Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays the devastatingly handsome “kingslayer” Jaime Lannister in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which began its fourth season last Sunday. Fans of the George R. R. Martin book series were initially outraged when the Danish stud was cast as Jaime.
“There was a big discussion on [social media] about my nose, about how I was the worst choice ever because of my nose. There was just no way I could play Jaime Lannister,” Coster-Waldau tells The Post.
But fans have come around and the role has launched him into leading-man status — this month, he’ll star opposite Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton in the romantic comedy “The Other Woman.” We talked to Coster-Waldau, 43, about rabid “Thrones” fans, filming that infamous hot tub scene in Season 3 and Jaime’s triumphant return this season to King’s Landing and the love of his life (who also happens to be his sister), Cersei:
You look so different in the first episode of the new season — was it a relief to lose the beard and shaggy hair and go clean-cut?
I liked the shaggy look, but I like the change. I really thought it was appropriate for the character — him really wanting to leave that part of his life behind in a way. [Jaime returns to his home at King’s Landing after having been kidnapped and losing his hand.] He has changed in many ways.
Are your daughters allowed to watch the show? [Coster-Waldau has two daughters, ages 13 and 10, with his wife, Nukaaka, a Greenlandic actress and singer. The family lives in Denmark.]
No. My oldest is now 13, so it’s getting difficult to try to say what she can watch and what she cannot. They’ve seen clips. When I came to school one time a couple of years ago, suddenly all the kids in my youngest daughter’s class started shouting at me that I was the guy who throws kids out the window!
Do you have an age in mind when you’ll let them watch?
No, they should never watch! That whole thing about watching your dad in a situation like the end of the episode [in which Jaime is caught in a sexual act with his sister, Cersei] . . . I don’t want them to watch that. I want them to live in blissful ignorance.
We see Jaime and Cersei reunite this season — how do you feel about their romantic relationship?
I think the whole sister-brother thing — that is weird, to say the least. And, listen, I have two sisters, I find the thought of that truly appalling. I try to take that out of the equation and focus on the fact this guy actually loves this woman.
Last season, Jaime finally revealed the story of why he is called the Kingslayer — while naked in a hot tub. Tell me about filming that scene.
A whole day in water, that was extremely difficult. But it was a big scene for Jaime [because he was revealing a secret]. It’s so important that we wanted to get it right.
Did you use a body double for the butt shot or was that you?
That was really me.
Any hesitations about nudity?
No. You feel like an idiot with a sock covering your privates, but apart from that, I had no hesitations. The dignity is out the window.
Tell me about filming the scary scene when Jaime rescues his captor, Brienne, in the bear pit last season.
We shot half of the scene in Belfast and that was without the bear. That was a guy who was growling like a bear. Then we went to California and we shot with Bart the Bear Jr. He was a big bear — and a big diva, as well. He would only come out if everybody gave him big, big applause. The whole crew had to go, “Yay, Bart, you’re the best!” And then slowly the bear would come out. And then he would have to have whipped cream.
Have you gotten close with any of the cast?
This season it is great to be back with Peter [Dinklage] and Lena [Headey]. Season 4 was the first time since Episode 1 that we worked together. But this season we spent a lot of time together in Dubrovnik [Croatia]. We made a little club of “Breaking Bad” fans. The last season was airing then, and we had this pact that we had to watch together. For the first four [episodes], it was OK. We ordered food and wine, and it was glorious. And we were going to do it again but Dinklage just couldn’t help himself, he had to go and watch on his own. He broke the pact!
Did you get to spend any time with New Yorker Dinklage when you were in the city filming “The Other Woman”?
We tried to, but he was working in Montreal at the time filming “X-Men.” I love filming in New York. I was staying in Brooklyn Heights. What they’re doing down in the waterfront is something! I spent a lot of time walking around on the waterfront and going to Williamsburg.
“Game of Thrones” fans are known for being very passionate — what is the craziest thing any of them has ever done?
I was in the gym in the shower and the guy next to me started saying, “What the hell are you doing here?” Then he started having a conversation about “Game of Thrones.” I was trying to be polite, but at the same time I was like, “Can we do this after — when we’re a little more dressed?”