‘Game of Thrones’ Star Daniel Portman Reveals He Was Sexually Assaulted By Fans

Daniel Portman, known for playing Podrick Payne on Game of Thrones, opened up about getting sexually assaulted by fans in a new interview with Esquire.

Portman has played the intrepid squire Podrick since Season 2 of Game of Thrones. In a wide-ranging interview about the show’s final season, he revealed that some details of his character’s sexual history have led fans to put their hands on him in ways he did not care for.

“I’ve been grabbed by so many [people],” Portman said, adding that they were mostly “older women.”

“What can you do? You know? Obviously tell them not to do it,” he went on. “It hasn’t happened for a while. In this day and age you’d think that people would be able to separate reality from fiction. I don’t want to say it comes with the territory, but, you know, people are crazy about it. It’s certainly not cool.”

Back in Season 3, Podrick’s sexuality was at the center of a humorous storyline, when Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) tried to thank him for saving his life by bringing him to a brothel. Podrick spent time with three prostitutes at once, but when he returned he still had Tyrion’s money, explaining that the girls would not keep it. Later, Ros tells Varys that the girls said Podrick was “the best they’d ever had.”

Portman admitted that starring in such story was fun in many ways, especially as a 20-year-old new actor at the time. However, he said that the early days of Podrick’s squireship with Tyrion have become a bit of a burden, especially when it comes to unwanted interactions with fans.

“When you tell a 20-year-old actor, who’s sort of stumbled onto this big TV show, that all of a sudden you’re meant to be Casanova, people all over the world wonder whether or not it’s true,” he said. “I would be lying if I said that that hadn’t been fun.”

Despite how over-familiar fans may treat Portman, Podrick has become a beloved character on Game of Thrones for more than his bedroom habits. The young squire has grown quietly in the background into an honorable man and a skilled fighter, who will no doubt play his part in the wars to come. Portman confessed that he had gotten much more than he expected to out of the role.

“Pod was just meant to be a ‘we’ll see what happens’ kind of character,” he noted.

Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.