Peter Dinklage
Actor Peter Dinklage poses backstage with his award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in HBO's "Game of Thrones" during the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California September 20, 2015. Reuters/Mike Blake

The ending of “Game of Thrones” with season 8 is an emotional event for the cast members of the show. The actors have become a family after filming every year for nearly a decade. In a recent interview, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) said that he is not only leaving behind his co-stars but also the friends he has made in the communities where they have been filming.

In an interview with Variety, Dinklage pointed out that his home is in New York, but he had to head to Europe each year to film “Game of Thrones.” The filming used to take months, and staying there without going back home every weekend; Dinklage developed “deep roots in the community” in the countries where they filmed.

“It was definitely hard to say goodbye to because it wasn’t just saying goodbye to the show, I was saying goodbye to a life over there,” Dinklage said.

Dinklage has become a familiar face globally after his portrayal of Tyrion on the show. He has now won his third Emmy award, with seven nominations. During his acceptance speech the actor thanked the producer David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for changing his life, Deadline reports. He also added that the producers are the “most talented, amazing people” he knows.

“Game of Thrones” is by far the most popular TV series on Earth. The fans and the network would have liked for the show to continue, but the producers decided to end it with season 8. George RR Martin, the author of “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series on which the TV series is based, said that the show could have continued for many more years.

In an interview with Variety, Martin said that the “Game of Thrones” TV series could have continued for seasons 11,12, 13, but they decided to end it at 8 because the producers wanted to end it.