George R.R. Martin Tried to Make Cameo in 'Game of Thrones' Red Wedding Scene Where He'd 'Die Horribly'

George R.R. Martin almost died... in Game of Thrones, that is.

As reported by NME, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series revealed in his blog that he tried and failed to secure a cameo in the HBO TV adaptation. According to his post, Martin tried several times to convince producers to let him make an appearance on the show. He was technically given a cameo in the pilot, as a guest at Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo's wedding, however as fans know, the original pilot was scrapped and reshot. Martin also suggested that he be one of the severed heads on the walls of the Red Keep next to Ned Stark, but ended up not doing that either because, "those severed heads are damned expensive."

And finally, there was another scene that Martin wanted to be in, one that's known for being particularly gruesome: The Red Wedding.

Game of Thrones fans will never forget when the Freys slaughtered Catelyn and Robb Stark, along with Robb's wife and his soldiers. Martin said that he asked producers if he could “die horribly” during the bloody scene, but was told his presence would potentially be too distracting for viewers. He explained:

"I also campaigned to die horribly at the Red Wedding, which seemed only fair since I was responsible for it, but it was felt that my presence in that powerful, wrenching, bloody scene might have taken the viewers out of the moment. Fair enough. And not wrong."

In the end, Martin unfortunately never got a cameo on the show, but even so, his stories will be remembered long after the next winter comes.