The infamous coffee cup in 'Game of Thrones' sparked internet frenzy and Sophie Turner opens up about the finger-pointing, and why she thinks somebody should have been fired.
- May 17, 2024
AceShowbiz - In the final season of the iconic series "Game of Thrones," a modern-day disposable coffee cup made an unexpected cameo, and Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, still can't believe the slip-up wasn't caught. Discussing the notorious blunder in her interview for British Vogue's June issue, Turner confessed, "I think it was slightly embarrassing that none of us noticed it. It was quite glaringly obvious."
Back in May 2019, die-hard fans quickly spotted the coffee cup in front of Emilia Clarke's character, Daenerys Targaryen, during the fourth episode of the final season. Despite being on screen for just two seconds, the cup was impossible to miss and sparked a viral frenzy on social media, ultimately becoming a meme sensation.
As Turner noted, the mishap not only embarrassed the actors but also ignited controversy on the set. "It caused quite a bit of controversy on set, actually. We were all kind of pointing fingers at each other and it kind of turned into like a game of [The] Traitors," she said.
When the episode aired, HBO Max (now Max) acted swiftly and digitally removed the cup within two days. However, the damage had been done. "The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea," Max joked on social media in an attempt to lighten the mood.
In the ensuing chaos, fans even blamed Turner herself after photos surfaced showing her holding a similar cup on set. Addressing the claims on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," she deflected the accusations with humor, pointing out that the cup was actually from a different scene and jokingly accused Clarke, "Look who it's placed in front of […] Emilia Clarke, she's the culprit!"
Turner isn't the only one who addressed the scandal. Clarke revealed months later that Conleth Hill, who played Lord Varys, admitted to being the one who left the cup on the table. "He said, 'I think it was [mine], I am sorry, darling. I didn't want to say anything because it seemed the heat was very much on you,' " Clarke shared during her own appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show.
The coffee cup fiasco has since become emblematic of the issues that plagued the latter seasons of the once-revered series, leading to the disappointment of many long-time viewers over its production quality and storytelling. Despite efforts to scrub the scene from the internet, clips and stills of the cup remain a part of pop culture history.
