Looks like Tobias’ successor for the role of Prince Philip in THE CROWN has been found, and he’s ironically followed Tobias around. With season four being Tobais’ final season on the show, stepping into the role will be Tobias’ GAME OF THRONES co-star Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow). The show will be finishing it’s run after the sixth season. Goodbye Tobias.
A recent article in Entertainment Weekly sheds some light on a truth we Tobias Menzies fans know. And that is why GAME OF THRONES fans should take a look at ROME. Both were on HBO and featured some of the many actors to grace both shows. Included of course is Tobias who played Edmure Tully on GAME OF THRONES, and he played Marcus Junius Brutus on ROME. Then there’s also Ciarán Hinds who played Mance Rayder on GAME OF THRONES and Ceasar on ROME. Then there’s Indira Varma who played Ellaria Sand on GAME OF THRONES and Niobe on ROME. You can read what the article had to say here: Why Game of Thrones fans should binge HBO’s Rome
Like I did with WENTWORTH PRISON, I’ve included Sam Heughan’s work along with Tobias’. I really do feel it was both Tobias and Sam who made those two episodes what they are. Tobias was positively horrendous as Black Jack Randall, and Sam was heartbreaking as Black Jack brought Jamie down to zero with his torture and rape. This episode also marks a watershed moment in television where male on male rape was so graphically depicted. Full disclosure here: I am a rape victim. I was raped when I was 13 and always felt confused about why my body did what it did during the assault. It wasn’t until years later I heard the body’s response is autonomous of the brain and makes no sense in how it is reacting to rape or sexual gratification. The journey Jamie takes in trying to understand what happened to him was my journey. Trying to figure out was it rape or did I misunderstand what happened and why. Sam Heughan’s bravery in allowing himself to be dragged back to that place for as long as the shoot took is something I’ll always thank him for. His willingness to to it right, not take a cheap shot like Tobias’ other show GAME OF THRONES did so often when the question of rape came up. OUTLANDER has not shied away from the uncomfortable. It shines just as much a glaring eye on the darkness as well as the light with Jamie and Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) romance and their love making. I want to thank Ron D. Moore and Ira Steven Behr for not pulling any punches with either Wentworth Prison or To Ransom A Man’s Soul. For those of us (I’m a woman by the way) who have gone through sexual assault, it was finally good to have it shown for what it is. I would mention the source material in the book written by Diana Gabaldon, but knowing in the book it’s told via first person in that Jamie only relays to Claire what happened it’s not like Jamie having his own agency and actually seeing what happened to Jamie. The only gripe I think I have with the creators is the lack of deleted scenes on the home video release or extended episodes. I’ve listened to the podcast and heard what Ron D. Moore said about what his limit was, however, given what both Tobias and in particular Sam gave to his performance, I think it would have been exceptional to see more of his work.
Tobias kept himself verra (Jamie Fraser reference) busy in 2016. While appearing in OUTLANDER as Black Jack Randall and Frank Randall, also doing double duty on season six of GAME OF THRONES as Edmure Tully, Tobias appeared in an arthouse film called UNA playing the part of Mark. The film starred Ben Mendelsohn and Rooney Mara and told the story of a young woman trying to find out if the man she had sexual relations with as a thirteen year old, remembered her and their experience. While the film is controversial, I feel it missed the boat in giving us a character piece where there are no bad guys, only complicated feelings and showing the human experience. Now before anyone jumps on me and says, “You do realize what Ray/Pete did to Una was rape don’t you?” I’m going to say this, I am a rape survivor. I was raped when I was thirteen, however, I also at fourteen had an affair with a man who was fifty-one. I know both sides, and this was not rape. Una was not shown as a victim of Ray’s. That he was going to bite the bullet and run off with her had a misunderstanding not interfered, I’m sure this film would have been an entirely different one altogether. While Ben Mendelsohn was great in this, I wonder what would have happened had Tobias played Ray/Pete? What type of vibe would he have brought to it. Oh and the film co-stars Tobias’ GAME OF THRONES alum Tara Fitzgerald who played Selyse Baratheon, the wife of Stannis (Stephen Dillane). And funny still Ben Mendelsohn also appeared opposite Riz Ahmed who played Scott, also were Rogue One together as Orson Krennic and Bodhi Rook respectively. Six degrees folks.
Post number two. Here I have Tobias’ work from OUTLANDER‘s premiere episode titled Sassenach. This was a pretty good start for a new series. This was also where I discovered a new side to Tobias Menzies. Something I’d not seen of him when he played Edmure Tully in GAME OF THRONES. I’m only saddened this site is so late in getting up as I really wish I could have given his fans somewhere to go to find stuff on him. Ah well, as Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) would say, “Dinna fash.”
In the last of Tobias’ GAME OF THRONES episodes, Edmure has finally made it out of the Frey dungeon and is now Lord of Riverrun. In his only appearance Edmure takes part in the second Dragon Pit summit to name a new King of The Seven Kingdoms. While it was amazing seeing Tobias again, season eight is a dud for me. All the out of character depictions and the dumb writing did nothing for me in terms of wrapping up one of the most amazing shows on television with a huge letdown.
Following up on season three’s events, Tobias wasn’t seen on GAME OF THRONES again until season six. Here Edmure had spent years in Walder Frey’s (David Bradley) dungeon having fathered a child on his wedding night. Season six saw The Blackfish (Clive Russell) retake Riverrun from the Freys forcing them to call on the Lannisters to come and take it back. In a pivotal episode Edmure is told by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) he’ll take drastic measures in the form of sending Edmure’s son over the walls on a catapult if Edmure doesn’t do as he’s told. All in all heartbreaking for Edmure as he ended up back in the Frey dungeon likely still not having seen his son. I find it kind of ironic that as Black Jack Randall on OUTLANDER Tobias tortured Jamie Fraser played by the amazing Sam Heughan, only to be tortured by a Jaime in a Lannister.
This is the first of Tobias’ GAME OF THRONES episodes where he played the part of Edmure Tully. Here is season three consisting of the introduction of Edmure, to his betrothal to Roslin Frey (Alexandra Dowling). Then the infamous The Red Wedding. This was the second time I saw Tobias. While not quite as showy as the rest of Tobias’ performances, one has to empathize with Edmure. The fact that while he was enjoying his wedding night, his sister, nephew, his nephew’s pregnant wife, and the combined Stark and Tully forces were slaughtered.
