Most Surprising Character

I started reading Game of Thrones knowing beforehand that the novel contained some significant deaths.  I did not know specifically who was going to die, but I was warned that it was going to be devastating.  So when Jory Cassel was cut down by Jamie Lannister's men, I assumed the big moment had arrived.  My inaccurate assumption made the deaths that followed all the more poignant and shocking.

I liked Jory.  He wasn't given a great deal of characterization and we never got to see the world through his eyes, but there was something very appealing about his character.  When I first saw a promotional picture of Jamie Sives, I knew instinctively that he was Jory.  But how?






My first thought was that I must be remembering his physical description in the novel, so I went back and thumbed through the book to confirm that his description on paper matched his depiction on screen.  Only one problem: I could not find a single description of Jory's physical appearance.  During the Hand's Tourney, Sansa describes his plain blue-grey plate and thin grey cloak that looked like a soiled rag.  Obviously, he was a man unconcerned with ornament.  However, I do not think it was his drab clothing that made me realize that Sives would be portraying Jory. 

What do we know about Jory beyond his physical appearance?  He was Winterfell's captain of the guard, he accompanied Eddard Stark to King's Landing, and he died defending his lord.  He was loyal, unassuming, and a skilled fighter.  He also had a sense of humor: he is described laughing at jokes during meals and exchanging wry banter with Eddard.  He is self-possessed, a loyal confidant to his lord, extremely able, but not arrogant, and is able to laugh at life.  I think this is why I was able to connect the picture of Sives to Jory.

I was very surprised at how well Sives portrays Jory.  Were you pleasantly surprised by any particular actor or actress?