Jaime Lannister on his family: ‘If they lose the crown…they’re probably going to lose their heads’

Six seasons into Game of Thrones, you have to wonder: How many of these characters even care about the Iron Throne anymore? Aren’t they busy enough just trying to stay alive?

Yes and no, according to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister. The actor, who appears in Netflix’s Small Crimes (now streaming), told Mashable that his character is only invested in the crown because it keeps him alive.

“I think he cares about it not being someone that the Lannisters can’t control,” he said of the fate of the Iron Throne. “I think [Jaime] understands there’s no question that if they lose the crown, obviously they’re probably going to lose their heads.”

In Small Crimes, Coster-Waldau plays a character who "wants to do the right thing...[but] just doesn't know what that means." The film introduces former police officer Joe Denton after a six-year prison stint as he struggles to face the lasting repercussions of his actions.

"He’s so selfish," Coster-Waldau said of Joe, smiling despite himself. "He doesn’t want bad things to happen to his family also his friends but when push comes to shove if it’s between him and them, he will pick himself first. There’s no question of that."

"I believe in second chances," he added (those are a big theme in Small Crimes). "But if you, like him, insist on doing the opposite, or even if you insist on just making a mockery of other people’s generosity, then at one point there’s gonna be a consequence."

The Lannisters, Cersei in particular, have certainly made their enemies in the Seven Kingdoms, with a certain price upon their yellow-haired heads.

“Now I’m talking about going into season 7 not knowing what happens in season 7 -- but it’s difficult to imagine if Daenerys Targaryen were arriving that it would be peaceful,” Coster-Waldau mused. “I don’t see a peaceful transition of power happening.”

Game of Thrones returns July 16 and Small Crimes is now on Netflix.