‘Game of Thrones’ Actor Daniel Portman Says He’s Been Sexually Assaulted by ‘So Many’ Fans

Daniel Portman first made an appearance in Game of Thrones at the age of 19 in Season 2 as Podrick Payne, becoming a fan favorite by Season 3 thanks to his reputation for pleasing the ladies of Westeros. Tyrion Lannister was saved by Podrick at the end of Season 2, and to pay his thanks to Podrick, he employed prostitutes from Littlefinger’s brothel. The women, however, refused to accept payment, because he was just that good. In a new feature with Esquire, the now 27-year-old actor has explained that his reputation as ‘Sex God Podrick Payne‘ has resulted in some very worrying instances of fan interactions.

When asked about what makes Podrick so good at sex, Portman joked, “A magician never reveals his secrets.” He said that the reputation surrounding him and the character has mostly been “fun,” but he’s also had a number of fans sexually assault him. “I’ve been grabbed by so many… like the amount of like older, older women who are very…” Portman explained, making a grabbing gesture with his hand. “What can you do? You know? Obviously tell them not to do it.”

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While he said that it “hasn’t happened for a while,” he’s certainly not happy about it happening. “In this day and age you’d think that people would be able to separate reality from fiction,” he continued. “I don’t want to say it comes with the territory, but, you know, people are crazy about it. It’s certainly not cool.”

Despite these experiences, he still wants to make it clear that he feels very lucky to play Podrick. “It’s really not a bad thing, to be tied to your character,” he added. He’s especially happy that he didn’t meet the fate of Theon Greyjoy, who also enjoyed a reputation with the ladies. “Some guy had his dick cut off,” he said. “Then you’ve got a guy who’s meant to be this fucking stallion, out of nowhere.”