"Game of Thrones" has grown into such a phenomenon. There's no wonder the actors involved in it became as popular and as big as the show. Actors and actresses like Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, and Peter Dinklage all had gigs in the past, but it wasn't until "Thrones" that they have become household names.
Of course, those who do even just a cameo in "Game of Thrones" would gain a sliver of popularity, at least. But what happens when someone who is already popular makes a cameo in TV's biggest fantasy drama?
Was Ed Sheeran's cameo really that bad?
Well, most people think that it ruins the immersion and the escapism that Westeros offers. At least this is how they saw it when popular British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran made a cameo as a Lannister soldier in "Game of Thrones." Many people thought that the appearance was out of place, and Vanity Fair even thought that Sheeran's cameo "stuck out like a sore thumb."
"The most common complaint I’ve heard is that [Ed Sheeran's] appearance shattered the escapist illusion of Westeros as its own world. Twitter, in short, was having none of it," Joanna Robinson wrote for Vanity Fair, in an article that discussed the cameo issue.
The backlash that ensued was "undeniably harsh," and fans were disappointed at how Sheeran's appearance was "splashier" compared to other cameos of musicians that more or less stayed in the background of the scenes.
Analysts at Fizziology, who gathered data about social media response towards the show, thought that the Season 7 premiere garnered a more negative response than last year's (Season 6).
It got worse; there was news that the response was enough to drive the British singer-songwriter off Twitter. However, Ed Sheeran dissuaded these rumors, saying that he had planned to leave Twitter for the longest time.
It just so happened that the timing coincided with the "Game of Thrones" fiasco.
'Most of the actors are popular now, anyway.'
Of course, there are people who thought that Sheeran's appearance was okay. Jeremy Podeswa, director of the episode; and Nina Gold, casting director, both thought that there was nothing wrong with the cameo.
They defended Sheeran by expressing that everyone on "Game of Thrones" is already popular, and will eventually become popular, anyway, so they thought that one more sensation wouldn't hurt.
It should be noted that Ed Sheeran's appearance was not done on a whim. It was a decision made about a year ago by both producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, in response to Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) expressing her desire to see the British singer-songwriter on the show.
