The actor talks about his new memoir, 'Beyond the Throne,' and tells PEOPLE about filming Hodor's "monumental" final scene

George RR Martin] made the very funny quip where I was talking about deadlines being stressful. He said, ‘I’m 12 years late, Kristian. I understand about deadlines.’”

In 2016, "Game of Thrones" fans online went wild when they found out the meaning of Hodor’s name. In this excerpt from his memoir Beyond the Throne, Kristian Nairn tells the surprising story of what happened while he filmed it.

Game of Thrones” actor Kristian Nairn, who played the fan favorite character Hodor, sat down with NBC News’ Joe Fryer about his new book, “Beyond the Throne,” a memoir that shares behind-the-scenes stories from the hit show.

Kristian Nairn is best known for his role as the lumbering and loyal servant Hodor in Game of Thrones. He was one of the series’ most popular characters despite only uttering one word (repeatedly) during the series.

I adore that boy. He’s the little brother I never had. I still feel that way. I think probably to the day we die we’ll be connected. … It was a wonderful thing.”