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Finn Jones was one of the Cinema & TV guests at this edition of Comic Con Portugal, and discussed his participation in “Game of Thrones”, as well as the main role of Iron Fist in the Marvel series in collaboration with Netflix.
The biggest pop culture event in the country took place at Exponor between the 21st and 24th of March 2024, in what was its 10th edition, and Finn Jones was one of the Cinema & TV guests welcomed by journalists.
The Marvel series he starred in, “Iron Fist”, was the center of attention, with the actor being asked about the process of filming the fight scenes, and also what the experience was like filming in New York, where he ended up staying to live.
“I think we filmed this series over the course of 3 years. And during those 3 years there was a lot of acrobatics training, nutrition, gym training, having a personal trainer, that kind of thing. (…) I think the most challenging thing about this was the limited time we had to dedicate to turning these stunts into reality.”
“(Filming in New York) was crazy. Go to all these iconic locations in New York and film outside. And you can’t close down New York, so you have to record while there’s an audience, it’s almost like doing a kind of street theater performance because not only are you acting for the camera, but you also have people watching and curious about the what’s going on (…) And even just walking around the city, I have such good memories of some places. And it’s like, look, that’s where Luke Cage and I came out of that burning building and then it exploded behind us, and now it’s an H&M store.”
Finn Jones reveals that he did not keep anything physical from the sets of “Game of Thrones” or “Iron Fist”, however, he took away learnings and memories from both experiences. From playing Danny Rand, he mentions taking away his “integrity and perseverance”, his optimism and ability to have hope even “when the world brings you down”. In “Game of Thrones”, he joked about the fact that his character, Loras Tyrell, no longer had any belongings to remove when he finished the series.
“In Game of Thrones, in the last season or the last episode, I was like a rag. In the end, you know, he no longer had an arm. And so there was really nothing I could take away. The character in the book had been stripped of all her possessions. And that. So there was nothing I could take with me, just memories.”
Still talking to journalists at Comic Con Portugal, about the differences between recording the series “Iron Fist” and “The Defenders”, both produced by Netflix, the British actor says that he recorded both series without a break between them, and that when were focused on just one character, this made the television series “heavy”.
“We were working 15 hours a day, from Monday to Friday, the workload was very intense. And when we all got to The Defenders, I think as actors, we felt a great sense of relief that we could share the burden. We didn’t have to carry the series, we could all carry the series together. And I think that allowed us to enjoy the process much more, so on the (recording) set, we had a lot of fun.”
Finn Jones didn’t expect to be part of the Marvel franchise, confessing that “it just happened”. He reveals that, after finishing “Game of Thrones”, he looked for a project that could take his career “further”, and that getting the role of Danny Rand was the best next step, especially since it was a co-production with Netflix. “They wanted to do it more gritty and street-oriented, and more character-focused, those were all things I was excited about,” he mentioned about entering the Marvel world.
In an honest and even inspiring conversation, the actor also mentioned the difficulties of casting – although, according to him, obtaining roles in “Game of Thrones” and “Iron Fist” was not a very long process. However, he reveals that the hardest part of being an actor is having “passion” about all the characters and putting all your energy into each audition, so that “99 percent of the time, it doesn’t work out for us”.
“As an actor, you have to find the resilience and endurance to persevere despite everything – but you also have to find the passion. You have to make sure you don’t let every rejection bring your spirit down. So that you continue to find the passion to continue. Last week I had an audition for a film, a character in a film that I really loved (…) and this week I found out that I wasn’t chosen. Okay, it’s boring. But this week, I got another call, I have a meeting with the director next week. And I have to find the imagination and passion to feel hopeful about this opportunity.”
Asked about a possible return of the character Iron Fist in the future, the actor didn’t hesitate: “Yes, I definitely think Iron Fist will return in some form. Whether it will be me (to interpret), I don’t know. I would love to continue playing Danny Rand, without a doubt.” Finn Jones believes that there are still many possibilities to explore, and even has his own ideas of what he would like to see next for the character, revealing himself, even if indirectly, as much a fan of the character and the story as any of us.
The Brit was present at two days of Comic Con Portugal, having participated in a second panel with fans on the last day of the convention – also his own birthday. And in a unique moment, he was presented with a birthday cake on stage while the audience sang to him in unison, a cake he ended up sharing with a fan who was also celebrating her birthday that day.
What did you think of the actor’s participation in this edition of Comic Con Portugal? Were you able to be present at any of the panels?
