Anyone who at least caught a glimpse of Game of Thrones clearly remembered Oberin Martell, a bright and charismatic character who appeared in the fourth season of the series. This character was loved by many of us, so his sudden death was a real blow for the audience. How is Prince Oberin described in books? What happened to Pedro Pascal, who played the rebellious dornier? We will tell more in our article.
Prince Oberin: Character Description
The past Oberin is not disclosed in books in detail. It is known that he was the youngest son in the family of Prince Dorn, so he never claimed the throne. From childhood, he was in close relationship with his sister Elia, whom he loved very much. Unlike his elder brother, Prince Oberin is distinguished by cruelty, ardor and vengeance. He traveled extensively in Westeros and the Free Cities and studied many poisons well, and therefore has a reputation as an insidious poisoner. In addition, Martell emerged victorious from many duels, because he is very good at holding a long spear. He was never married, although he has many illegitimate children.
His last constant lover was Ellaria Sand, who bore him four daughters. Outwardly, the prince is also pretty handsome. He has dark skin, black and shiny eyes, dark hair, which is a little touched by gray hair.
Oberin's sister, Elia Martell, married Prince Reigar Targaryen, who was the heir to the Seven Kingdoms. However, he and his father died during the rebellion of Robert Baratheon. Elijah, together with her son and daughter, were brutally murdered by Grigor Kligan. Prince Oberyn wanted to revolt in Dorn and avenge the death of his beloved sister, but his brother Doran made peace with Robert Baratheon. However, Oberin Martell did not leave thoughts of retaliation.
Character appearance in Game of Thrones
The trouble with many adaptations is that because of the reduced time, they do not always have time to fully reveal all the interesting characters. Prince Oberin shared their fate, because, unfortunately, in one season it is very difficult to tell the audience about such a colorful character.
In the series, Martell appears suddenly. He arrived at the wedding of King Joffrey and Margery Tyrell. Oberin talks with Tyrion and threatens his father, Tywin Lannister. The prince accuses him of killing Elia Martell and her children. And although Tywin himself did not kill the princess, it is believed that it was he who gave the order to Grigor Kligan for reprisal against her.
However, the wedding did not take place. King Joffrey was poisoned, and Tyrion Lannister was charged with his death. He chose the court as a duel. To prove Tyrion's innocence, his champion had to fight Grigor Kligan, who was considered the most fierce warrior of the Iron Throne. Wanting to take revenge, Oberyn Martell comes to prison to the accused and offers him to fight for him. He wants not only to kill Kligan, but also to hear from his mouth the name of the customer of the murder.
The death of Oberin Martella
Unfortunately, this fight was the last for the Dornish prince. Oberin intended to defeat Kligan by cunning, and not by force. He inflicted deadly poison on his spear. Dodging the blows, the prince deftly fought with his opponent. The quick warrior easily exhausted the knight, dressed in heavy armor. However, he could not kill him until he gave him the name of the man who ordered him to crack down on Elia Martell. Having knocked down Grigor to the ground, he continued interrogating the opponent, but lost his vigilance, deciding that victory was his. His opponent used this moment, grabbed the prince and brutally killed him.
The quick and ridiculous death of Prince Oberin shocked fans of the series. It is known that his body was delivered back to Dorn, where Ellaria, his daughters, and all the people bitterly mourned the untimely departed Martell.
Pedro Pascal is an actor who embodied the image of Oberin on screens
Immediately after Martell appeared on the screens, viewers became interested in Pedro Pascal, who so skillfully played the role of the Red Snake. It is this nickname that Prince Oberyn Martell once received. The actor, who has a bright oriental appearance, has long been living and working in the United States, but his work before this role was not very successful.
Pedro was born in 1975 and spent the first years in Santiago, Chile. When he was a young child, his parents were forced to flee the country for fear of political persecution. They sought asylum in Denmark and received it. For some time the family lived in Europe, but soon moved to Texas, and then to California, USA.
Pedro Pascal from an early age was fond of theater and dreamed of becoming an actor. At age 18, he moved away from his parents and went to seek happiness in New York. Here he entered the famous Tish School of Arts on Broadway, which he successfully graduated from. However, his career did not work out. He received only episodic roles in little-known series and films.
Life before the Game of Thrones
The most famous role of Pedro Pascal, without a doubt, was the wayward Prince Oberin. The actor, however, even before the “Game of Thrones” took part in many large projects, although he played secondary roles. Spectators could see him in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", where he played one of the villains. However, the hero is hardly remembered by the audience, because he almost immediately died at the hands of the main character.
In 2009, Pascal got a good role in the television series Good Wife, where he had to translate the assistant lawyer on the screen. But the character was not liked by the audience, so he was quickly taken out of the plot. The actor also took part in projects such as "The Mentalist", "Law and Order", "Nikita" and "Homeland".
Pascal achieved much greater success in the theater. He took part in many performances in theaters in New York, for which he received several prestigious awards. In addition, Pedro was noted not only as a good actor, but also as an excellent director and director.
Personal life Pedro
Prince Oberin Martell gave the actor success not only in his career, but also in his personal life. Prior to participating in the filming of Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal was not involved in a relationship with anyone famous. Or they simply were not known to the public.
On the set of "Game of Thrones" between Pedro Pascal and Lena Headey, who plays the role of Queen Cersei Lannister, a stormy romance ensued. The lovers carefully concealed their relationship, so the press for a long time did not know about them. Rumors about their relationship were confirmed when in 2015 the actress became pregnant. Lena Headey in an interview admitted that it was Pedro who was the father of her unborn child. In July of that year, she gave birth to a daughter, Tallulu. However, almost nothing is still known about the further relations between the two actors.
Interesting Facts
Prince Oberin ("Game of Thrones") went to the actor by accident. Pascal transmitted a comic video of samples for this role to his close friend Sarah Paulson. She showed her to Amanda Pete, who is the wife of the main screenwriter of the series David Benioff. The recording was made on the phone, but the creators of Game of Thrones still liked it. Soon, the actor was invited to a real test, where they handed him the script. Pedro Pascal himself claims that he did not even immediately realize that he received this role.
An interesting fact is also his strong friendship with actress Sarah Paulson, who gained fame thanks to the series American Horror Story. For some time there were rumors about their romance. However, both Pascal and Paulson in their interviews said that they are close friends, but no more. In addition, Sarah has long been in a relationship with Holland Taylor.
Rise in a career after the Game of Thrones
A huge breakthrough for him was the series "Game of Thrones." Prince Oberin, actor Pedro Pascal was very fond of the audience. After the premiere of the season, Pedro began to receive advantageous offers and roles. In 2015, he played in the comedy horror film Bloodsucking Scum. At the same time, filming of the series “Narco” began, which tells the story of the famous drug lord Pablo Escobar. At the moment, 2 seasons have already been released, which have received high ratings from film critics.
Also worth noting is the film The Great Wall, filmed in 2016. In it, Pedro played along with Matt Damon. In 2017, it is planned to release another major project with the participation of an actor. Pascal took part in the filming of Kingsman: The Golden Ring, where he will play a major role.