grant, whom he appeared alongside in Love Actually. He played the role of Sam in Love Actually, the little boy whose mother passed away. He stole our hearts and captivated our minds. Lately, he’s been killing it on Game of Thrones, another one of our favorite shows.
On Game of Thrones, he plays Jojen Reed. Jojen came into the show in the third season. He premiered in the episode “Dark Wings, Dark Worlds.” Jojen is an the youngest brother of Meera Reed and heir of Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch. His character is also known affectionately as The Little Grandfather, which we think is aptly appropriate considering Thomas has a look of great wisdom about him, especially his eyes.
Going a little deeper into Thomas’s character, we first met him when he appeared in a dream to Bran while Bran, Rickon, Osha, Hodor, Summer and Shaggydog are fleeing to Castle Black following the Sack of Winterfell. Later, Jojen walks up to the group in the forest and introduces himself by saying:
“I’m Jojen Reed, this is my sister Meera. We’ve come a long way to find you, Brandon and we have much farther to go.”
―Jojen Reed to Bran Stark
This doesn’t go over well initially, as Osha puts a spear to the back of Jojen’s neck, but tensions dissipate. Eventually, Jojen and Bran really start to relate due to their similar warging powers and they eventually share a dream, which brings the three-eyed-raven into play. Jojen’s subsequent visions help inform about the future of Bran…which has the potential to come into play in a real way in seasons four and beyond of the show!
Thomas’s talent is undeniable. This role is opening up him to grow into a bona-fide action star. As Thomas has already demonstrated his ability to show great emotional range in the earlier parts of his career, we have no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the months and years to come. Happy Birthday, Thomas!