Game of Thrones cast says farewell on this week's EW cover: 'I will miss this so much'

The cast of Game of Thrones says farewell to the HBO blockbuster in Entertainment Weekly‘s new issue going behind the scenes of the final season’s end game.

The issue dives deep into the tragic downfall of Daenerys Targaryen with Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, along with chats with Isaac Hempstead Wright about playing the new king of Westeros and Sophie Turner on becoming the Queen in the North. There are also 14 new photos from behind the scenes and the show itself.

“I will miss this so much,” says GoT star Peter Dinklage. “But it’s time to move on. A lot of shows stay on television for too long. You got to make room for the new thing. And no decision should ever be made just because something is making a lot of money. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] are smart enough, and HBO is smart enough, to not just go, ‘Well, everybody’s getting rich let’s keep going’ — that’s the worst thing you can do with something creative like this. I know it’s difficult to make that decision. This is the greatest role I’ve ever had.”

The younger cast members are ready to move on too, especially after spending most of their lives playing just one role. Like Jon Snow going beyond The Wall to start a new life with the Wildlings, Harington is ready for something new.

“The goal of acting is to gain some recognition and fame — that’s not what I’m looking for anymore,” Harington says. “This gives me the freedom to try things I want to do. I keep nicking beers from David and Dan’s fridge. I left them a note saying, ‘I owe you two beers and one career,’ and that’s how I feel.”

“This show is my life,” Clarke says. “Any doors that are open now, this show opened them. Any major life choice I’ve made have been a reaction to this show.”

And speaking of trying new things, this is also EW’s Summer TV Preview, to help you figure out what will be your next new favorite show. We have profiles of HBO’s new drama Euphoria, Succession season 2, Netflix’s Stranger Things season 3 and Black Mirror season 5, Hulu’s Handmaids Tale season 3, and the Veronica Mars reboot, along with two dozen others.

For more on the Game of Thrones series finale, pick up the new Summer TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly — buy your choice of Daenerys or the Starks now, or find the issue on stands Friday. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Related content:

• Read EW’s complete coverage of Game of Thrones‘ final season
• See all of EW’s epic Game of Thrones covers through the years
• Game of Thrones just set its final ratings record