Game Of Thrones Actor Talks His Surprise Return

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 7, episode 2, "Stormborn."

In a series as twisting and turning as Game of Thrones, you'd do well to expect the unexpected. (Unless you want to watch your favorite character get brutally murdered or be burnt to ashes; we're not judging.) But nothing was quite as surprising as what fans saw in the show's latest episode: the triumphant return of the most beloved baker in all of Westeros, Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey). 

During in season 7, episode 2 "Stormborn," Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is making her way down south to King's Landing on a mission to kill Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). Needing some nourishment and refreshment, she pops into the Crossroads Inn, where she bumps into her old friend Hot Pie. The two met years ago, when Arya was still presenting herself as a boy so she wouldn't be spotted (and killed) by a Lannister bannerman. Hot Pie and Arya share a touching moment, imbued with a reference to Arya making pies out of people, before he tells her that the Boltons are dead and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) currently holds the North. 

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Hot Pie actor Hawkey revealed that his return to Game of Thrones surprised him just as much as it did the audience. "It was a really big shock. I wasn't expecting to be coming back at all," he said. 

Hakwey admitted that his first reaction to being brought back was confusion, as he wasn't caught up on the show and didn't know why his character would be included in a storyline this late in the game. "I didn't know why they needed me, to be honest. I only recently just watched all the episodes. I hadn't seen any of it," revealed Hawkey. "I really couldn't believe it. I didn't see any need for it, especially after watching it. I was like, 'What could they want with Hot Pie?'"

Despite the initial bewilderment about his character's return, the 21-year-old actor stated that it was a "perfect little Hot Pie scene" and that he's always felt it was "nice to be a lighter character in a really dark series." 

There's no telling if we'll see more Hot Pie before the series comes to a close, but Hawkey said he'd be "happy to come back" if the opportunity arises.

Game of Thrones is currently in its seventh season. Catch up on everything you missed in the second episode with our official "Stormborn" recap, and then check out the untold truth of Game of Thrones.