He departed Game of Thrones last season as the unforgiving Stannis Baratheon - and now actor Stephen Dillane has admitted that he "didn't get" his character's role in the hit series.

Dillane told press including Digital Spy that he regrets not reading George RR Martin's novels, since he struggled to get a grasp on Stannis across his four seasons with the show.

"I wish I'd read the books - I might have got a better idea of where it was all going," he said.

"I just felt as if I didn't get it, and had I read the books, I might have had a better idea of the role of the character - what he was meant to be. It might've helped."

Stannis was executed by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) in the show's fifth season finale - with Dillane joking that he was only disappointed "financially".

HBO

"I could've done with another year," he said. "But as far as whether that character should've continued or not continued... or what the investment in him is, I really don't know."

And while he admitted to missing his old castmates - particularly Davos Seaworth actor Liam Cunningham - Dillane added that he otherwise was happy to leave Game of Thrones behind.

HBO

"You're such a cog in the machine," he said. "I missed hanging around with some of the people, but the actual experience of filming? No, I don't miss that.

"I was going in for a day or two, here and there, so I'd sort of forgotten who everybody was each time I went in, because it's so massive."

Maybe it's no bad thing, then, that Stannis's exit - unlike Jon Snow's - looks set to be permanent...

Stephen Dillane stars in The Tunnel: Sabotage - available from 9pm on Sky Atlantic, with all episodes available the same night via Sky Box Sets.

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